Seeking the Life in Christ: September 2023

Friday, September 29, 2023

Beyond Being Just a Little Miffed

Meditations for Ragamuffins

September 29, 2023

Beyond Being Just a Little Miffed

“Jesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the Temple. He drove out the sheep and cattle, scattered the money changers’ coins over the floor, and turned over their tables.”

John 2:15

Interestingly, in the Gospel of John, the story of Jesus clearing the Temple immediately follows Jesus celebrating the wedding in Cana. The position of these two incidents in John’s Gospel reveals that Jesus possessed the full range of human emotions, and he was quite able to express his emotions. I marvel at that.

The nature of my upbringing left me pretty much out of touch with my feelings, and quite challenged when it comes to expressing my emotions, especially anger. The episode in John 2 makes it abundantly clear that Jesus was well beyond being just a little miffed; he was expressing his burning, raging anger with the people.

Jesus is the absolute, and fully complete, embodiment of God the Father Almighty. As such, he reveals the full range of emotions that are present within God. If it is God’s nature to celebrate a wine toast at a wedding, so then I can also. If it is God’s nature to express anger, so then I can also because I am created in His image, and I live my life by faith in His son who loved me and gave his life for me.

My Takeaway: I can’t help but laugh a little as I write this because I know it is far easier to acknowledge that it is OK for me to express anger than it is for me to let it rip, which is why anger frightens me. I’ve held so much in, for so long, I’m concerned that when the anger breaks forth, it may be disproportionate to the circumstance at hand. It is this tension that makes the possibility of Chesterton’s observation about the Christian ideal being difficult and left untried, looming on my horizon. I hope not; I hope I take the road less traveled.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life. The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Thursday, September 28, 2023

An Heir and Successor

Meditations for Ragamuffins

September 28, 2023

An Heir and Successor

“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.”

Luke 15:20

Henri Nouwen does a masterful job of taking us deep into the meaning of Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son: "What I am called to make true is that whether I am the younger or elder son, I am the son of my compassionate Father. I am an heir. As son and heir, I am to become successor. I am destined to step into my Father's place and offer to others the same compassion that he has offered me. The return to the Father is ultimately the challenge to become the Father.” (The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming, Henri J. M. Nouwen, Continuum Intl Pub Group. January 1996)

However, for me, I didn’t begin to plumb the true depth of this parable until I began to understand the depth of Jesus’ compassion. The Greek word translated as compassion has its origins in a noun that refers to intestines, bowels or entrails. Jesus doesn’t just feel pity, sympathy, or empathy for us. “His heart was torn, his gut wrenched, the most vulnerable part of his being laid bare.” (Brennan Manning)

This incomprehensible depth of God’s compassion is the driving force for the comfort of God affirmed by Saint Paul in 2 Corinthians 1: 3, “God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort.” Nouwen noted that “I am destined to step into my Father's place and offer to others the same compassion that he has offered me.” Saint Paul writes, “(God) comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others” (2 Corinthians 1:4a).

My Takeaway: There have been times when my heart was torn, my gut wrenched, and the most vulnerable part of my being laid bare. But I have been very careful about when, or for whom, I have experienced such depths of compassion. I wonder what would happen if I let my guard down and begin to experience the Godly compassion that comes with being an heir and a successor destined to step into my Father's place.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Wednesday, September 27, 2023

“The LORD is my shepherd”

Meditations for Ragamuffins

September 27, 2023

The LORD Is My Shepherd

“The LORD is my shepherd”

Psalm 23:1a (KJV)

On the desk in my study, is an olive wood carving of The Good Shepherd that I purchased in Bethlehem. The concept of Jesus as the Good Shepherd resonates within my soul, and I am drawn to passages such as John 10 where Jesus talks of himself as the Shepherd and his followers as his sheep. God has used the parable of the lost sheep in Luke 15 to often remind me he will never, ever, give up on me. You can find images of The Shepherd, and the scenes of Psalm 23, throughout the New Testament. As an example, in Mark’s description of the feeding of the five thousand, “Jesus told the disciples to have the people sit down in groups on the green grass” (Mark 6:30-43). For me, this invokes images of the “green pastures” in Psalm 23:2.

The most pervasive theme of the Bible is God’s longing for His people to know, and to experience, how much He loves us. I believe when God’s love truly penetrates our soul, when we experience His love, a miracle takes place. The Apostle Paul describes the miracle this way, “Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him” (2 Corinthians 3: 18 The Message).

How can we move toward such intimacy with God? Psalm 23 is a very good place to start because it is written in the first person, “The LORD is my shepherd . . .” I encourage you to spend a week with Psalm 23 and just meditate on one verse per day. You may want to use a resource like biblegateway.com so you can easily access several different translations of the Bible.

As you work through this process take time to ponder the words of each verse, and then contemplate what they mean to you and your life. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you if there is anything you need to do, or stop doing, to make the verse an authentic reflection of your life.

My Takeaway: As your week with Psalm 23 progresses, don’t be surprised if someone observes that your face is shining with the brightness of His face.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Tuesday, September 26, 2023

The Sound of Silence

Meditations for Ragamuffins

September 26, 2023

The Sound of Silence

“When the Lamb broke the seventh seal on the scroll, there was silence throughout heaven for about half an hour.”

Revelation 8:1

Several years ago, I hosted Phileena Heuertz as the speaker for a Spiritual Formation Weekend. In preparation, I read her book, Pilgrimage of a Soul: Contemplative Spirituality for the Active Life. The book is an autobiographical account of Phileena’s pilgrimage to Camino De Santiago which was followed by a six-month sabbatical. Her experience was an encounter with the Dark Night of the Soul as described by Saint John of the Cross. The silence of God was her close traveling companion during much of her pilgrimage and sabbatical.

I too have experienced encounters in the dark night with my soul laid bare. I too experienced the sound of silence. But in retrospect, I am coming to understand the silence was not so much that my companion, the Holy Comforter, was silent, as it was that I wasn’t listening. Perhaps it is better stated, I wasn’t listening for the truth my companion was offering to me.

The only true silence I can recall experiencing was the twelve hours, or there about, that I was under anesthesia during my cardiac bypass surgery several years ago. I have absolutely no recollection of those hours. No dreams, no sensations, no sounds until I heard the whirl of the various and sundry medical instruments attached to me when I woke up in ICU. It has been my experience that apart from those few hours in never-never land, my life is filled with sound. Sometimes that sound is audible, sometimes the sound emanates from the ruminations of my seldom-at-rest brain.

But I am learning to rest and appreciate the sound of silence. I like this time the best because that’s when I hear the Holy Comforter speaking to me. Sometimes the Comforter speaks to me through scripture. Sometimes the Comforter is speaking from behind the far mountain range, sometimes he’s on the side of the hill by the wild turkeys, sometimes he speaks through the symphony of the bees in our flowering cherry tree in early spring. Sometimes I hear him from the blossoms of the crepe myrtles, and sometimes he’s in the thunder or the splendor of the morning sunrise. Always he’s speaking of the glory of Creation and the Creator’s love for all He has set His hand to, especially those created in His image.

My Takeaway: Revelation 8:1 tells us “there was silence throughout heaven for about half an hour.” I take that as an indication that silence is extraordinary in the Kingdom of God. I take that as an invitation to listen more carefully, especially for the voice of God in the silence.

In recent months, I have grown in appreciation for Celtic Benediction, Morning and Night Prayer by J. Phillip Newell. His prayers are drawn from the Celtic tradition’s glory in God’s creation.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Monday, September 25, 2023

Take O Lord

Meditations for Ragamuffins

September 25, 2023

Take O Lord

“So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day.”

2 Corinthians 4:16 (NRSV)

The Apostle Paul had but one ambition for his life, and for the lives of all the followers of Jesus: “The life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh” (2 Corinthians 4:11b NRSV). Paul had many ways of talking about this reality for the Christian. Sometimes he talked about putting on Christ, or living in Christ, or Christ living in the Christian, or life in the Spirit. In my life, I call it seeking to make the life in Christ my way of life. How ever we refer to this truth, the goal is the same; we want the life of Jesus to be made visible in our mortal flesh.

The Gospels reveal to us the heart of Jesus. We see his compassion, and we see his unwavering allegiance to the Kingdom of God. We see his gentleness and his unconditional acceptance of the last, the lost and the least of people. We see his zest for life, his true enjoyment in being with people, and we also see his uncompromising commitment to the will of God, regardless of the cost. Paul wanted the world to see those very same attributes in his mortal life. Saint Paul wants us to want that for our lives.

How do we achieve this goal for our lives? We don’t; God does! “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:13). Our part of the process is to be acutely aware that God is actively working to form Christ within us. Secondly, we learn to cooperate with God in His process.

My Takeaway: How does Jesus become visible in our mortal flesh? I saw this suggestion recently in one of my social media accounts:

“When Jesus was tempted, scripture flowed from his lips.

When Jesus was challenged, scripture flowed from his lips.

When Jesus was crucified, scripture flowed from his lips.

One of the ways to live like Jesus is to internalize scripture,

so that when we are cut, it spills out.”

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Friday, September 22, 2023

The Better Righteousness

Meditations for Ragamuffins

September 22, 2023

The Better Righteousness

“But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!”

Matthew 5:20

I imagine the disciples recoiled at these words of Jesus, much the same as they did that time when Jesus had the encounter with the Rich Man and Jesus said, “In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!” The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked” (Matthew 10:25-26). The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees were well known for their passion in keeping the laws of God. How could the mortal disciples ever imagine their righteousness being better than the Pharisees? However, oftentimes the passion of the Pharisees resulted in absurdities such as when they failed to aid the wounded man in Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan, or the many times they railed against Jesus for healing a person on the Sabbath. The danger in the law is the temptation to be so focused on the law, you lose sight of God, or as Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27).

Many churches today are polarized and miss Jesus’ point about better righteousness. In churches that emphasize keeping the law, the congregation can be tempted to rationalize about how far they can push the boundaries without ‘actually’ breaking the law. In other churches, congregations may have great debates about the fine points of the liturgy used in worship, while remaining silent on countless incidents of racism and oppression in their own community. Neither of these churches can see the forest for the trees

My Takeaway: “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs” (Matthew 5:3). We enter the Kingdom of God on the back of Jesus, not on our resume of good works or law-keeping. The better righteousness is the righteousness of Jesus: “For Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes” (Romans 10:4 NRSV).

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Thursday, September 21, 2023

Chosen To Become the Child of God

Meditations for Ragamuffins

September 21, 2023

Chosen To Become the Child of God

You didn’t choose me. I chose you.

John 15:16a

Those of us with a Wesleyan background will recognize prevenient grace in this statement of Jesus. Prevenient grace is divine grace that precedes human decision. Before we had the capacity to choose God, God chose to reveal himself to us, thus enabling within us an awareness of the love of God and God’s offer of forgiveness through faith in Jesus. We could spend a lot of time pondering the depths of this theological concept, but instead of taking that road, let us back up and ponder the depths of just what it means to be chosen by Jesus.

Sometimes the enormity of scriptural revelation overwhelms us. Jesus said, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life” (John 3:16 NRSV). That passage is so familiar, it may have lost some power in our lives. This passage is only true if God loves us one at a time, so change the text a bit to make it personal to you: For God so loved me that he gave his only Son, so that by my believing in him, I will not perish; I have eternal life. Read this personal version a time or two and let it sink deep in your spirit. Own it! With the passage in John 15, no editing is required, but you do need to stand back and let the truth wash over you.

“You didn’t choose me. I chose you.” What a phenomenal statement Jesus made. I am not aware of any other religions of the world that have anything that remotely compares to the tenderness, the intimacy, the indomitable power in Jesus’ words: “You didn’t choose me. I chose you.”

Because of the tenderness, intimacy, and power in these words of Jesus, we know Saint Paul was absolutely speaking the mind of Christ when he wrote, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:14, 16 NRSV).

My Takeaway: You were chosen by Jesus to become the child of God the Father Almighty. Have a nice day!

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Wednesday, September 20, 2023

To Make the Father's Life My Own

Meditations for Ragamuffins

September 20, 2023

To Make the Father's Life My Own

“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.”

Luke 15:20

Henri Nouwen, in his book, The Return of The Prodigal Son, says, "If the only meaning of the story (Luke 15, The Prodigal Son) were that people sin but God forgives, I could easily begin to think of my sins as a fine occasion for God to show me forgiveness. There would be no challenge in such an interpretation. I would resign myself to my weaknesses and keep hoping that eventually God would close his eyes to them and let me come home, whatever I did. Such romanticism is not the message of the Gospels. What I am called to make true is that whether I am the younger or elder son, I am the son of my compassionate Father. I am an heir. . . . as son and heir I am to become successor. I am destined to step into my Father's place and offer to others the same compassion that he has offered me. The return to the Father is ultimately the challenge to become the Father. Being in the Father's house requires that I make the Father's life my own and become transformed in his image."

How many times do you think his disciples disappointed Jesus? Just about every day they did something or said something that revealed they were yet to grasp that Jesus was the Messiah. Sometimes their transgressions were absurd, such as wanting to rain down judgment on others, or seeking places of honor at Jesus’ right hand. Sometimes their transgressions were heart-breaking, such as sleeping instead of praying for Jesus, or their abandonment of Jesus in his hour of need. Even so, it was to these disciples that Jesus went immediately after his resurrection. Despite his many disappointments, Jesus never lost hope in his disciples.

My Takeaway: Henri Nouwen’s insight into the parable of the Prodigal Son, and Jesus’ relationship with his disciples helps us discern what it means to become the Father, to make the Father's life our own and become transformed in His image. Those who we love and care for may well disappoint us as often as Jesus’ disciples disappointed him, and in ways like the father’s prodigal son disappointed him. Even so, through the power of Christ flowing within us, we can be ever ready, with love and compassion, to run to our prodigals and embrace them.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Tuesday, September 19, 2023

I Am Not My Own

Meditations for Ragamuffins

September 19, 2023

I Am Not My Own

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.

Psalm 139:14

Recently, I felt a twinge of guilt as I sat down for supper. I marveled at the beautiful setting of our home. As I looked down at our more than ample evening meal, my ears were still ringing with the latest news reports from the crisis of unaccompanied children at our borders, Hawaiian fire, Ukraine, Iran, and other hotspots around the world. There is so much suffering in our world. When we are so far removed from human tragedies, how are we to feel?

Those thoughts were still with me this morning when I read the passage from Psalm 139:14. A psalmist also says that God keeps our tears in a bottle (Psalm 56), and we know that Jesus was moved to tears over the suffering of his friends (John 11). I am trying to reconcile the juxtaposition today of these passages that speak of God’s utter delight in creating humankind in His image, and the heart-wrenching suffering humankind causes one another, and their Creator as well.

These passages stand in sharp contrast, just like the sharp contrast of God’s redeeming love for me being fully expressed in the stench of my sin: “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8). It is the truth of this passage, and the truth expressed by the psalmist, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made, that empowers me to look beyond the blessedness of my existence and ask. “God how can you use my life to make a difference for good in your Creation?”

My Takeaway: The reconciliation I am looking for is found in the words of an ancient prayer that I try to make my own, “Lord, I acknowledge you to be my Creator and my God. I render to you the reverence of my being and my life. I am not my own. I am yours. By creation and redemption I am yours. I will devote myself to your service this day and forever.” Amen.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Monday, September 18, 2023

Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart

Meditations for Ragamuffins

September 18, 2023

Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart

“. . . giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Ephesians 5:20 (NRSV)

Many years ago, when I was on a spiritual retreat, I had an encounter with God that profoundly changed the course of my life. That moment when I sensed God speaking to me, I was in a Chapel service singing the praise song, Give Thanks. The truth of that simple praise song also profoundly changed my life. Since that moment, 99.9% of all my prayers begin with, “Thank you.” I am sincerely and intentionally implementing Saint Paul’s direction to give thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This spiritual discipline is much more substance than it is form. For me, it is evidence of a perception, a world view that my life does not belong to me. My life belongs to God. By creation and redemption my life belongs to God. My way of praying is also my personal affirmation that I trust that God is working all things together for His good in my life. (Romans 8:28-29)

My faithful Springer Spaniels, Buster Brown, and Hershey modeled how I want to live my life as a follower of Jesus. On the mornings when Cheryl and I were gathering our gym bags, Buster and Hershey remained at rest in their usual places. They knew they were not going with us. Then there were other times during the day when they would see me grab my hat and car keys, and I would find them waiting for me by the door to the garage. They didn’t have a clue where I was going, and they didn’t care; they just wanted to go with me.

There are times in my life when I sense God wants me to stay put and practice Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God!” I am learning to sit quietly and give thanks to God for these special times alone with Abba. Then there are times when I sense God calling me to get up and follow Him. I’ve long ago given up the notion that I need all the specifics of where we are going and what we are going to do. Always, I am delighted to give “thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

My Takeaway: The hymn, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, calls us to “raise my Ebenezer.” That phrase is a reference to when Samuel set up a large stone and named it Ebenezer because the Lord helped him. (1 Samuel 7:12) Our Ebenezer’s are monuments in our memories for those times when the Lord has helped us. That moment in the Chapel singing, Give Thanks, when the Lord spoke to me and called me by name is a HUGE Ebenezer in my life.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Friday, September 15, 2023

The Eyes of Jesus

Meditations for Ragamuffins

September 15, 2023

The Eyes of Jesus

At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Suddenly, the Lord’s words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.”

Luke 22:61

In the next verse, Luke tells us that “Peter left the courtyard, weeping bitterly” (Luke 22:62). I believe Peter’s tears flowed not because of what he saw in Jesus’ eyes, but because of what Peter saw in himself. In time, what Peter saw in the eyes of Jesus gave him the courage to face his own insecurities, fears, and failures. What do you think Peter saw in Jesus’ eyes?

I suspect Peter caught the pure essence of Brennan Manning’s description of God’s love for us: “God loves us unconditionally, just as we are; not as we should be. Because no one is as they should be.” (All is Grace by Brennan Manning) As we allow God to draw us closer to His heart where we can experience His unconditional love for us, just as we are, we are empowered by His grace to live out his primary commandment for our lives: “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (John 13:34-35).

The hardest task for a follower of Jesus is to become willing to let go of our fears, our insecurities, our need to be in control, and submit our lives wholly and without reservation to God. The only way we can do this is to trust God with our lives, and our trusting God is preceded by our loving God. Our loving God is preceded by God first loving us and touching us with his redeeming grace. When God touches us, we look into the eyes of Jesus and behold Peter’s vision of God’s unconditional love.

My Takeaway: Peter may have run from the courtyard weeping, but several days later his recollection of what he saw in the eyes of Jesus would cause him to jump into the water and swim to Jesus when he saw the Lord on the beach. (John 21) As we allow God to touch our lives, we will behold love and acceptance in the eyes of Jesus. The more we look into the eyes of Jesus, the more we become willing to surrender control of our lives to the One who loves us so completely.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Thursday, September 14, 2023

Alas Babylon

Meditations for Ragamuffins

September 14, 2023

Alas Babylon

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

Jeremiah 29:11

The Israelites received this promise from God while they were in captivity in Babylon. The word from God also told them they would remain in captivity for another seventy years before God would bring them home again. In the meantime, they were told to plant gardens, marry, and have children and grandchildren. They were also told to “work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare” (Jeremiah 29:7).

Our experience has proven the poet Robert Burns correct when he noted that the “best-laid plans of mice and men oft go astray.” No matter how well we plan and prepare -- things happen, and we end up facing unintended consequences. Then there are times in our lives where we, like the Israelites, face the consequences of our willful disobedience of God. Regardless of how we end up in the Babylon’s of life, the words of Jeremiah provide comfort and guidance.

For the followers of Jesus, one constant truth guides us: we are the children of our loving Abba. As heirs of God, and joint heirs with Jesus, we have abundant blessings we can bring to whatever situation or circumstance we face. Whether we are resting securely in God’s place of blessing for us, or we find ourselves in a Babylon of our own making, or we are forced into a Babylon by the actions of others, we are not alone; God is with us, God is for us and God will provide for us.

My Takeaway: When we find ourselves in unintended places because our best-laid plans have gone astray, we can work for the peace and prosperity of the people around us. As we seek to be a blessing to others, we can also hold dearly to God’s promise, “I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:10b-11).

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Wednesday, September 13, 2023

The Land Of Open Eyes And Light Divine

Meditations for Ragamuffins

September 13, 2023

The Land Of Open Eyes And Light Divine

“I am sending you to the Gentiles to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me.”

Acts 26:17b-18

In Saint Paul’s stunning encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, he heard Jesus say the words quoted above from Acts 26. As the followers of Jesus, we too are called to hear these same words. We too are sent by Jesus to the people of the world “to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God.”

Our first step is to appropriate King David’s prayer, “Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow; “Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.” (Psalm 51: 7, 10). We can’t open the eyes of others unless our eyes are first open. We can’t turn others from darkness to light unless we are walking in the light, and we can’t lead others to become set apart by faith until we are first set apart by faith in the risen Christ.

Being set apart by faith means we are living by faith, rather than seeking to justify our right-standing with God through a performance-based-acceptance lifestyle. We all are a work in progress, and while we may agree with John Wesley that we are going on to perfection, we know we haven’t yet arrived at that destination. But we have begun our journey, and along our trail we look for markers to indicate our progress toward the land of open eyes and light divine.

My Takeaway: Here are a few of the markers I look for on my journey. Is my life more spacious, or is it too full to allow room for others? Is my attitude toward others more hospitable or critical? Do I tend to be more compassionate or judgmental toward the failures I see in others? By the way, my judgmental and critical attitude towards others is the revelation of my judgmental and critical attitude toward myself. When I become thus aware, I know I need to spend time contemplating the furious longing of God for me, because in the land of open eyes and light divine, “I am my beloved’s, and his desire is for me” (Song of Solomon 7:10).

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Tuesday, September 12, 2023

Teach Me Wisdom in My Secret Heart

Meditations for Ragamuffins

September 12, 2023

Teach Me Wisdom in My Secret Heart

You desire truth in the inward being;

therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.

Psalm 51:6 NRSV

I think King David’s prose in Psalm 51, one of the Seven Penitential Psalms, is some of the most beautiful and profound in the entire Bible. Verses such as seven and ten have captivated souls for generations: “Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow; and, “Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.” I appreciate Psalm 51 for its honesty and self-reflection. It is a model of an authentic prayer that seeks God’s mercy, forgiveness, and healing. Psalm 51 is so very poignant because of the depth of King David’s sin, and the harm he caused through his adultery with Bathsheba. (See 2 Samuel 11-12) If God’s mercy and forgiveness are sufficient to cleanse, renew and restore David, can there be anything in my life that is beyond God’s capacity to forgive?

However, as a child of God, I must not just relish in David’s prose; I want to make his prose become the cry of my heart. I am motivated toward this goal for two reasons. First, to deny my failures creates a false image of me, one that will not attract others to the Kingdom of God. Secondly, my sins are every bit as repugnant to the holiness of God as were David’s. I stand in need of forgiveness, cleansing, renewal, and restoration every bit as much as David.

My Takeaway: “Go and sin no more” Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery (John 8:11). Sadly, although she may have desired Jesus’ words to be her goal, the reality of life is that she did sin again. So did David. So do I. Forgiveness, cleansing, renewal, and restoration are not a one-off experience with God. Forgiveness, cleansing, renewal, and restoration are the natural rhythm of daily life for those seeking the life in Christ as their way of life.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Monday, September 11, 2023

Exercising Integrity at the Moment of Decision

Meditations for Ragamuffins

September 11, 2023

Exercising Integrity at the Moment of Decision

A person’s pride will bring humiliation, but one who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.

Proverbs 29:23 NRSV

God helps those who help themselves! Most Christians know this witticism is neither included in the Bible’s Book of Proverbs, nor is it even consistent with biblical teaching. Jesus teaches us that “God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth” (Matthew 5:5). Saint Peter added his two cents by quoting Proverb 3:34 when he wrote, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor”” (1 Peter 5:5b-6).

In the NLT, there are more than sixty references to the word pride, and by far most of them are negative. Perhaps the most fulfilled of all biblical teachings is Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.” I am reminded of the story of the Old Master and his young disciple. The young disciple was seeking to eliminate anything in his life that might distract him from full and complete devotion to God. Finally, the day came when he stood before the Old Master and lifted up to him his empty hands. The Old Master said to the young disciple, “Give me your empty hands also.”

As the followers of Jesus, we are called to be proactive builders for the Kingdom of God, not passive bystanders in life. To accomplish our mission, we want to learn how to balance our proactive Kingdom building life with the humility that is the foundation of our right-standing with God. There is such a balance between humiliation and honor in King Solomon’s proverb. It is this balance that provides for the meek to inherit the earth as God lifts in honor those who humble themselves under his mighty power.

My Takeaway: I believe each of us must find our own way of balancing our proactive Christian life while maintaining lowliness of spirit. I have found two axioms that help me in this task. First, I try to be ever mindful of exercising integrity at the moment of decision. Secondly, I apply a part of my wedding vows to Cheryl, when we exchanged rings, to my relationship with my Abba: “With all that I am and all that I have, I honor you.”

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Friday, September 29, 2023

Beyond Being Just a Little Miffed

Thursday, September 28, 2023

An Heir and Successor

Wednesday, September 27, 2023

“The LORD is my shepherd”

Tuesday, September 26, 2023

The Sound of Silence

Monday, September 25, 2023

Take O Lord

Friday, September 22, 2023

The Better Righteousness

Thursday, September 21, 2023

Chosen To Become the Child of God

Wednesday, September 20, 2023

To Make the Father's Life My Own

Tuesday, September 19, 2023

I Am Not My Own

Monday, September 18, 2023

Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart

Friday, September 15, 2023

The Eyes of Jesus

Thursday, September 14, 2023

Alas Babylon

Wednesday, September 13, 2023

The Land Of Open Eyes And Light Divine

Tuesday, September 12, 2023

Teach Me Wisdom in My Secret Heart

Monday, September 11, 2023

Exercising Integrity at the Moment of Decision

Seeking the Life in Christ

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