I woke up this morning with a hymn on my mind. Music often speaks to my soul and guides my day. Sometimes the music I hear when I awake is something I had been listening to the day before. Sometimes it is from a past church service and resonates with me. And there are the times when the song which plays is seemingly random and just appears in my mind. The latter was the case today.
It is an old hymn which I can’t remember the last time I actually sung it, though I know it really well. And I don’t know that the song has been especially important to my life in the way many of the hymns have. Some hymns stick with me and helped to shape and form my spiritual journey. Some I wonder how they got in the hymnbook and have found them less than helpful. But this one doesn’t fit in either category.
The hymn has a feeling of majesty and presence. It has grandeur and feels as though it carries importance. The hymn is “O God, Our Help in Ages Past” written by Isaac Watts. I think it needs the boldness of the song to carry lyrics which remind us of God’s help, security, and defense.
It is a reminder of the God who formed the earth is strong enough to conquer the things which overwhelm me. The God who has been a safe haven for the saints who have gone before is the same God who can provide a shelter for me when I am afraid. Time moves on so very fast for all of us, but God is not bound by time. He is the help we need no matter what we may face. And, this is the reminder of where our help comes from.
Psalm 121 is a powerful scripture echoing this same message. Where does our help come from? Our help comes from the Lord, who made the heavens and the earth. He is our keeper, our stronghold. He is our HELP.
O God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come – May YOU calm our fears, renew our weary spirits, provide hope for our futures, and guide our steps.
It seems to me that we live in a world with so many angry people. Anger fills our TVs, social media, the highways, and the streets. It is even more pronounced when some event takes place which ignites fear. Anger is a by-product of being fearful. When people are scared, feel as though they are losing control, or simply don’t know what to do, they can easily find anger as an enduring friend. Anger causes us to lash out, to stop listening to anyone who opposes us, and to ultimately drive a wedge which should have never been created.
This, though, is not the only way. It is the easiest and most convenient. It will show up with no effort and is fueled by the fire of others (there are always other angry people to get something stirred). It happens almost instantaneously and just grows like the forest fires in the dry heat of summer. But there still is another way. I’ll admit my first response is to cut it all off – it seems to work better for me. I can cut off the news, I can turn the other way, I can stop looking at social media – all in an effort to cut it out. That works for a while, but, if I’m honest, angry people show up in all areas of life (and feel the need to vent about all their anger).
The other way can seem soft and cheesy. But it reality, it is the only real way. It is love. If we stop to consider what whole groups we may be slandering to make a point, we may pause. If we think of those we point our fingers and yell at for their supposed stupidity or imagined immorality, we may not be so quick to point. If we pause to get to know someone who we have demonized or considered “the other”, we may find they are more human than we initially thought. If we choose the way of listening rather than lashing out in fear, we may find real people have real lives and real love which may look different than ours. It may just be we could live together, even if we don’t agree (what a concept).
I know this can sound ideal and a bit of a utopia. But if we don’t work towards something, anger becomes our chosen output and no progress is actually made. We simply become a bunch of angry, hateful folks who don’t even know what we are really angry about anymore. And I just don’t want to live in a world like that. So, today, I’ll choose love. Maybe you will too. That’s how change begins.
I am learning that as years go by, I am having difficulty hearing. It’s not that I am getting older, of course. It is just something that seems to be happening. I notice it most at home. I am told by my children that the TV is loud – seems perfectly normal to me. When Wendy talks to me, if she is not in front of me, I have no idea what she is saying. I foresee our future of – what did you say? The good news for me is she doesn’t always hear me either. So we end up speaking louder than normal and then she tells me to stop yelling. At first, I remind her she couldn’t hear me. And then, because we have been married so long, I just move on. I will lose this argument.
Our world is filled with lots of noise, though. And it seems that we invite more and more noise into our lives. We constantly have something going. We are rarely in silence and when we are, it seems so awkward. Silence seems out of place and something that can even be a bit – scary. So we put it earbuds so we can fill our heads with something, anything that can break the quiet. And we wonder why we can’t hear God?
I have studied the Bible for quite a while and for me, God seems to break it down to two main themes. These themes are repeated over and over again throughout scripture. From the Old Testament commands to the teachings of Jesus to the writings of the apostles – these themes are on repeat. They are on repeat because they are both important and also challenging. If we, as God’s people, got them the first time, we wouldn’t have to hear them again. But we are often stubborn, hard-headed and defiant – so God has to keep reminding us. And I’m glad he does. So what are the themes? Love God, love others. We cannot adequately love others without first loving God. We cannot truly love God if we do not love others. They go together and should be a huge driver in our lives. They should give us direction. But here’s the thing – both require listening.
How do we really love God if we do not listen to him? How do we know where to go and what to do if we are not learning from him? How do we know the direction if we cannot hear the Master? If we are not listening, we will get lost in the chaos of this world. We will find ourselves struggling for clarity. We will get off track.
And to really love others, we must be willing to hear them. We cannot know their needs without listening. We cannot know their struggles without hearing their stories. We cannot truly love someone we never listen to. I am not talking about just physical hearing – but a connection that allows for more than a 5 second interaction. So many misunderstandings happen between us and God and us and others because we have not actually heard them.
Texting and messaging doesn’t help either. It is hard to read emotions and what is really going on in a text. I am a fan of texting, by the way. Sometimes I just need the facts – just give me the things I need to know. But if we really want to get to know someone, we cannot simply text. We need to hear them – really spend time with them. And God – he does texting too – except he gave us all his texts ahead of time. We just need to read them. They are all contained in the Bible. But to really get it, we must spend time with God. Reading about God is not the same as spending time with God.
The writings of James are among the most direct. They are straightforward and help us to put into practice many of the things we read in the scriptures. It is a very practical book – and if you are needing to feel more humble, this is the book to come back to. Today’s scripture comes from James 1:19-21.
19 You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness. 21 Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.
This scripture is teaching us the importance of listening. We are told to be quick to listen and slow to speak. By the way, those go together. If you are talking, you are not listening. Sometimes, we can be talkers so much that we never actually hear anything. And if we do listen, it is that we are listening just to talk. We hear what the other is saying but have already formed our response before their sentence is even finished. It reminds me of the kid in school that raises his hand and almost jumps out of his seat to answer something before the question is even complete. We don’t often fully hear because we are so anxious to say something. And talking has caused more problems than most of us would care to discuss. Listening with our mouths closed hasn’t caused near the problems – it actually usually solves them.
When my kids were little, that was a lesson that came hard. One of my girls really struggled – she couldn’t listen because she just had to speak. I couldn’t even finish a sentence before she was already talking. It got her in lots of trouble. Thankfully she has grown up to become a much better listener. But it’s hard. Talking is our first response. We want to create noise. And sometimes our noise is harmful and very painful. Sometimes quiet is the answer. We may even find we have much less anger when we can simply keep our mouths closed and our ears open – without judgment.
Ok – so the answer is to be quick to listen and slow to speak and slow to get angry. Sounds great – now go and do. If only it were that easy. I appreciate the gifts of God’s Word – but we must put them into practice. And practice is exactly what it takes. This doesn’t always come naturally. This is something we must work towards. This is a goal we work towards with constant focus.
Here are a few quick tips that may help us to hear – God and others.
-Practice the pause. Before we speak, pause. Just pause for a moment. We often rush to say something and in the rush, words come out that should have stayed in. And once they are out, they are out. Pause for a moment and consider what you are about to say. Is this helpful, kind, loving? Would this be pleasing to God? If not, just don’t. Leave it alone. Smile and move forward.
-Measure it according to God’s standards. This is one of my ‘go-to’ scriptures – not because I always follow this – but because it gives me a measure – something to consider about what I may say or think. It is contained in Philippians 4:8-9
8 Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.
If we use this as a guide, that may cut out some of the things we say. If we think on these things, the words we produce will come from this source.
-Find the Quiet. God is often heard most clearly in the quiet. Sure, he can speak above the noise. Yes, he can be found in the middle of our lives. But if we really want to hear him – if we really desire to have a relationship with him, we must learn to be still, quiet, silent. Hearing God will help guide us in the right direction. It will also help us as we struggle with anger or any other issue.
Listening is hard. Talking is way too easy. Capturing ourselves in the noise and chaos may be ways of avoiding what God is trying to tell us. What might you do differently to be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger. We just might find God has a lot to say when we listen.
This is the day…this is the day that it will happen…this is the day that no one expects but everyone has been looking for. THIS is the day.
One of the first things I do when I visit the beach – after wrestling with the chairs, putting up the umbrella, and sitting down in complete exhaustion just to arrive – after all that – I go to the water. The first time is just to feel the water. I want to know how cold it is. I am not one to just jump right in. I like to know what I am dealing with. So I dip my toe in the water. It helps me know if I am going to put my whole foot in and eventually swim. But first, it is just a toe. It is my test. And I know I am not alone. I see other people do it too. We want to know. If the water is too cold, I turn around and head back to the chair until I am overheated and the cold water is refreshing. But I don’t want to step any further if it doesn’t feel good. I don’t trust others with the temperature, either. Children have a very different temperature gauge. They can jump into freezing water and claim it feels wonderful – shivering and all. I don’t let them guide me in the water. I want to test it for myself.
Today’s scripture pushes me to dip my toe in – but then jump in with everything else – regardless of the temperature. The storms may come up, the winds may be fierce, and it may be high tide, but I am challenged to dip my toe in anyway…and then submerge my whole body. It seems like a challenging, fearful proposal. And I can’t even imagine how the children of Israel felt. But this is the day – God tells Joshua – this is the day. It is time. The hardheaded folks I love so much need to know. And today is the day, Joshua. And it will take dipping your toe in and emerging a changed people on the other side.
Joshua 3:7-17
3:7 The LORD said to Joshua, “This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so that they may know that I will be with you as I was with Moses.
3:8 You are the one who shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, ‘When you come to the edge of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.’”
3:9 Joshua then said to the Israelites, “Draw near and hear the words of the LORD your God.”
3:10 Joshua said, “By this you shall know that among you is the living God who without fail will drive out from before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites:
3:11 the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is going to pass before you into the Jordan.
3:12 So now select twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe.
3:13 When the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan flowing from above shall be cut off; they shall stand in a single heap.”
3:14 When the people set out from their tents to cross over the Jordan, the priests bearing the ark of the covenant were in front of the people.
3:15 Now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest. So when those who bore the ark had come to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the edge of the water,
3:16 the waters flowing from above stood still, rising up in a single heap far off at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, while those flowing toward the sea of the Arabah, the Dead Sea, were wholly cut off. Then the people crossed over opposite Jericho.
3:17 While all Israel were crossing over on dry ground, the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, until the entire nation finished crossing over the Jordan.
TODAY is the day to dip your toe in. Today they will know. Today is the day, Joshua. It was a challenge. It would take courage. But God was with them. God tells Joshua that it is time for the children of Israel to understand that he is with Joshua like he was with Moses. First – that’s huge. Moses was called from the burning bush. He had led the people out of slavery. He had held up his rod at the Red Sea watching the people cross. They had been given the Ten Commandments because Moses went to God and got them – not once but twice. Moses spent time with God and absolutely glowed. He struck rocks and produced water. God had been with Moses in miraculous ways. And here was Joshua – who had been with Moses through it all. But now he was the leader. And God would be with him too.
It was time to cross the Jordan – by God’s timing, not by the people’s. This was NOT the time to cross if you are looking at the Jordan. It is harvest time. It is the time when the Jordan floods. The higher the water, the more torrential. This is a serious and dangerous time. There are times to cross – but this is not one of them. This is the time when you find another way. There has to be a better way. There is fear in the air as they stand before the waters – people can smell it. I can only imagine some of that is the fear of Joshua. If this all goes wrong, this is going to be really bad. There will be no recovering from this. People will not survive this. Their fate is staring them in the face as they see the flood waters. And Joshua tells them to move forward.
But he doesn’t do it without God. God has instructed him. God is with him. The people have a visual reminder that God is there. There is the Ark of the Covenant going before them. This is a powerful presence of God at all times. The Israelites didn’t play with this – it was serious. People died from handling this improperly. So this is no joke. Only the priests carry it. And they go out front. They lead the people at Joshua’s command. And they are the first to dip their toe in the water. They are the first to risk their lives. They are the first to see what could happen. And yet, they dip their toe in the water. When they do this – and only when they do this – does the water part. It stops. It is halted. The ground beneath is dry and open and ready as the priests march forward. They are standing on holy ground, dry ground, the ground of a flooded Jordan River. They are standing in the middle of trouble, protected by the presence of God.
And then the people have to cross. Every single one of them make the trip on that holy ground. Each one had to consider if they would make it. Just because the person in front of them did didn’t guarantee they would be successful. Can you imagine the waters on both sides, flooded, interrupted, and waiting to be forced back into place? And yet, they stepped in – until they all crossed. They made it. They would emerge for the other side changed.
It wasn’t Joshua who made the difference. Joshua was a man led by God. But Joshua wasn’t perfect – any more than Moses or Miriam or any other person. Joshua was simply being led by God. It wasn’t the priests who changed everything. Yes, they had to go first. Sure, they had to dip their toe in first. They had to be the most frightened. But they weren’t always the most holy. They didn’t always get it. They messed up too. Just think about the first – Aaron. He helped the people build the golden calf. And then we get to Eli’s sons – now they were a hot mess to say the least. The priests were not the difference. They were human just like everyone else. They just had this particular calling. The people weren’t especially great either. They spent much of their time questioning God and demanding stuff of him – as if he wasn’t the Creator of the entire world. They were unruly, whiny, and needy – much like us today. So they were not the difference.
What made the difference was not the toes of those who dared enter – but God who had created those toes. God was with them. God had commanded this. God had created this. He had created the Jordan and he had created them. He knew them and still loved them. And they were called to trust in HIM – not them. So when they dipped their toes in the water, it wasn’t in allegiance to anyone but God. And they moved forward on that frightening dry ground because of their powerful God.
It seems to me that too many times, we want to dip our toe into the water, but turn around because we are scared. Maybe it is because we have mistakenly given our allegiance to anyone other than God. Maybe it is because we don’t see how the waters could possibly part because no human can do it. So we rest in our chairs and find ourselves comfortable not being challenged to move forward in faithful trust of God. It is easier to trust in people than it is in God – because God will lead you through the waters. People will give us a chair.
Do you want to dip your toe in the water? I sure do! As we go through the next days, weeks, months – whatever is ahead – be careful. Don’t listen to those who tell you the water is too dangerous. It may just be time to dip your toe in – God’s there. And that’s all that really matters anyway. We will emerged changed.
He is everywhere. He is here – he is there. He is with us, acknowledgement not needed. He goes with us. We sometimes notice, often we don’t. Sometimes we care and then there are times when we don’t seem to. We wonder if it is true but don’t dare talk about it. And yet, there is something comforting and reassuring to know we are not alone. We do not travel alone. We do not face life’s most difficult challenges by ourselves. We do not celebrate our accomplishments without him. Our lives are filled with his presence. We have a million opportunities to feel his love. Yet, most of the time, we just miss it. We are caught up in the other things which feel more real, which consume our minds, which fill our pockets. Yet, he is here. His name even tell us so. His name is Immanuel – God with us.
How might life look different if we realized that God is really with us? Would we make better choices? Would we hold our tongue? Would we more readily forgive? Would we become more bold or more quiet? Would we listen or would be rebel? Would we even care?
Today, we are taking just a glimpse into the life of Moses. Moses has had some pretty incredible experiences with God – probably more than many will realize. God was with him as he was born and as he was raised in a palace. God was with him when he fled to the countryside. God was with him as he married. And God reminded him very evidently as he approached him through a burning bush. God sent plagues, right before the eyes of Moses. God split a sea – right in his presence. Moses had felt God’s power in some small fraction as he held the rod. He had experienced his anger as the people did what they wanted and built a calf to worship. Moses had been in God’s presence enough to glow – actually change his countenance after being with God. Moses and God spoke often. And God showed Moses what to do and how to do it. This seems to be a unique relationship. This bond reminds Moses he doesn’t want to do this alone. After being with God all this time, he wants even more time with him. He wants more of a relationship. He wants even more of a deep experience. And he asks for it, even refuses to move forward without God.
Exodus 33:12-23 33:12 Moses said to the LORD, “See, you have said to me, ‘Bring up this people’; but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’ 33:13 Now if I have found favor in your sight, show me your ways, so that I may know you and find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.” 33:14 He said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 33:15 And he said to him, “If your presence will not go, do not carry us up from here. 33:16 For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people, unless you go with us? In this way, we shall be distinct, I and your people, from every people on the face of the earth.” 33:17 The LORD said to Moses, “I will do the very thing that you have asked; for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” 33:18 Moses said, “Show me your glory, I pray.” 33:19 And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim before you the name, ‘The LORD’; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 33:20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face; for no one shall see me and live.” 33:21 And the LORD continued, “See, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock; 33:22 and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by; 33:23 then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen.”
Moses essentially tells God that he cannot move forward without him. He doesn’t want to proceed unless God is there. He doesn’t want to take another step unless God is present. He has been with him enough to know in God’s presence is exactly where he needs to be. He doesn’t want to make it alone. He can’t make it alone.
Moses asks to experience God’s glory. He wants even more of God. He wants to embrace the goodness of God in all fullness. God realizes that Moses heart is to know he is known and loved. And God helps him to realize this. He helps him to experience, at least as much as he can, the goodness of God. He gives him a sense of his might and power in a moment. But that is all it takes, really. None else is needed. This is more than sufficient.
Do you believe God is with us – all the time? Most of us would say we do. We would want to believe it. We say it is true. But we don’t actually act like it. I mean, we get caught up in the day’s activities and forget it. We don’t audibly hear him so surely he can’t actually be there. How can he lead us without speaking to us? It must mean that God has given us more than just hearing – more than just speech to communicate. It seems to me that we have put God in a box and decided he can only communicate like us. But that isn’t at all how God shows Moses his glory. No words are needed for this moment. It is an experience. There are sights, sounds, feelings, emotions, smells all wrapped into a moment – words not needed. Experiencing God is often most noticed in silence.
If that is true – if God is most evident in silence – then why do we limit him to speech and to English for that matter? Why do we decide he isn’t near because we can’t hear him? Why do we feel like he can’t lead unless he is speaking? What about the subtle yet powerful things which happen all around us? Are they not enough? Do they not say something to us? Does God’s creation not speak to us if we simply stop and sense it? Sure, God doesn’t speak audibly – at least not in my experience. But God is not limited to speaking through words. And we shouldn’t put that binding on him. He created it all so we can experience him through it all.
That would mean God is evident all the time – always with us – if we pay attention. We may see the signs and smell the signals. We may sense the direction or feel the need for forgiveness. We may taste the bread of redemption. We may feel the waters of baptism. We may be cleansed of mistakes through the powerful winds that blow. It just might be God is speaking to us every so loudly without ever speaking a word in our language. It might be we have limited him so much that his voice has become indistinguishable. And that may just be what is wrong with us. God is near – we just don’t get it.
So maybe we start back at the beginning. God created and it was good. God created it all and uses all of his creation to lead, guide, and direct. God loves. He shows his love through so many ways that we need to acknowledge. The simplest things bring the greatest joys. His greatest love has already been given to us in Jesus. And he tells us his name is Immanuel – God with us.
May God’s presence overwhelm you. May his presence be sensed without any words needed. May he guide. May he show us love so we can love him and our neighbor. And may we be awakened to his presence. Show us your glory, Lord. Show us your glory.
At some point, it seems we gain a sense of confidence about the things we know. We develop a knowledge base and choose to become satisfied with our current state. It is almost as if we cut off our ability to learn and to grow because we feel like we have matured to the point that we no longer need it. We become confident, maybe overly confident, about the things that we know and do not allow any other information to be considered. We know what we know and we become stuck in this. Anything that challenges what we know, we dismiss or become angry. We defend what we know with all our might. And, in turn, we lose the ability to listen, grow and learn. This seems to especially happen with our faith. And the chances of it happening seem to grow exponentially if we were raised in church. We become less willing to hear and learn and dismiss anything that doesn’t coincide with what we think we know. We look for people that think like us and dismiss all else. What happens, though, is we grow stagnant. When we are not learning and growing, we become stuck and unable to live out our faith. We can even become frustrated and angry. We are no longer teachable.
An easy example of this is when we look at scriptures we have heard over and over again. We have heard them taught every way you might can imagine. For instance, the parable of the prodigal son is one. This has been taught from a thousand different angles. So when this becomes the scripture for us to read or we hear a message about it, we can begin to tune out. We can turn off the switch and go into autopilot because we know the answers – or at least we think we do. If we do decide to listen and something is unusual that we hear, we just dismiss the entire message. We are not growing and we are not teachable because we have decided we know it all.
But that really isn’t how God’s Word works. This isn’t really how the Christian faith is to be lived out. This isn’t why God has given us this guide we know as the Bible. It isn’t so that we can look at it and memorize it and quote it but not live it. It isn’t so that we can use it to judge others or beat others over the head with facts we aren’t even willing to accept ourselves. It isn’t so that we take this Word and decide one way of looking at it and stop growing. We are given God’s Word that speaks to us where we are. If we believe that the Word is alive and active, then we cannot know it all. It requires us to be teachable, all the time. It means we are never an expert. We never have all the answers. It forces us to listen, even when we think we know it all. God gave us this Word so we could become more like him – not more confident in who we think we are.
If we are going to be teachable at all times, it means we must be willing to listen – really listen. Listening requires active tuning in without trying to answer all the questions. It means keeping our mouths closed and minds open because we do not know it all. We do not have all the answers. And that is hard – especially when we have grown up studying the Word. But since we are not God, there is still so much to learn.
Today’s scripture is Romans 13:8-14.
In this scripture, Paul is teaching what it means to live in the way of Christ. He is challenging believers to wake up – to pay attention – to listen to the direction of Christ. He is pushing them to go beyond where they already are and not to become stagnant in their faith. Don’t stay in one place, stuck in your beliefs. Grow and stretch – and these words certainly do stretch us.
Romans 13:8-14
13:8 Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
13:9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet”; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
13:10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.
13:11 Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers;
13:12 the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light;
13:13 let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy.
13:14 Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
Love one another. It seems so simple. It is written so many times in the Bible that we could identify this as one of the major themes. Jesus said that to love God and to love others is central to it all. We know that we are to love our neighbor. And so, when we hear this again, we could easily hear…blah, blah, blah. It could be like the teacher on Charlie Brown – wank, wank, wank. We tune out all the rest because we think we have it. We feel sure, because we have heard it so often, that we understand it. Yet, I wonder if we are living it. Understanding it, hearing it, knowing it is completely different than living it.
That may be why God has it so many times in his Word. This may be why the Bible repeats it and there are stories of it over and over again. God taught it, Jesus lived it, but do we? Do we really get it? Do we really love our neighbor? Do we really live honorably? Do we live without quarreling and jealousy? Do we live without hatred and meanness? Do we live without judgment and name calling? I don’t think so. I think that even after all the lessons, we still don’t get it. And it could be because we aren’t willing to hear it any longer. It could be that we have decided that we know it all and cut all the rest off. It could be that we are no longer teachable. And that should scare us.
Loving our neighbor requires us to love without judgment. If we only love those that look like us and believe like us and act like us, we haven’t really done anything. If we gang up together with other people that are just like us, we look like the enforcement rather than love. Jesus constantly went to those who were different, who were not accepted, who were the least – and brought them love. He tried to love the religious people but they were often so stuck in their own worlds that they could not understand what love really looked like. Have we become the religious people? Are we so determined that we are right that we cannot reach out to others? Have we become an exclusive club rather than a welcoming home for those that are weary? Have we decided who belongs rather than showing the love of Christ to all?
I’m not sure we reach many people with God’s love when we become forceful or hateful or malicious. I’m not sure we set a good example when we look like we know everything and everyone else is simply stupid. I’m not sure that approach solves anything. And it could make us a bit overconfident about the things we think we know.
The challenge really becomes – what does it really look like to love our neighbor? And I think it looks differently than we imagine. I don’t think it only means to love those who look, think, believe or act like us. I think it means exactly the opposite. And that may be the greatest challenge of all.
I wonder how often we doubt we are capable of accomplishing something because we see our own shortcomings. We know our down falls. We have clear knowledge of the times we have failed. Anything that challenges what we know scares us – I know it does me. We think we have a clear grasp on our skill set. We feel good about our training. We may have taken the quizzes to know what gifts we have and we are good sticking to that. What happens when all we think we understand is challenged? What happens when what we think we know about ourselves is pushed to the limit?
There have been many times in my life where I thought I just couldn’t do it. I have wanted to back out of the situation because it was pushing me where I wasn’t sure I could go. I felt this pressure that frightened me – what if I fail? What if I disappoint? What if I have misunderstood? I wondered how in the world I got here and how was I going to get out of it. I wanted to run but my feet felt so grounded in my current place that I couldn’t move.
Today’s scripture is about Moses, not about me or you. I am not saying we are Moses or that our situation in any way reflects Moses’ life. I am not comparing our calling with his. But I think it is helpful to see his vulnerability. It is worth looking at his reaction and his humanity – because that is something we can relate. We can feel his struggle and we can hear his fear. We don’t see the mighty leader, we hear the man that has run for his life and God has found him. We hear the one that God saw where he was and still found he had what he needed to do the work that was left undone. We begin to understand that Moses was not so much different than you and me. That should give us hope as we seek to follow God.
Exodus 3:1-15 3:1 Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 3:2 There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. 3:3 Then Moses said, “I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.” 3:4 When the LORD saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 3:5 Then he said, “Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 3:6 He said further, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. 3:7 Then the LORD said, “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, 3:8 and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 3:9 The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. 3:10 So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.” 3:11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” 3:12 He said, “I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain.” 3:13 But Moses said to God, “If I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” 3:14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” He said further, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” 3:15 God also said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you’: This is my name forever, and this my title for all generations.
Moses what doing what Moses did every day. He was minding his business being about his father in law’s business. It was there, in the middle of the normalness, that he is called to what sems like the insanity. There are bushes on fire, there are voices, there is a removal of shoes, there is a calling, and there is God – right there. God has experienced the suffering of his people and he will be doing something about it. In a moment, Moses’ life is forever changed. He had fought and killed and done many things wrong. He had run and hid and found some sense of normalcy in his life. And here was God, calling him, to do what seemed to be the impossible. He had an amazing encounter with God but that did not calm his fears. He had a clear directive yet that did not make him want to jump at the chance. He had been given a new start, but he seemed to favor the old one. His response of “Here I am” was not the same response as Isaiah’s. Isaiah was willing to be sent – here I am, send me. Moses was much more hesitant, definitely more reluctant. He was honest with God about his insecurities. He wasn’t ready to sign on the dotted line. I hear…maybe next time God, but thanks for the offer. But that isn’t what happened. That isn’t the end of the story. That isn’t how it went. It was difficult. Moses was pushed way outside of his comfort. I am sure he wanted to go back more times than the book can contain. But that wasn’t all the happened.
He did go. He did follow God. His insecurities did hurt him. His fears did get the best of him sometimes. But you know what else happened? He had some experiences with God that forever changed him. He glowed from the beauty of God’s presence. He was given the opportunity to see God feed his people right in front of him. He watched water flow from rocks and sticks turn into snakes and turn right back in his very hands. He observed a mighty water part as he lifted that same stick. He saw God love with an unbelievably amazing love and he felt his anger from the disobedience. And it all started with God seeing potential that Moses felt sure was not there. Moses experienced God but not without significant challenges and setbacks. Nothing about the journey was easy – but God called him anyway.
Where do you find yourself today? What is your story? I do know it isn’t finished yet. There is more to be written. There are chapters to be put together. Is God calling you? Are you running, still? Have you answered and feel in the middle of a big mess and wonder how in the world you got here? You are not alone. God used Moses in a mighty way. God can use you to love others. He can show you what it means to find the joy of following God. It begins with a simple call to follow. Where he leads, we do not know…it does not matter. What we do is follow. We are just called to follow. Still not ready to sign on the dotted line? That’s okay. God has more unbelievable experiences than you could ever imagine. You just follow.
May God show you beautiful and amazing things as you seek him. And may you be reassured of his presence – even when you don’t know what to do or how you will make it. May you be strengthened in the journey of love. And may you see his fire like never before. May you be changed.
I love planting flowers. My favorite is when I can plant a flower this year and it brings so much joy. Next spring, it begins to bloom and shoot up again, without anything on my part. The seeds have become a part of the soil and it continues to bring joy year after year. It is one of those simple pleasures in life. But flowers are not the only things that can take root. Some choking, hateful weeds also find their way. They can be some of the most difficult, gnarly things and their roots seem to go on forever. It is really challenging to get rid of them. They seem to multiply and take over when I am not looking. Staying ahead of them seems to be almost impossible. If I don’t constantly take action, they will take over and the plants won’t even be recognized among the weeds. It isn’t that the beautiful flowers aren’t there any longer, it is just you can barely recognize them among the deeply rooted weeds. It looks like a weed bed rather than a flower bed. It can become so frustrating how quickly they take root.
We have some weeds in our lives that take root in us too. We can have trouble blooming and showing our true beauty because the weeds have taken their place and overshadowing the good. That is what hear in Jesus’ words to his disciples and those willing to listen. May we have ears to hear and hearts to receive what he has for us today:
Matthew 15:6-20
6 So, for the sake of your tradition, you make void the word of God. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied rightly about you when he said:
8 ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; 9 in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.’”
10 Then he called the crowd to him and said to them, “Listen and understand: 11 it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles.” 12 Then the disciples approached and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?” 13 He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. 14 Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit.” 15 But Peter said to him, “Explain this parable to us.” 16 Then he said, “Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach, and goes out into the sewer? 18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. 19 For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. 20 These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile.”
Jesus is being pushed on the law, but not the law of God, but rather the law of man. God’s law has been expanded to become a set of rules that worked for the advantage of the leaders rather than God. And they wanted to impose this law on Jesus. They wanted to catch him, to have something to accuse him of doing. They had no true intention of following God, but rather following the rules they had created for control purposes. And Jesus calls them out on it.
They are being hypocritical because their mouths say one thing but their hearts tell a different story. They pretend to follow God but really want is their own way. They decide what they like and go with it so they look good. But God will have none of it. So Jesus uses a parable, as he often does, to teach a lesson. He wants them to hear the message in a way that speaks in a different way rather than quoting rules or law. He approaches them from the heart. He wants to show them the right way. And sometimes that means calling them out for where they have gone wrong. Sometimes he calls us out too, if only we would listen.
For Jesus, they are upset about the wrong things. They are looking at how the disciples are eating that is defying the law. But for Jesus, he is more concerned with what comes out of the mouth than what goes in. He is not so much concerned about how they eat as to what they say. Actions mean something. Being fake is not okay with Jesus. Putting on some false front does not work out in God’s kingdom. He knows when it is fake and when it is real because he knows the heart. He understands when intentions are to look good rather than to be loving and kind. He gets it and he is trying to help them understand it as well.
So he tells them that the problem is what comes out of the mouth. We hear this echoed in the book of James as well. It is a problem with what is spoken, what happens as a result of the things in our heart. The problem is what has taken root in our hearts. We may have beautiful things captured in our heart, but the weeds may be taking over. The weeds of our lives may be so deeply embedded that our intentions are beginning to reflect the weeds. The beauty of our lives, the goodness God has given us, the love that has been poured into us may become hidden. How do we know? What is in our hearts reflects in the things we say and do.
Our of the heart comes some pretty foul, harsh, ugly things, Jesus says. He gives some examples: evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. That’s a pretty rough list. We may think there is no way we have any of that in our hearts. But we also have to remember how Jesus defines these things. We are in the Gospel of Matthew. This is the same Gospel that gives us the sermon on the mount, right? Matthew 5-7 gives us insight on how Jesus feels about these same things. For instance, he reminds us that where there is hatred for a brother or sister, we have already committed murder in our heart…when there is lust for another, there has been adultery in the heart…when there is greed, there has already been theft…when there is anger, there has already been bad outcomes. In other words, he may not speak directly of the actual actions of these things, but rather the intentions, the things that have taken root in us. So anger, greed, malice, jealousy, hatred – just to name a few. These come out of our mouths. They show up in our lives and they are ugly. The weeds begin to reflect in the ways we act and the things we say. Our lives become stained by these ugly, destructive weeds. They take root and cover up the goodness God has created.
We may not even realize it. We may not even see our own anger or greed or envy. We may not see our hatred or jealousy. We may not see how ugly things have gotten in our hearts. What do we do? We read the words given to us by God. We hear God speak to us in the moments we feel guilty. We begin to look at what we post or hear the things we say. We begin to take a long, difficult look at what is in our heart. It will show if we just look. And it is ugly.
It often doesn’t take a lot of investigation to realize where we are. It doesn’t take much to realize the weeds that have taken root. We know when we are being destroyed and overtaken. We know when we are not doing the things we should or we are doing what we should not. We know when anger has taken our hearts. We know when envy has taken its ugly place as a resident. We know. We can see it too, if we really look. God reveals it to us if we are simply willing to take a look. If we are really ready to hear, we are told. If we will quit denying, God reveals.
We are not defeated, though. The weeds do not have to take over. They may have deep roots, but this does not mean they can’t be uprooted. They may seem overwhelming, but God can help us to clean up and beautify. He can help us to reimagine the garden of our hearts. He can help us to start again. It isn’t easy. It is a regular struggle. Just like the flower bed, it takes regular attention. Think about it, if I clean up my flower bed today, how long do you think it would take before the weeds come back? If I don’t pay attention, it wouldn’t take too long. It is a constant process of cleaning up and getting back on track. It is a continual weeding and getting rid of the things which can defile. It is something we do daily. But when God is the master of our garden, good things will grow. Great things will happen. There is more beauty that we could ever imagine.
Will you join me in weeding out the ugliness of our hearts? Will you plant the goodness of God? We just might see God at work in our own lives if we do.
There are advantages to being small. When I was a kid, I was really little. This didn’t pay off in sports, of course. It didn’t really helped me attract the ladies. It didn’t make me all that noticeable. But it did make me really great at hide and go seek. I guess you have to excel at whatever you can. I could fit in the most unbelievable places because I was so short and thin. It wasn’t really a big deal for me to wedge myself into a tight space and win the game. So as long as I could hide, I was good. I could stay there for a long time.
Hide and seek is an interesting game, if we really think about it. Someone tries to find another person or person(s) that is right in front of them. Short of giggles or coughs, sneezes or other noises, a person could be right around the corner and no one know. They are hidden in plain sight sometimes. Eventually they are found or they stop hiding and just come out. It gets boring when you hide and no one can find you after quite a while. I think this childhood game can teach us something from the scripture today. It is about seeking and finding…the invitation and answering the invitation.
Isaiah 55:1-9
Ho, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and you that have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price. 2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food. 3 Incline your ear, and come to me;
listen, so that you may live.
I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David. 4 See, I made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander for the peoples. 5 See, you shall call nations that you do not know,
and nations that do not know you shall run to you,
because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel,
for he has glorified you.
6 Seek the Lord while he may be found,
call upon him while he is near; 7 let the wicked forsake their way,
and the unrighteous their thoughts;
let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
In this reading, Isaiah is talking to the remnant of Israel – those who are left after exile and all that has happened. They are hungry for something…they are likely discouraged and distraught. They need encouragement. They need a word from God that reminds them they are not forsaken, not forgotten. They are not alone. God speaks life to them with these words.
Isaiah tells them to seek the Lord. This is a command we hear more than once in the scriptures. We are told…seek and you shall find…knock and it shall be opened…ask and you shall receive. This idea of seeking is not new. It is familiar. To seek is active. It is something we do. I think the most interesting concept of seeking is that God is not hidden. He is in plain sight. Yet, we miss him all the time. He is not playing hide and seek with us. He is not hiding, waiting for us to come around the corner. He is not crouched behind something waiting to come out and shout boo. God is here. God is with us. God is in us and around us. God is working through us. God is here. Yet, we miss him all the time. I believe we miss him because we are not looking for him. We miss what he is doing because we are not seeking him. We may be busy with our own agendas. We are living our lives so we do not see what he is up to. We have our own plans and our own goals, so we miss that God is here. We get in the way of seeing God. He is not hidden, we just choose not to see. We make the decision not to acknowledge his presence all around us.
But the invitation is there. The invitation to come and see is there. We are not excluded. Our sins, our shortcomings, our problems, our greed, our selfishness, our stubbornness may all be a hinderance – but God still offers the invitation. An invitation means something. An invitation means that someone wants us there. They have thought of us for their event. Our presence is being requested for something important, often quite significant. There is something going on that someone thought we should be a part. We are invited. And over and over again, Isaiah repeats the invitation. Come and see. Come and experience. Come and dine. Come and be loved. Come and find out all the God has for you. Come and take your place at the table. Come and listen to the goodness of God.
This is a powerful invitation from the Creator. It is an invitation to experience God. We are not excluded. When we accept the invitation, he cleans us up and gives us all we need to truly live an abundant life. When we walk through the open door, he has a feast of joy waiting for us. It is all right before us.
Don’t misunderstand me, though. This invitation is not about money or power or earthly gain. This is an invitation from God. He has plans that are good and abundant and filled with life. But earthly treasures don’t mean anything to God. He has much more important things awaiting. So the invitation…the seeking…does not result in a bigger house or more money or monetary gain. The invitation is to something so much more important. The invitation is to a life of fulfillment by following God. We are taken care of because we are seeking God. We experience life in a whole new way because we are seeking and following him.
The invitation has been issued. God is right before us waiting for us. Will you seek and will you follow? The next move is up to you. Choose wisely.
Our world has many that claim to be shepherds, leaders, deals, bargains, attractions…we are asked to hear me, follow me, buy me, see me, believe me. It can be overwhelming. Some leaders appear to be taking us in one direction, but their lives reflect another. Some claim to be on the right track and want others to follow, but you have to wonder why God only gave them the right track. Others try to attract us with fancy shows, big promises, and even material wealth. Just follow me, they say, and all will be well. Everyone seems to be searching for a follower, a buyer, a student, seeker. And so many feel as though they have the answer. They call…be rich like me, be smart like me, be free like me, be judgmental like me…or whatever. Whether it is religion, politics, sales, or the like, it all seems to scream, we are the right way!
So what is the right way? You are reading or worshiping this morning and so I am sure that you feel like you know the answer. But there are many in spaces of worship trying to give us a way that is not true, is not valuable, is not right. I am not going to tell you what to do…I am simply going to point out what I choose and why.
John 10:1-18 (full scripture below)
My sheep know my voice and they follow me. This is the voice I want to follow. I want Jesus to be my shepherd because Jesus is leading me to a life of love. He is guiding me to a path of peace and grace and forgiveness. He has a plan that is good and joyful and full of abundant life. He offers life…real life, true life. But in a world full of voices, how do we know the voice of Jesus? How do we know if it is really Jesus?
There are a few ways that I think we can detect the voice of Jesus. And for me, it begins with more than just a feeling. Sometimes we get caught up in what feels the best, what is the easiest, what seems to be the most attainable. Unfortunately, nothing about the way that Jesus leads indicates this is the way. While Jesus promises us peace and love, joy and grace, he doesn’t promise it will be easy. Actually to love is one of the most difficult things he calls us to do – as he calls us to love everyone. The way of peace will often make others upset because it isn’t what they wanted to believe. Grace is such a gift some will not want to accept it – feeling completely unworthy. It is beautiful but I don’t find it easy. It also isn’t full of earthy belongings. Following Jesus isn’t about getting the biggest house or the nicest car or holding in what you have so tight that you are financially secure. It is about giving and sacrificing and letting go. So if we are simply looking to our feelings, we might want to dig a little deeper. Jesus will give us peace, but our abundant life may not feel like we would want it to feel.
So how does it begin? I think Jesus speaks to us when we use all of our senses. He calls in the wind, the songs of birds, the laughter of children, the growth of vegetables, the smell of fresh flowers, the taste of fresh produce, the embrace of a loved one, the eyes of a stranger. I think he speaks to us in those that do not speak our language and we do not understand except through love. I think he speaks to us in those that have no food and those that need to know they are worthy. He speaks to us through a home cooked meal and a fresh baked pie. He speaks to us in the most unusual ways that we often miss. But we don’t know it if we aren’t learning about what it means to follow.
All too often, we have our ideas of what it means to follow. We have defined how we think Jesus would call, how he would lead, what he would want us to have, what we think it means to love, and how we have the right to judge. But if take the time to study how Jesus lived and how he led, we might find something completely different. We just might find we are following others and not Jesus. We might find we are following leaders rather than Jesus. We might find we are worshiping people and not Jesus. It is so easy to do…to slip in behind the magnetic personality…to be drawn in with the promises of wealth or goods…to be enamored with the glitz and glamour. But that isn’t Jesus at all. That isn’t how he led or what he taught or how he called at all. But don’t take my word for it. I want you to experience it for yourself.
Maybe it is time that we took the opportunity to study God’s word…took the time to read the teachings of Jesus…see how he lived and what he actually did…find out how he lived. Maybe we read it with open eyes and an open heart – without judgment or trying to decide how it fits in our lives. Maybe we just read and learn from the shepherd. I think when we do that, we begin to hear him, we begin to see him at work, we begin to understand who we might be following. We need a shepherd…and Jesus is calling us to follow him. He is, after all, the good shepherd. We don’t need all those other things that seem so valuable, we simply need to follow. Let’s follow Jesus together.
John 10:1-18 (NRSV)
10 “Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
7 So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”
SEEING THE EXTRAORDINARY 
You must be logged in to post a comment.