Happy Christian Secrets

This week’s theme is social responsibility. In the reading from Amos (8:4-7) – the prophet of social justice – we see greedy merchants looking to alter the scales used to measure wheat and grain so that they can cheat the poor and increase their profits. In those days, Amos was observing a growing gap between the rich and the poor that is very similar to what is going on today in most industrialized nations.  Amos tells the merchants (and each of us), that “The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob: Never will I forget a thing they have done!”

It feels so good to be generous – especially to those less fortunate.

In Paul’s Letter to TImothy (1 Timothy 2:1-8), Paul is asking the beloved to pray for “kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity.”   Like the reading from Amos, this message has as much applicability today as it did 2000 years ago.  The political leaders of today have a great deal of influence over laws and services which lead to justice for all.

Paul knows that when a stable social order is in place, it’s much easier for individuals to live a peaceful life with dignity and respect in devotion to God. Our prayers do impact what happens in the world.  We’re not only encouraged to pray for those we love, but for political leaders around the world and especially for people we’re finding it difficult to love.  Paul reassures us that, “This is good and pleasing to God our Savior.”

Our prayers are heard by God and felt by those we’re praying for.  Prayer is uplifting for all involved.

 In Luke’s Gospel (16:1-13), Jesus tells a parable that deals with money, debt and ethics. “I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.”  “Dishonest wealth” is the riches of the world.  Worldly wealth is not a bad thing. We’re encouraged to use it wisely by sharing it with others and to not hold onto it too tightly.

 “The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones.” If we do not share our material wealth (small matters) joyfully and generously, how can we expect to receive “True wealth” – the riches of the kingdom of God?

“No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon (material wealth or greed).”

We’re focused on loving and serving God and each other. Generosity with our money and ethics in our business dealings is a way of putting our faith into action each and every day.

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Forgiving and merciful is how God the Father is presented in this week’s readings.  Like a loving parent, God is always looking after every one of his sons and daughters and welcoming them back home.

In the first reading from Exodus (32:7-11, 13-14), Moses is negotiating with God to have mercy on the people of Israel who have returned to worshiping idols after having been lead out of slavery and recently receiving the Ten Commandments. How quickly we forget all that’s been done for us!  It was easy for the people of Israel to forget about God now that their problems were over.  They could forget about God and turn their attention to other, more worldly objects of desire.

Don’t we sometimes do the same thing when our life is going well? Is God first in your life or do you occasionally allow other worldly distractions  – money, dating,  movie stars, sporting events, professional sports teams – to be higher priorities than your relationship with God?  Thankfully, we’re told time and time again that our God is a forgiving and merciful God.

Paul positions himself as the foremost of sinners in his Letter to Timothy (1 Timothy 1:12-17). Who besides Paul would brag about being the #1 sinner?  In gratitude to God Paul says, “I am grateful to him who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he considered me trustworthy in appointing me to the ministry.” Gratitude is one of the most important traits for us to display on a daily basis – to God and to each other. Paul is grateful for Jesus’ grace and patience.  Are you grateful to God for all that you have? Have you said, Thank you lately?

If Jesus could turn the darkness that existed within Paul to light, his love and grace are strong enough to transform any of us no matter how dark our lives were or still are today. Paul tells us that in his life before knowing Jesus he was arrogant,  a blasphemer, a persecutor and acted out of ignorance and unbelief. We all act out of ignorance or unbelief.  Once we learn and believe, our problems are over. By positioning himself as the worst possible sinner, Paul assures us that if he can be forgiven through the grace of God, everyone can be forgiven.  Phew!

Christ chose Paul despite his tremendous sins. Christ chooses you and me too.  He’s always reaching out to us asking us to return to his love. He’s telling us that we will always be forgiven. 

The Gospel from Luke (15: 1-32) contains three parables which all express God’s mercy. The first parable is about the shepherd who has lost 1 of his 100 sheep. The second is about a woman who has lost 1 of her ten coins and the third is the story of the Prodigal Son – the lost son.  In each of the three parables, there is rejoicing when the one who is lost is found.  A good shepherd will leave the 99 sheep to pursue the one that is lost.

Jesus told these parables at this particular time because some of the Pharisees and scribes were complaining about the company that Jesus was keeping saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”  Bingo!  That’s exactly what Jesus is asking every one of us to do today.  Welcome the lost and forgotten and point them towards the bulls-eye.

Jesus came to save those of us who are lost – the sinners.  To sin means to be “off target.”  Jesus came to direct us toward the target who never fails and always forgives.

A merciful God is always there to welcome us back home. He’s there ready to receive us with a hug and open arms.  When the younger prodigal son is welcomed back home after he “swallowed up his father’s property with prostitutes,” the older brother becomes resentful.  For a very long time, I tended to side with the older brother who was saying, “what about me?”.   He feels as though his loyalty to his father should entitle him to preferential treatment and that his brother’s behavior should have caused him to lose his privileges.

That is not how God loves.  God loves each of us equally and will invite us back home and into the family whenever we’re ready to return. Those of us who are already home have complete access to all the Father has to offer.

God’s love, mercy and forgiveness are abundant.  If you were waiting for a written invitation to return home, please consider your wait over.  All are welcome in God’s home.

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This week’s gospel from Luke (14:25-33) can seem very confusing when reading the words literally. Jesus says to the great crowds traveling with him, “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”

Is Jesus asking us to hate our families? Absolutely not. When the gospels were translated from the ancient languages into greek, english and others, sometimes the original intent did not translate perfectly. In the english language we have many words and phrases  which allow us to communicate feelings that come between the two extremes of  love and hate such as like, dislike, put-up-with, etc. Jesus is reminding his disciples that we came from God, we’re going to return to God upon the death of our earthly body and God is to come first among all of our priorities while on earth.  Got it?

As Christians, we’re called to love everyone. Within the commandments, we’re specifically told to honor our mothers and fathers.  When insulted, we’re asked to “turn the other cheek.”  When hurt in any way by another person, we’re reminded to forgive. Love is the Christian theme.

Jesus is asking us to decide what we value most and in no uncertain terms he tells his followers that God should be our top priority.

As Jesus continues addressing the crowd he gives us another parable, “Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion? Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him and say, ‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’”

Upon what foundation are you and I building our life?  If we claim that God is our foundation yet we have not constructed the rest of our life in line with the foundation, we may not be able to finish the work to which we’ve been called.   With God as our foundation, our life is constructed one floor at a time in perfect alignment with a solid and immovable foundation. It is the foundation of love which allows us to eliminate our worldly fears.

When asked to choose between anything else – work, money, family, entertainment, fame, property, security – and God,  we know how to choose.

When we place God first, it effects and influences each of our thoughts, words and actions. You and I are Christ to each person we come into contact with. As Christians share our love of God with each other, we unite humanity with each other and with God. We are the body of Christ on earth.

This week’s not-so-subtle reminder: God comes first.

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To act humbly means to be modest, respectful and to be deferential and submissive. It also means to make lower in condition or status.

This weekend’s theme is humility.  The first reading from Sirach ( 3:17-18, 20, 28-29) which was written 200 years before Christ, calls us to humility with a couple of proverbs:

• My child, conduct your affairs with humility, and you will be loved more than a giver of gifts.
• Humble yourself the more, the greater you are, and you will find favor with God.

If you’re asking yourself, “why should I show humility?”, Jesus answers that question beautifully for us in Luke’s Gospel (14:1, 7-14).  In this scripture, Jesus is at the home of  one of the leading Pharisees and he’s watching people jockey for position at the dinner table. We’ve all seen this happen at recitals,  buffets, boarding an airplane, at weddings, funerals and parades.  We tend to push, shove and elbow so that we can have the best view, seat or food – even if it’s at the expense of our neighbors or other guests.

After observing the very common behavior, Jesus told the familiar parable where he says that whenever you’re invited by someone to attend a wedding banquet (or any other affair), don’t seat yourself in a position of honor.  Instead of trying to obtain the “best” seat Jesus instructs us to, “go and take the lowest place so that when the host comes to you he may say, ‘My friend, move up to a higher position.’”

It’s better to be brought from coach to first class than to be humiliated by being asked to move to the back of the plane!

“For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

When we deliberately humble ourselves by taking a seat in “the lowest place”, we’re able to meet new people and understand life from the perspective of a different group of people. It’s an invitation to accept the beautiful gift of being able to learn from every human that we come in contact with. Truly, we have something to learn from every person we’re fortunate enough to meet.

After Jesus had addressed the guests, he turned his attention to the host and gave him some unsolicited advice. He tells us that when we have a party, be sure to invite people who very likely will never be able to reciprocate – the lonely, the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind.

God gives to each of us who have nothing to give in return. We’re asked to do the same thing every day of our lives.  You and I are the hosts and hostesses who are inviting all people to God’s banquet. Not just those with the same incomes, skin color and faith.

We know that when we do this, “we will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

Life is simple: act in a Christ-like fashion by loving everyone.

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Death is the one thing that most people fear. Why did I say most people and not everyone? People whose faith is strong know that although the physical body will die, their souls will live forever. In one of today’s readings (1 Corinthians 15:54b-57), Paul is taunting death with unshakable confidence:

Death is swallowed up in victory.

Where, O death, is your victory?

                                                   Where, O death, is your sting?

I can hear Paul taunting death like a child singing on a playground, “Na, na, na, na, na, you CAN’T hurt me. Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha!”  Why is Paul so confident and fearless?

Paul lives with confidence in the knowledge that Jesus overcame sin, the poison that causes death.  “When that which is mortal clothes itself with immortality….”, DEATH NO LONGER HAS ANY POWER OVER US!  Mortal Christians clothe themselves in the Word of God and are filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.  .Although our physical bodies are still capable of pain and will ultimately die, no one and no thing has power over our everlasting souls  That invisible piece of our being which we treasure most – our soul – is eternally linked with the Source of all life.

Jesus confirms this in the Gospel of Luke: “Yet a little while, and the world will see me no more, but you will see me; because I live, you will live also. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.”

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord.

Christians have long-term goals and our ultimate goal is to join Jesus in life everlasting. “But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ”, we say with confidence in the belief that the death of our body will result in the resurrection of our immortal soul.

At that point our journey will be complete and successful. We will have arrived home and will stay there – forever! 

Clothe yourself with immortality and live a fearless, faith-filled life in Christ.

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This week’s themes are faith and preparedness.  Each of the 3 readings cause us to question and affirm our belief and faith in God and use that faith as the focal point of our life.

“Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. Because of it the ancients were well attested”, is a line from one of Paul’s Letters to the Hebrews (11:1-2, 8-19).  Paul goes on to talk about the tremendous faith shown by Abraham. Abraham believed that he and Sarah would have a child even though they were very old and Sarah was sterile. Abraham believed in God. He had faith in God’s word.

Abraham’s faith was so strong that he was willing to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, upon God’s request. Abraham knew that God was so powerful that he could bring Isaac back from the dead to fulfill God’s promise that, “Through Isaac descendants shall bear your name.”  Thankfully, it was only a test of Abraham’s faith.  How is God testing your faith?

Is our faith that strong? Do I have faith or do I have FAITH?

In Luke’s gospel (Luke 12: 32-48) Jesus tells us to “not be afraid” and to have faith in what really matters. If we believe Jesus, we should be afraid of nothing. We know that He is the Shepherd who loves and takes care of each of his sheep.

Jesus goes on to say, “For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” That one line causes us to ponder, “who or what do I treasure?”

Clothing wears out. Cars get old and rusty. We get laid-off and fired from jobs. Real Estate values fluctuate.  High technology becomes obsolete within a few years. People frequently disappoint.  Jesus says, “Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy.”  He’s clearly telling us who and what to treasure – God.  What is the ultimate long-term goal?  Heaven.  Our security lies in the goodness of God.  We can not find security anywhere else or in anyone else. The investment that we make in God can be stolen by no one and only appreciates in value!

Jesus is also reminding us this week to be prepared.  As humans, do we tend to be proactive or reactive?  When do we decide to exercise?  After the heart attack. When do we decide to repair a marriage? For too many of us, it’s when the other person leaves or threatens to do so. When do we decide to step-up our performance at work?  After we’ve been let-go. Too many of us tend to be reactive in almost every aspect of our life.

When are we going to make God a priority in our life?  When will we be 100% prepared to welcome our guest?

You know that excited feeling of preparedness when a child is returning from college or a loved family member or close friend is coming to visit?  We prepare their guest rooms.  We buy special foods. We spend lots of time cooking and cleaning. Why?  We’re looking forward to the return of someone we love.

Someone else that we know and love is coming to visit, but has chosen not to be real specific on the arrival date or time. Can you think of a better guest?  If that guest were coming tonight, what would you be doing today?  Are you prepared?

Jesus has told us that he’s coming back and he’s giving us notice that he’ll be in our neighborhood soon so, please prepare a room in your mind, heart and soul.

Many of us are waiting to become better people – better Christians. 

I’ll be more loving tomorrow.

I’ll begin serving others soon.

I’ll talk to, listen to and give God attention in the very near future.

I’ll begin treating people in a Christ-like manner starting next week.

Many of us are surprised and unprepared by the announcement of an organizational change that results in the elimination of our job, or the word from a doctor that our lifestyle has to change, or the notice from a spouse that the relationship is damaged. With Jesus there are no surprises. He’s told us that He’s  coming back and asked us to be prepared.   It’s hard for us to say, “I was unaware that you were coming!” 

Today is the day to love, to be patient, to pray, to serve.

Today is the day to be excited and  prepared to welcome the invited guest who is the focal point of our life.

Have faith, love each other and be ready for His return.  Life is simple.

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Each of this week’s readings is a reminder to each of us to focus on the the things that matter – Godly things. In Ecclesiastes (1:2, 2:21-23), Colossians (3:1-5, 9-11) and Luke’s Gospel (12:13-21), we’re reminded that everything to which we put our trust – other than God – is temporary and cannot provide us with the security we seek.

In Ecclesiastes, we’re shown what life is like if we don’t believe in life after death – eternal life with God.  Without the hope of everlasting life with God, we will frequently ask ourselves questions like, “Is this all there is?”, “Why am I working so hard to accumulate earthly possessions just to leave an inheritance to my unappreciative family?”, or “What’s the point in living a loving, ethical life when it seems that very few others are trying to do the same?”   When we separate ourselves from God, life does feel meaningless and pointless. When united with God, we feel connected, whole and our lives have purpose and direction.

In Paul’s letter to the Colossians he reminds us that because we were raised with Christ, we are to “Put to death the parts of us that are earthly: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire and the greed that is idolatry.” We’re reminded to “seek what is above.”  When living our lives in imitation of our creator, we’re reminded that “Christ is all and in all.”  Jesus came to earth to tell us of God’s love for us and to show us how to live. Jesus is the living example of how we’re to treat each other.

You and I are called to live lives of love, compassion, kindness, forgiveness and service just like Jesus did. We can do this in our current jobs with our current families.  We’re asked to change on the inside first – what’s in our hearts and minds.

With the knowledge that our life came from God and that our main objective is to return to God upon our death, each second of our life has significance. We can ask ourselves during every moment of our day, “Am I living in a Christlike manner at this instant?”

in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus tells us that we do not have security if we place our trust in anything other than God.  Money, cars, homes, 401Ks, jewelry and other possessions may give us the illusion of security, but we can’t take them with us.  When we have all of the worldly good imaginable, but do not have God in our life we’ll always feel insecure.  The only true security that we can possess cannot be purchased with money. By changing our focus from attachment to worldly possessions to attachment to God, we begin living lives in alignment with God.

“Thus will it be for all who store up treasure for themselves but are not rich in what matters to God.”

When our lives on earth are over, what good will it do us to be rich in earthly possessions that we must leave behind if we are not rich in God’s currency?  It won’t.

We live in the hope and expectation of everlasting life with God.

We live each day loving God and each other.

Security comes from faith in God.  True riches are the result of God’s grace in our life.

Being rich in what matters to God is the only currency which will allow us to accomplish the ultimate long-term goal. This is the currency which always increases in value!

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but, we get what we need from God.

Our prayers are always answered, but we don’t always get exactly what we prayed for.

The themes this week  are prayer and persistence.  In the first reading from Genesis (Genesis 18: 20-32), Abraham is haggling with God as if  God were his friend – God is our friend.  Abraham is bargaining with God to save cities from destruction if there are 50, then 40 ,  then 30, then 20  and finally 10 innocent people found in the city.  Abraham’s prayers and persistent negotiating with God resulted in God agreeing to save the cities if there were only 10 innocent people found. It’s Abraham’s prayers, persistence and relationship with God that allow his prayers to be answered.

Today’s Gospel reading from Luke (Luke 11:1-13) gives us a similar message with the themes of prayer and perseverance.  As some of Jesus’ disciples were watching Jesus pray, one of them said, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.”

As always, it’s more important what we do with our actions than what we say with our words. Very importantly, Jesus’ disciples constantly see him in prayer.   Jesus then instructs the disciples to pray with the words of the “Our Father.”

Jesus taught us to pray to God as Our Father, Our Dad, Our Papa, Our Daddy.  God is just not Jesus’ Dad, God is OUR Dad! When we talk about each other as brothers and sisters, it’s true because we all have the same Dad.

He taught us to ask our Dad -  God -  to “forgive us our sins”, and he instructed us to show forgiveness of others too, “for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us.”  Did you happen to notice the word “everyone?”  Can we ask God to forgive us when there are still people in our life whom we have yet to forgive?

Jesus goes on to tell the disciples a story that you should read about a friend who is looking to borrow food in the middle of the night so that he can take care of a friend who unexpectedly arrived at his house.  Have you ever had to call a friend in the middle of the night to ask for help?  “My car broke down and I need a ride!”  or  “Some guests just arrived and we don’t have enough beds. Can I borrow a few sleeping bags and pillows?”  Our friend may respond by saying something like, “It’s 11AM, call me in the morning!”  We all know that when we persist in asking a friend for help, she always helps.

Jesus uses that story to remind us to constantly pray to God and to persevere in our prayers.  Jesus’ words are too perfect for me to paraphrase so here they are:

“And I tell you, ask and you will receive;

seek and you will find;

knock and the door will be opened to you.

For everyone who asks, receives;

and the one who seeks, finds;

and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

We’re being encouraged to seek and to find the things that conform with God’s will.  Our prayers are always answered. It’s up to us to look for the grace in God’s response – especially when it manifests in an answer which is different from our request.

We can’t always get what we want, but we have faith that we always get what we need!

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In this week’s Gospel from Luke (10:38-42), it’s easy to apply words from 2000 year old scripture to our life in 2010.

In this very short reading, Jesus was invited to Martha’s home.  Martha’s sister, Mary, sits at Jesus’ feet listening to his every word while Martha (who invited him there in the first place!) is busy – probably preparing food and drink for her guest.

Martha is a little bit irritated because her sister is just sitting around while she’s doing all the work. So what does Martha say to Jesus?  She says, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” 

Haven’t you ever felt exactly like Martha?  I have.  I’ve been running around my home trying to prepare food and drinks for my guests while other family members have been leisurely enjoying themselves.

How does Jesus respond to Martha’s unsolicited advice?  He says, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.  There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”

Jesus loves Martha and Mary and wants to remind Martha why and for whom she is laboring so hard.  He’s asking her to either listen to him while she’s working or to sit down with Mary and pay attention to what he has to say. True disciples eagerly listen to the word of the Lord.

Who are you rushing around trying to serve?  Are you also feeling worried and anxious quite often? Are you so busy with your every day life that there is no time for God?

Jesus is reminding Martha and each and everyone of us to remember who it is that we’re serving.  He’s asking us to put away our anxiety and fear and to put our faith in him.

If Martha had a hard time paying attention to Jesus when she was physically with him, how much harder is it for us today in a world of non-stop noise – TV, radio, computers, cell phones and piped-in music? It’s much more challenging for us to find silent time to simply be still and listen. Although it’s more challenging, it’s very possible.

Each of us has plenty of time for what we value. Jesus told Martha, “There is need of only one thing.”

We get to hear God’s Word not only in scripture but when we slow down long enough to listen.

Read his word.

Contemplate on what he’s asking of you.

Put his words into your mind and heart and most importantly, into your every day actions.

 You and I are the Body of Christ on earth.

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This weekend’s theme is love.  In my opinion, if we boil down Christianity into one word that word would be love.

In the reading from Deuteronomy (30:10-14) Moses lets us know that within the human heart is a divine law that commands us to love. It’s something that we already possess within us.  Moses says, “No, it is something very near to you, already in your mouths and in your hearts; you have only to carry it out.” 

We possess love within.  We are love. When we act like ourselves, we love God, others and ourselves.  Love is our natural state. It’s when we’re not loving that we’re acting contrary to our nature.

It today’s gospel from Luke (10: 25-37), a Jewish scholar of the law asks Jesus, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Jesus responds to his question with two questions, “What is written in the law?” and “How do you read it?”

The scholar says, “ You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”  He gave Jesus the correct answer: Love, love, love, love, love.

The scholar needed further clarification so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Was he expecting a response from Jesus like, “Only your fellow Jews”  or “Only people within 2 kilometers of your home”? 

In typical Jesus fashion, he responds to this question with a parable – The Good Samaritan.

As we know from hearing this parable numerous times, it’s not the priest or the Levite who stopped to help the man who was robbed and beaten, it was a Samaritan (Samaritans were hated enemy of the Jews).  The priest and Levite crossed the street and kept on walking ignoring the man.

When Jesus asked the scholar, “Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?”, his response was, “The one who treated him with mercy.”  The scholar didn’t say the Samaritan. Maybe he didn’t say the Samaritan because it was the enemy of the Jews who helped the man – not the priest, not the Levite. He was probably embarrassed that a brother of the same faith didn’t help a fellow brother.

How often do Christians argue and fight with fellow Christians?

Which of our neighbors is Jesus telling us to love? Every one of them.  It’s a big world. There are lots of people who need our love.  Many of them are within our own families.

Are we really supposed to love our enemies?  Our family members who’ve hurt us?  Terrorists who’ve killed our brothers and sisters and changed our way of life?

You know the answer.  It’s in your heart.  Jesus is just reminding us because it’s very easy to forget when we’re surrounded by so much fear and hatred.

You and I are the body of Christ in the world. We are love. Go forth and love. Remind others of the love that they too possess.

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