Disheartened.

That’s the word I went to bed with last night and awoke with this morning.

At the end of an unprecedented in my lifetime hate-filled, vicious and embarrassing political season, I am disheartened.

Now, before my Republican friends check out, let me be clear.  I’m not condemning Republicans.  I’m not condoning Democrats.  Although I didn’t see the election of Donald Trump as President coming, I get where it came from.

People are fed up with the American government.  More than that, they’re angry–and justifiably so.  Corporate democracy has polluted the democratic process and left many Americans in distress both financially and socially.

As a barely middle-class American, I don’t particularly feel like the government works on my behalf, and I know it doesn’t work on behalf of the poor, the marginalized and the oppressed.

However, I’m not sure that it should.  I think there’s a great danger in looking to the government for salvation. Governments are created to bring forth the kingdoms of men.  As Jesus followers, it is our responsibility to bring about the kingdom of God.

That’s not an attempt to diminish the significant role our government plays in promoting peace, justice and freedom.  The government has a responsibility to work on behalf of all its people.  Right now, it’s failing fairly spectacularly.  But, neither presidential candidate was going to fix that.

 

And while it disheartens me that so many people thought Donald Trump was the answer, God reminded me that there is a much wider lens from which to view this current election cycle.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, you must be patient as you wait for the coming of the Lord. Consider the farmer who waits patiently for the coming of rain in the fall and spring, looking forward to the precious fruit of the earth.  You also must wait patiently, strengthening your resolve, because the coming of the Lord is near.  Don’t complain about each other, brothers and sisters, so that you won’t be judged. Look! The judge is standing at the door!  James 5:7-9 (CEB)

Be patient

Wait for the Lord

Strengthen your resolve

Don’t complain about others

James gets the long game.  He understands that in a world fraught with upheaval, uncertainty and fear it’s easy to lose sight of what God is doing.  James calls on the people of God, who had absolutely no voice in the Roman government, to stand strong in their hope–to expect to see the coming of the Lord.

I think–almost 2,000 years later–there’s a message here for us.  God knows what is going on in his world.  God sees the injustice, the oppression, the poverty, the persecution, the greed, the violence and the iniquity.  And he’s going to do something about it.  In fact, he already is.

The truth of the matter is that we, as Jesus followers, have dropped the ball.  We’ve relinquished our call to do works of justice, mercy, love and peace and instead have called on the government to do those things for us.  But, that’s not the way God works.

Jesus gives  his disciples the following command as he sends them out to do the work of God.

As you go, make this announcement: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’  Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with skin diseases, and throw out demons.” Matthew 10:7-8 (CEB)

Jesus doesn’t say: petition the government for better healthcare, demand an audience with the governor or campaign on behalf of Caesar.

No, Jesus tells his disciples, you heal the sick.  You feed the hungry.  You love your enemies.  You visit those imprisoned.  You work to bring about my kingdom.

My friends, it is time we put our hope back at the feet of the one who sits on the throne of creation.  It is time we stop blaming the government for all of our failures as human beings and take up the mantle of discipleship Jesus has placed before us.

Over the coming weeks and months, I challenge you to engage in some dialogue with God about how you can work within your homes, churches, workplaces and communities to bring about justice, peace, unity, mercy and love.  Regardless of who sits in Congress or the Oval Office, what can you do to help build God’s kingdom here on earth?

Blessings and Peace,

Sara

Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? James 4:5 (NIV)

Recently, I reread Alice Hoffman’s novel The Dovekeepers.   This novel follows the paths of four Jewish women during the Roman occupation of Israel in ancient times.  Hoffman’s work is deep, lyrical, mystical and moving.  Like most great works of fiction, there is fundamental truth running within and beyond the story.

One of the terms referenced in the novel is the Shechinah.  The Shechinah is a Hebrew word that refers to God’s Spirit.  In seminary, we were taught that this Spirit was the feminine aspect of God, and indeed, Shechinah is feminine in form.

However, in doing a bit of research (because I’m a total nerd) I found that Shechinah is much more than a manifestation of God’s Spirit.

One Bible reference site defines Shechinah as the “visible majesty of the divine presence”. It is the cloud that led the people of Israel through the wilderness and settled over the Tabernacle of the Lord.  It is the essence of God that dwelt on the mercy seat between the cherubim in Solomon’s Temple.

More than that, Shechinah is the literal embodiment of God’s divine presence dwelling within us.  Rabbi Tavi Freeman describes the Schechinah as the Spirit of God who “comes to Earth to rescue our spirits from their shells of darkness” and “to reconnect them to their source above…” 

Shechinah is God With Us.

Think about that for a minute.  Shechinah is God With Us.

As a Jesus girl, I sometimes forget that I have the Spirit of God dwelling within me.  My rational mind brushes it away, my schedule buries it under mounds of “stuff to do” or I’m just so unfocused I can’t clearly see, hear or appreciate this wondrous gift of God within me.

James 4:5 reminds me that God jealously longs for me to wake up to the fact that his Spirit–the Shechinah glory–is right there inside of me.  God placed his Spirit inside me (inside you) for a reason–so that we would never be separated from him again.

When we allow God’s Spirit to move through us, we have a source of power far beyond any earthly feat of engineering.  We have access to the Spirt that breathed life into creation and raised people from the dead.  We have access to the Spirit that holds all truth, wisdom and understanding.  We have access to the Spirit that gave itself up on the cross in order that we might stand blameless before the throne of God.

Think of what we might do if we fully allowed God’s Shechinah glory to work within our lives.  Think of the difference we could make in this world if we truly embodied the spirit of God!

God longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell within you.

This week, open yourself up to the Shechinah.  Invite God’s Spirit to move within you–guiding your steps and lighting your paths.  Reconnect to this internal power source so that the light of God’s love might shine in our world.

Blessings and Peace,

Sara

Turn your ear and hear the words of the wise;

focus your mind on my knowledge. Proverbs 22:17 (CEB)

Whack!  I winced as the screen door slammed shut for the 500th time.  Gleeful shouts erupted from the upper deck.  Chants of “Na-na finals! Na-na! finals! Na-na finals!” came screeching into the living
room followed by another spectacular Whack! of the screen door.

My boys were designing parachutes out of plastic bags for their stuffed animals and launching them from the upper deck of our house.  Apparently, the “Na-na Finals” referred to the championship drop.

Once my boys were back inside, we had the usual chaos of chasing the dogs, making “roo-ing” noises (We have a Bassett hound who says “rooo” a lot) and an extra loud competition to see who could say supercalifragilisticexpialidocious the most times in a row.

Once in the van and headed to school, the stereo blared to life.

“Is this Adele?” my youngest bellowed from the backseat?

“Yes!” I yelled back.

After drop off, alone with my thoughts and Adele, I started to feel overwhelmed.  While the primary physical sources of noise and chaos in our home were no longer present, my thoughts continued to scream in a tumultuous whirlwind of mental noise that drove out everything else around me.  As my thoughts flew and pinged from one to another, I felt the familiar dread of anxiety forming in my gut.

If you’ve never experienced anxiety, let me give you a crash course.  Anxiety (in my experience) starts in the pit of my stomach.  It gnaws at you, like a dog chewing a rawhide bone.  But unlike the rawhide bone, anxiety is fluid.  It moves upward, causing your heart to beat faster.  It wraps itself around your lungs, crushing the air inside your chest and making your breath become shallower.  Finally, it spreads through your limbs–tingling like an electric current until you just can’t remain still any longer.  You have to move–frantically walking, pacing, cleaning, etc…

On this particular morning, I was feeling the gnawing.  As it started to move upward, I muted Adele and took a calming breath.  Focus, I thought.

Inhaling again, I turned my breath inward–a cooling stream of air targeted at my core blowing the anxiety away.

I focused on the word focus until it was the only “sound” I heard.

Many of us spend our days living unfocused lives.  The plethora of media literally at our fingertips pulls our focus in hundreds of different directions.  In ten minutes I can read fifty Facebook posts, the headlines of at least twelve major news articles, as well as scan two or three emails.

The problem is, I am not a natural-born multi-tasker. Doing several things at once makes me feel anxious.  In order to function at my best, my mind needs to be focused.

There is a difference between focus and stillness.  Stillness is about quiet.  Stillness is tuning everything out so that you can recharge, reconnect and revive.  Focus, on the other hand, is about clarity.  Focus is about centering your entire being on one thing so that you can fully understand and complete the task at hand.

For me, focus leads to productivity, engagement and peace.

Over the years, I have found several strategies that help me to focus.  Obviously, breathing and meditating is one.  Hacking out hymns on the piano is another.  I’m not very good, but I can eek out a chord with enough focus, which is why playing the piano is a great focusing activity for me.

Writing also provides me with the ability to focus.  When my thoughts seem to be spinning out of control, I pick up a journal or start pecking away at the keyboard.

God has given me these tools to lead me back when the chaos of life and my thoughts seek to pull me under.  And all of the tools that I use center around him.  When I meditate, it is on God’s presence.  When I play the piano, it is to draw closer to God’s spirit.  When I write, it is to engage in conversation with God.

When life spins around us, God says, Focus on me.

When thoughts are racing through our minds, God says, Focus on me.

When our to-do lists become unmanageable, God says, Focus on me.

When anxiety starts to rear its ugly head, God says, Focus on me.

My challenge to you today is to focus on being focused.  Take an assessment of where you are right now.

Are you centered, or are you spinning like a top in multiple directions?

What would it take to come back to center?

What tools has God given you that will help you regain your focus?

By centering ourselves on God, we can better see the work he has laid out before us this day.

Blessings and Peace,

Sara

but my righteous one will live by faith,
and my whole being won’t be pleased with anyone who shrinks back.
But we aren’t the sort of people who timidly draw back and end up being destroyed. We’re the sort of people who have faith so that our whole beings are preserved. Hebrews 10:38-39 (CEB)

The other day, I read a powerful editorial written by women’s leader Beth Moore regarding the upcoming Presidential election.  The title of the piece was “The Scandal of Election 2016”.  If you have five or ten minutes, read it.  It is a convicting condemnation on the state of our faith as American Jesus followers, as well as a persuasive call to come back to our faith in the God of Salvation and Resurrection.

Moore states that we, as Christians, have “misplaced our faith.”  She goes on to write that:

“We have become not only like the world but like the world at its social-worst: lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive…ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. (2 Timothy 3:2-5 ESV)”

As Christians, we have stopped following Jesus and, instead, have followed the world.  Somewhere along the line, we’ve lost our faith.  We’ve forgotten that God is the creator of the world, Alpha and Omega, the one who reigns victorious over death.  We have allowed the world to strip us of our faith and have replaced that faith with anger, fear, absolutism and cynicism.

I don’t know about you, but I am in real need of a faith-check.  If I’m being honest, on a scale of one to ten my faith level is probably hovering between a three and four.  You have no idea how much it pains me to put that in writing, but it’s true.  I have allowed my knowledge of the world to chip away at my faith in God.

In the crushing weight of the world’s problems, faith seems childishly naive, perhaps even unintelligent.  How can faith restore the lives of the people of Haiti?  How can faith heal the racism in our country?  How can faith bring peace to an increasingly destructive world?

Well, my friends, that’s up to us.  You see, when Jesus commissioned the disciples to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20 CEB) he was calling them to be his hands and feet.

Jesus modeled the work he intended the disciples to do.  He went into poor communities and fed the hungry.  He sat with people who were unwelcome in the church and offered them God’s love and compassion.  He took time to teach those society deemed unworthy of an education–women, children and menial laborers.  He touched those who were sick and unclean and healed them.

In short, Jesus served others.

The Great Commission is not a thing of the past.  Jesus didn’t intend for his work to die with the eleven disciples standing on a Galilean hillside.  Rather, the disciples were to go out and commission others to continue Jesus’ work.  As followers of Jesus, that is our commission, too.

Instead of shrinking back from faith, we are called to embrace it.  Regardless of how we “feel”, what people think of us or whether or not we can quantify our efforts, our job is to go out and serve others in the name of Jesus.

The author of Hebrews goes on to write that faith “is the reality of what we hope for, the proof of what we don’t see.”  By faith the men and women of God “conquered kingdoms, brought about justice, realized promises, shut the mouths of lions, put out raging fires, escaped from the edge of the sword, found strength in weakness, were mighty in war, and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead by resurrection.”(Hebrews 11:33-35 CEB)

It seems to me that if I want my faith to be a ten, then I need to stop focusing on everything that is wrong with the world and get myself to where Jesus is working. I need to take stock of those gifts and abilities God has placed within me and find ways to use them for the benefit of others.

The truth is, the more we step out in faith, the more our faith will grow.  Faith leads to faith.

This week, do a faith check within yourself.  Where do you stand right now in your belief?  Are you overwhelmed by the world?  Are you angry, stressed, or fearful?  Do you find that you are cynical of belief?  Does it seem like God has abandoned us?

Look again.  Step away from your anger, your fear, your worry or even your cynicism.  Take a step toward Jesus by reaching outside of yourself to do one thing that brings light, love or peace to someone else.  Then, check your faith again.  Is it growing?

Blessings and Peace,

Sara

 

…because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Hebrews 7:24-25 (NIV)

Ugh…

This is the thought that went through my mind as I turned the page of my Bible and peered down at the next book in my reading: Hebrews.

I will be the first to admit, there are books of the Bible I am not fond of.  Leviticus sits at the top of that list, closely followed by Numbers.  The books of the Chronicles are where I practice my speed reading, but nothing makes me go “bleh”as much as Hebrews.  There’s so much ethereal talk of covenants and priests and roundabout sentences and run-on paragraphs that I get lost trying to find the main point.  No matter how much I pray over the text, it still feels like a dreaded trip to the dentist when I sit down to read it.

Pouring over chapter 7 (mostly hearing “wah, wha-wha, wha-wha” in my head) I asked the Holy Spirit for some enlightenment.  As I read through the end of the chapter, the phrase “save completely” seemed to call out to me.

Jesus is able to save completely.

Sit with that for a minute. What does the idea of being saved completely mean to you?

On the one hand, it means that we are saved from our sins through the blood and sacrifice of Jesus Christ and are promised an eternal home in heaven.  But, I think it’s more than that.

As I thought about the notion of complete salvation, I recalled this verse from 2 Corinthians 5:17:

Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new. (CEV)

The NIV uses the term new creation to describe those living in Christ.  When we are completely saved, we are made into a new creation.  Jesus didn’t just save us from our sins, he saved us from ourselves.

For me, complete salvation isn’t just about eternity, it’s also about the here and now.  Complete salvation means that God has transformed (and is transforming and will continue to transform) the very essence of who I am.

You see, because of Jesus’ sacrifice–because he is the high priest seated at the right hand of God Almighty–God’s Spirit is able to dwell within us.  When we accept Christ’s invitation to enter into our lives, we allow God’s goodness, mercy, grace, love, hope, peace and forgiveness to enter into our being.  God’s presence completely saves us from our human selfishness, pride, egotism, greed, lust, divisiveness and hate.

 

More importantly, as we take in the essence of God,  we (ideally) pour God’s goodness, mercy, grace, love, hope, peace and forgiveness out into the world.  In that way, being completely saved takes on a whole new dimension.  We see that salvation isn’t for us alone, but for all of God’s creation.  We are not just beneficiaries of God’s salvation, we are also participants in the salvation process.

Because God dwells within us, we can show others God’s great love.  And that love opens the door for others to accept the great invitation that was sent when Jesus died on the cross.

Let me be clear, we cannot save others on our own.  But, we can show people who God is by how we live.

In a world that seems consumed by hate, bigotry, fear, violence, poverty and oppression, it is good to remember that there is another force at work.

Look at me, Jesus says in the midst of the world’s chaos.  You are completely saved.  Spread the word.

Blessings and Peace,

Sara

 

Timothy, you belong to God, so keep away from all these evil things. Try your best to please God and to be like him. Be faithful, loving, dependable, and gentle.  Fight a good fight for the faith and claim eternal life. God offered it to you when you clearly told about your faith, while so many people listened. Now I ask you to make a promise. Make it in the presence of God, who gives life to all, and in the presence of Jesus Christ, who openly told Pontius Pilate about his faith. Promise to obey completely and fully all that you have been told until our Lord Jesus Christ returns.  1 Timothy 6:11-14 (CEV)

Last night, like millions of other Americans, I sat and watched the “Presidential” debate.  I don’t like publicly entering into the malai of politics, but I feel compelled today to speak.  I feel compelled to speak because it seems that the people running for the most prestigious office in our land are bringing out the very worst in the American people.

On the one hand you have someone spouting forth a rhetoric of hate and bigotry and nativism that goes against everything we as Americans claim to hold dear.

On the other hand you have someone who is so mired in corruption and self-gain and personal ambition there is no clear sense of truth.

People (and I have been one of them) who claim to be following Jesus are echoing and sharing rhetoric that is mean, divisive, prejudiced and inflammatory all in the name of party politics.  The thing is, if we (and I’m including myself here) are truly following Jesus, there should be no room in our souls for such thoughts and beliefs.

The debates last night were a powerful reminder for me that, as  Jesus girl, I am called to be better than this.  And so are you.

We have allowed the extreme polarization of our two-party political system define our faith when, in reality, it should be the exact opposite.  It is our faith in and relationship with Jesus Christ that should define and shape all of our other beliefs.

I have always felt that God transcends politics.  I think, generally, God’s politics are vastly different than our current Red and Blue guiding principles.  God is interested in

• justice
• righteousness
• peace
• love
• truth
• repentance
• forgiveness
• salvation

There are many different ways to bring about these things on both sides of the American political aisle.  I have Christian friends who are conservative and Christian friends who are liberal and, crazily enough, we often find that we want the very same thing.  We want a world where God’s love shines through the darkness.

The conversation isn’t about who’s right or who’s wrong.  Rather, the conversation is about what we, as Jesus followers, can do to better show God’s love.  And filling the airwaves with hate-mongering is not a viable option.

Look at the instructions Paul gives to Timothy about engaging in ministry:

• be faithful
• be loving
• be dependable
• be gentle

And, above all else, Paul encourages Timothy to fully and completely obey all of the commands he has been taught through Jesus Christ.

In short, Paul is reminding Timothy that he is called to better things than pride, conceit, slander, divisiveness, quarrelsomeness and unkindness. (See 1 Timothy 6:2-10)

As Jesus followers, we need to change the nature of our political conversations.  We need to show that we are faithful to God, loving toward others, dependable and gentle.

This week, I am going to take a step back from the side show that has become our “Presidential” race.  Rather than engaging the candidates, I am going to prayerfully seek out opportunities to engage the issues.  And I will work to speak in ways that are gentle and kind.

I invite you to join me in an effort to reframe the conversation.  Let’s put aside hate, malice and slander to embrace a language of love, kindness and compassion.

Blessings and Peace,

Sara

 

 

Run away from adolescent cravings. Instead, pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace together with those who confess the Lord with a clean heart. Avoid foolish and thoughtless discussions, since you know that they produce conflicts. God’s slave shouldn’t be argumentative but should be kind toward all people, able to teach, patient, and should correct opponents with gentleness. Perhaps God will change their mind and give them a knowledge of the truth. They may come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap that holds them captive to do his will. 2 Timothy 2:22-26 (CEB)

As I was scrolling through some news articles this morning, a headline in the NYT caught my eye: “A Rabbis Enduring Sermon on Living Your Last Five Minutes“.  The article reflected on Rabbi Kenneth Berger’s Yom Kippur sermon thirty years ago regarding the explosion of the Challenger space shuttle.  In this sermon, Rabbi Berger focused on the five minutes the Challenger crew lived between the explosion of the shuttle and the crash into the Atlantic ocean.  Berger states:

“That scene still haunts me…The explosion and then five minutes. If only I… If only I… And then the capsule hits the water, it’s all over. Then you realize it’s all the same — five minutes, five days, 50 years. It’s all the same, for it’s over before we realize.

“‘If only I knew’ — yes, my friends, it may be the last time. ‘If only I realized’ — yes, stop, appreciate the blessings you have. ‘If only I could’ — you still can, you’ve got today.”

Less than three years later, Rabbi Berger and his wife were killed in a plane crash.  Two of their three children were traveling with them, and both survived.  They recalled, in those final moments, their father taking their hands and offering words of reassurance.

The book of 2 Timothy records one of Paul’s final letters to his adopted son. Paul is imprisoned in Rome.  His trial is over, and he is awaiting his execution. Paul knows his earthly journey is coming to an end.  He tells Timothy that he is being “poured out like a drink offering”.  Alone, chained, facing the end…Paul longs to see Timothy once more.

You see, even though Paul knows the end is near, he understands that there is still work to do. Paul not only intends to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ until his final breath, he wants to make sure that after he is gone the gospel continues to be spread.

And so, Paul calls on Timothy.  This letter is not a memoir, a reflection of a life lived in ministry.  Rather, it is a commission.  It is a sending forth of Timothy to continue the race. Paul reminds Timothy of the gospel message and charges him with the task of both sharing that message and training up new leaders.  Paul understands that the church’s foundation is not built on him, but on Jesus Christ.

To that end, Paul gives Timothy some words of advice on Christian living.

1. Don’t get caught up in things that pull you away from Christ.
2. Focus on doing the right thing, sharing God’s love and living peacefully with others.
3. Be part of a community of true believers.
4. Don’t get into arguments and conflicts that result in divisions rather than strengthening the unity of the church.
5. Instruct others with kindness and patience.
6. Be humble and don’t judge others; rather, try and lead them to the truth in Jesus Christ.

In our current “selfie” culture driven by consumerism, competition and the need to be right, Paul’s final words to Timothy are a salient reminder of who we, as Jesus followers, are called to be.

No one knows the number of their days here on earth.  But I think, if we take Paul’s final instructions to heart, we too can leave a legacy of faith.

Blessings and Peace,

Sara

“Don’t judge, so that you won’t be judged. You’ll receive the same judgment you give. Whatever you deal out will be dealt out to you. Why do you see the splinter that’s in your brother’s or sister’s eye, but don’t notice the log in your own eye?” Matthew 7:1-3 (CEB)

It all started with the coupons.  You know the ones–spend fifty dollars and get twenty-five dollars off.  It sounds like a good deal.  I mean, who doesn’t like a bargain?  I had two of these coupons.  And, lo and behold, it was the last day to use them.  My boys had outgrown all of their fall and winter clothes from last year, and their sizes are such that passing down pants from one to the other is no longer an option.  They needed some new duds, and I had the coupons.

Thirty minutes later at the Gap Factory Store, I was standing in line with a pile of clothes that would make a Black Friday  maven blush.  A sinking feeling began to grow in my gut.  My boys bolted from the store–fearful that their notoriously cheap mother was going to implode when the “total” button was hit.  I took a deep breath, clutched my coupons to my chest, and smiled at the cashier.

Two hundred dollars later, I sat in the van as waves of guilt washed over me.  What had I done?  How could I be so irresponsible?  Think of all the children in the world who are under-clothed!  Think of the food that money could buy for a family in need!  My kids don’t wear name-brand clothes.  Why didn’t I go to Old Navy instead?

The guilt lasted awhile.  My husband was very nice about the ridiculous expenditure, but I couldn’t let it go.  What was wrong with me?

I decided to ask God the answer to this question.  I think he laughed and said, “Where do I start?”

The truth of the matter is, I’m not adverse to spending money.  In fact, my husband and I just returned from a week in London where I spent a ridiculous amount of money on a cashmere red and tartan cloak.

The real issue, God reminded me, was not the money (although I should probably work on being more intentional with that).  Had I walked into an off-brand store and spent the same amount of money on the same amount of clothes, I wouldn’t have felt bad at all.  It was the Gap that was the issue, and my complete and total disdain for what I perceive to be capitalistic elitism.

In short, God told me I’m a snob.  And, he’s right.  I do look down my nose at name-brand wearing, nice car driving, professionally coiffed people.  I somehow think that my bargain-brand t-shirts and ugly cheap shorts make me a better person.  In essence, I judge people on their outward expenditures rather than understanding their hearts.

I condescend to call others condescending.  And that, my friends, is irony.

It is no coincidence that I find myself reading these words written by the apostle Paul today:

This saying is reliable and deserves full acceptance: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I’m the biggest sinner of all.” 1 Timothy 1:15

The truth is, we’re all guilty of something.  I’m guilty of judging others.  I’m also guilty of neglecting the needy, being self-centered, pride and laziness.  The list most likely could go on and on.  However, in spite of all of my failures as a person, God continually shows me mercy and offers up his grace.

He does the same for you.  You just need to accept it.

Tomorrow morning, when my youngest zips up his Gap sweater jacket, I will remember my judgmental nature.  I will give a wry smile and nod my head in acceptance of the lesson God is teaching me.  And then, I will accept his grace that allows me to go forth and proclaim his Word despite my overwhelming human nature.

Blessings and Peace,

Sara

Each of you is now a new person. You are becoming more and more like your Creator, and you will understand him better.  It doesn’t matter if you are a Greek or a Jew, or if you are circumcised or not. You may even be a barbarian or a Scythian, and you may be a slave or a free person. Yet Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us. Colossians 3:10-11 (CEV)

My husband and I just returned from a week in London.  It was our first time in London, and I have to say it is an absolutely fabulous city.  There is a perfect balance between the historic and contemporary within the city.  You can walk along the Thames and see a 3,000 year old stone obelisk juxtaposed with a glass-covered tower reaching into the sky.
The diversity of the architecture is reflected in the diversity of the people.  Walk down any city street and you will hear several different languages spoken and encounter a plethora of different English-speaking dialects.  Women shrouded in burkhas walked side by side with women in sundresses.  Men in business suits mingled with men wearing African tribal shirts and pants.

In a society that is becoming increasingly self-focused and xenophobic, this mingling of “others” was refreshing.  London reminded me that though we are many, we are one; though we are different, we are same.

This was driven home to me in a very profound way during the communion service at Westminster Abbey.  Sitting in chairs under the great domed ceiling where worshipers have been sharing the sacraments for over one thousand years, I realized how wonderfully diverse the body of Christ truly is.  To my left was a family from France.  To my right, a family from Great Britain.  In front of me were two older women from Italy.  And behind me, a man from the Netherlands.  Spread out across the chapel were others from around the world.  And yet, we were all there to participate in the Great Thanksgiving.  We were all there to praise, worship and honor God.

How absurd it is to think that because of our nationality, race, socio-economic status or gender we are the be all and end all of humanity.  How arrogant it is to think that how we live and the traditions we hold dear are the only ones that matter.  How dangerous it is to think that we should fear and shun the “other”.

The truth is, we are all the “other”.  And, in the eyes of God who created all people of all races and who is the supreme authority over all people and all nations, we are all his beloved children.  As we draw closer to the one who created us, those differences between people become less important.  We see the oneness of all humanity.

So, as Paul writes in Colossians 3:8-9, we must “quit being angry, hateful, and evil. [We] must no longer say insulting or cruel things about others. And stop lying to each other. [We] have given up [our] old way of life with its habits.”

This week, I would challenge you to think about the habits you have developed in regard sustaining and maintaining your own way of life.  Consider ways in which you can give up some of these habits in order to embrace those who are different from you, and to see the love of God in the face of another.

Blessings and Peace,

Sara

They realized that God had sent me with the good news for Gentiles, and that he had sent Peter with the same message for Jews.  God, who had sent Peter on a mission to the Jews, was now using me to preach to the Gentiles. Galatians 2:7-8 (CEV)

I read an article in Good Housekeeping the other day about the most inspiring women of 2016.  These women ran the gamet in age, lifestyle, income and occupation.  From celebrity activists to stay at home moms; creating beauty products and giving micro loans to women in developing countries, each woman in the article is contributing something meaningful to the world and making a big impact.

When I read inspiring stories about women making a difference in a big way, I can’t help but think, “Man…I am so lazy!”

There’s a part of me that feels like I should be making more of a difference.  I should be establishing start-up corporations in developing nations, working with farmers to grow fresh produce in the heart of concrete jungles, starting an institute to study the effects of immigration laws on the children of illegal immigrants.

The problem is, I have no business sense, do not live in an urban area or have agricultural experience and have no money to start an institute.

It’s easy to compare ourselves to those who are shooting for the stars.  We see their success and think we should be doing the same.  Galatians 2 is a good reminder to me that we are not all called to the same mission field (Thank goodness!  Can you imagine how crowded that would be?).  For most of us, our mission opportunities occur within the confines of our own communities.  Many of Jesus’ disciples stayed within the surrounding areas of Jerusalem as they worked to share the knowledge of Christ.  Paul, in his letters, writes of individuals in communities like Philippi and Colossus who heard the gospel message and then brought it back to their hometowns.

No one likely thought Epaphras was a person of great note, but it is because of him that we have Paul’s letter to the Colossians.  (See Colossians 1)

Paul was aware of the fact that his mission field was decidedly different than those of the other apostles.  God called Paul to preach to the Gentiles.  Peter, James and John had no interest in that work, as they felt led to preach to the Jews.  God called and equipped each of these men to a specific field of work.  And, God continues to call and equip each of us to different fields of work.

God does indeed call some of us to work that includes significant investment capital, political savvy and personal influence.  You’re not going to build a medical clinic in rural Nicaragua without those things.  However, others of us (most of us) are called to make a difference in  smaller, but equally impactful, ways.

• Being a mentor to an at-risk youth
• Volunteering at a local food bank
• Preparing meals for a shelter or hospital
• Rescuing abandoned pets
• Helping to build a Habitat for Humanity house
• Participating in Operation Shoebox
• Collecting school supplies/clothes/toys/shoes for local or international organizations
• Delivering Meals on Wheels
• Opening your home to foster children

The list goes on and on.  The key is to identify what your mission field is and then to get working!  Over the past few years, I’ve found the following steps to be helpful in identifying where I need to be working.

1. Assess the needs of your community.
2. Make a list of all the things you enjoy doing.
3. Find the point where the needs and your talents intersect.

Finally, look for organizations that are already working in the field you feel called to.  For example, I am passionate about education.  The Rainbow Network is an organization that provides educational opportunity for youth in Nicaragua.  Supporting that organization is a way for me to engage in a field I feel called to serve.

Jesus said that the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.  Maybe you’ve been hesitant about answering the call to missions because you feel like your work can’t compare to others who are doing big and bold things.  The truth is, God needs us all to be an active part of his work.  You don’t need to go big or go home.  You just need to go.

Blessings and Peace,

Sara