Called to give your all for a New Creation

Morning: Psalm 25; Deuteronomy 4:9-14; 2 Corinthians 1:1-11

Evening: Psalms 9, 15; Luke 14:25-35

In the catalogue of seemingly outrageous and unrealistic things Jesus said, high on the list is this: “None of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.” That is ... there are some urgent tasks that involve great personal risk. During the past 18 months, some courageous souls have given their all to care for others in this pandemic, just as soldiers give their all, in war. Jesus’s call is for disciples who are ready to give their all for a New Creation. This is the cost, and the reward, of discipleship.

 

Love ‘don’t come easy’ ... we need the Spirit

Morning: Psalm 118; Isaiah 11:1-9; I Corinthians 2:1-13

Evening: Psalm 145; John 14:21-29

The Beatles released ‘All you need is Love’ in 1967. In 1970, they split up! In 1971, Ringo wrote the line, “Use a little love and we will make it work out better”, in his new song, entitled: ‘It don’t come easy’! Ringo didn’t want to sing about God, but he let George Harrison sing in the song about Krishna (the supreme God in Hinduism); George believed his ‘Sweet Lord’ was the source of Love. In Jesus’s teaching, we need Love, yes, and Love comes not from our own efforts, but from beyond ourselves, from being open to the Spirit.

 

Every kingdom divided against itself becomes a desert

Morning: Psalms 107:33-43; 108:1-6; Hebrews 9:1-14; Luke 11:14-23

Evening: Psalm 33; Exodus 19:3-8a,16-20; I Peter 2:4-10

Where the Sahara Desert is, ancient civilizations once thrived. Natural climatic changes and human misuse (harvesting too many trees and over-grazing) created desert. Now, the Amazon Basin is under threat of becoming desert, too, if trees continue to be cut down to clear land for agriculture. Jesus warned that when we are divided against ourselves, we destroy our world. Conflicting goals are a spiritual issue with material consequences. Pursuing happiness by seeking wealth at all costs is incompatible with our total well-being, because inner dryness and dissatisfaction of heart and soul creates inhospitable deserts in our outer world.

 

There is need of only one thing ... sit, be still, listen

Morning: Psalm 102; Ezekiel 34:17-31; Hebrews 8:1-13

Evening: Psalm 107:1-32; Luke 10:38-42

Martha is ‘worried and distracted by many things’, says Jesus. Is he judging her? Her sister, Mary, chooses to sit with Jesus, which he calls ‘the better part’. Maybe he means that, ironically, when you fret about your workload, you tend not to make good choices. Martha’s worry causes her to judge her sister’s choices. Jesus does not judge Martha for this; he merely invites her to choose to sit, like Mary, and let him tend her spirit. Similarly, he invites us to spend time being still, listening. It will help us to make good choices about other things.

 

 

Love my neighbour ... who is that?

Morning: Psalm 105:1-22; Ezekiel 18:1-4, 19-32; Hebrews 7:18-28

Evening: Psalm 105:23-45; Luke 10:25-37

Our neighbour sold his house. He did not ask us to approve the buyers. Is this Jesus’s point? Everyone could be my neighbour - stranger or alien - but not everyone is. I cannot love everyone - only people nearby, and people I meet along life’s way. These are my neighbours. Imagine if I loved even just the people next door ... and imagine you did that, too ... and so on. Soon we would have the world covered. Imagine, says Jesus, what a world it could be, then make it happen ... Love your neighbours, love at least them.

 

How shall we use well all that we know?

Morning: Psalms 101, 109:1-30; Ezekiel 11:14-25; Hebrews 7:1-17

Evening: Psalm 119:121-144; Luke 10:17-24

Yesterday, CBC radio reported about the controversial quad-mester system being used in Ontario schools. The host and a teacher talked about education as communicating quantities of information. Our society may think wisdom and intelligence are about knowing a lot. But wisdom is how well you understand, a spiritual quality, a knowing that cannot be taught by downloading information. You can get information on the internet, but not wisdom. I long for our schools to help children explore the question that is hidden from the so-called ‘wise and intelligent’ ... How shall we use well all that we know?

 

Peace to this house ... pray for the peace of Jerusalem

Morning: Psalms 97, 99; Ezekiel 7:10-27; Hebrews 6:13-20

Evening: Psalm 94; Luke 10:1-17

Last Sunday was Jerusalem Sunday, with Israel and Palestine embroiled again in violent conflict ... Jesus tells ‘the 70’ to bring to every house the greeting: “Peace be to this house”. They are to discern whether a ‘child of peace’ lives in the house ... May God grant that now, at the sacred centre of 3 of the world’s major religions, ‘children of peace’ might appear who are ready to work with conviction for healing and for an end to this perpetual strife. Friends, pray courage for the children of Peace, whoever they are; pray for the peace of Jerusalem.