DailyMar03

Sunday, 2 March 2003

Proverbs 22:13 NRSV

The lazy person says, "There is a lion outside! I shall be killed in the streets!"

Proverbs 22:24-25 NRSV

Make no friends with those given to anger, and do not associate with hotheads, or you may learn their ways and entangle yourself in a snare.

First, I must apologize, Lord. When I asked you which of these verses to reflect on, you very clearly told me to choose, and not to try and do both. So, I choose verse 24 but find I cannot resist a passing comment on verse 13. I pray you forgive me, either for not doing exactly what you told me, or for being too legalistic and worrying about it. It is a good thing I cannot escape your grace because I constantly stand in need of it. Briefly then, as to verse 13: What a strange saying! It has no context and is not connected to the verses that precede or follow it in any way I can determine. As I ponder its words I can think of people who spend so much time and energy proclaiming calamity that they never actually get anything done. Well, OK, let's be honest. I can think of times in my own life when acting out the drama of a disaster helped me avoid completing (or even starting) an unpleasant task at hand. Deliver me from this, O Lord, and open my eyes that I may be aware when I am so tempted. And speaking of temptation, let's look at verses 22 and 23. I keep coming back to the lie that anger somehow empowers. There are those whose continual anger is little more than a pain in the neck. Such people are irritating and easy to avoid. But there are others whose anger is absolutely seductive. Their illusion of power is so strong, it is positively sexy. They have an intensity that I find powerfully attractive. However, what I am attracted to is not so much their anger as their passion. My fantasy is not that I will be subject to their anger, but that I will receive their passion. Is that co-dependent or what? But Lord, you are good to me. Of late you have been real good about opening my eyes to see the truth in those situations. When I can look past their intensity and get a clear glimpse of the anger behind it, all of a sudden the attractiveness disappears. But I confess, I still think they are sexy, in an "if only" sort of way. "Gee, if only he weren't so completely consumed with negative energy, then he would be really hot. I know. I'll get him to fall in love with me. Then I can fix him. My love will transform him and purify his passion of all that negative energy. Then we will live happily ever after and take long walks on the beach before curling up in front of the fireplace..." It is amazing how much fantasy I can fit into 2 seconds. Lord, YOU are my savior. Lord, you are my ONLY savior. Lord, there ain't no man, no matter how intense, no matter how gorgeous, no matter how hot and sexy, there ain't no man can save me. Only YOU can save me. Increase my passion for YOU, Lord. Let my fantasies be about you. Let me crave your love above everything else on earth. The one thing I desire, Lord, is you. And the second thing I desire is a stronger and more powerful desire for you. If I am going to be consumed with passion, Lord, let it be for you. Praise your holy name, now and forever. Alleluia and amen.

Saturday, 1 March 2003

Proverbs 21:22-23 NRSV

One wise person went up against a city of warriors and brought down the stronghold in which they trusted. To watch over mouth and tongue is to keep out of trouble.

Lord, I know these two adjacent verses seem to have little to do with each other, but I felt drawn to each of them (for different reasons). Verse 23 caught my attention first. To watch over mouth and tongue is to keep out of trouble. Clearly words inappropriately spoken can bring pain, destruction, ruin or death. Or as a more modern corollary would say, Engage brain before putting mouth in gear. But Lord, I think it is more than just being thoughtless. There have been times when I very carefully chose my words so as to inflict the most pain while appearing almost innocent. Just as martial arts experts are supposed to warn people that their hands are lethal weapons, experts in verbal warfare should probably wear a sign (or a tee-shirt) that says: Warning! Lethal tongue in operation! Stand clear! By your grace, Lord, I am being healed of my LTD (Lethal Tongue Disease). As you remove my fear, my need to lash out verbally is diminished. But let's turn my attention to verse 22. One wise person went up against a city of warriors and brought down the stronghold in which they trusted. It reminds me of the story of Judith, one woman whose wisdom brought down the Assyrian army. But Lord, the interpretation I cannot escape, what I keep hearing you whisper in my ear over and over, what I do not want to be posting on the Internet for all the world to see is me. There are others as well, but we each have our own city to conquer. And the stronghold we are to bring down is the Spirit of Religion. Lord, the Spirit of Religion has established a major stronghold in the world this day. It is so insidious that it masquerades as true faith. Its cousins are Legalism and Self-Righteousness. (And Lord, a person can be just as legalistic in their liberal views as they are in their conservative views.) Lord Jesus, you gave us the greatest commandment. We are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. The Spirit of Religion wants to abandon this command entirely, or better yet replace it with a command to love the church with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. Lord, you said the second greatest commandment was to love our neighbors as ourselves. And then in the fourth Gospel, you gave us a new commandment to love one another as you loved us. But Lord, how can we even get to the 2nd and 3rd commandments if we cannot fulfill the first? The only way I know to love you is worship. Most of the church is too busy worshiping the church to worship you. Or they busy themselves with ministry programs, thinking they are fulfilling your will. And indeed it is your will to feed the hungry, heal the sick, house the homeless and raise the dead. But Lord, if absolute, complete and total love for you with each and every nuance of our being is not at the foundation, then our ministry programs do little more than advertise to the world how good we think we are. Can one voice bring down a city? So you have promised. And so I must believe. Praise your holy name, now and forever. Alleluia and amen.

Monday, 3 March 2003
Proverbs 23:17-18 NRSV

Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always continue in the fear of the L ORD . Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.

At first glance, Lord, one would ask, "Well, who would let their heart envy sinners?" I don't want to be evil. I don't want to take advantage of others. I don't want to hurt others in any manner. And I definitely do not want to oppose God in any way, shape or form. And while it is nice to have nice things, I don't really want to do anything illegal or immoral to acquire them. So my heart is not in danger of envying sinners, right Lord? Wrong. First, I have this tendency to envy anyone who is really good looking, whether they are sinners or not. Lord, grant me the grace to get over that, if you don't mind. But even that is not the main event, here. No, I fear the main event here is one of personal power. What I envy in sinners is their confidence. I envy those who, having decided what they want to do, have the focus to carry it through. I envy those who know what they want and do what they want, who do whatever it takes to get what they want. I envy those who have the inner strength, the tenacity, and the resolve to make things happen to get their way. Let's be absolutely clear: I do NOT admire their sin or even the fruit of their sin. What I admire is their ability to get results. I definitely do not envy sinners who are lazy or stupid or mean spirited. I spent so much of my life paralyzed in fear over what people would think of me if I did this or that, I found myself very attracted to those who did whatever they felt like with no regard to what people would think of them. I felt imprisoned by my own fear, and they seemed to me to be free. That is what I envy about sinners: their freedom. This is the point of the lie. Sinners are not free. They are slaves, in bondage to sin. (For some reason, they don't seem to mind.) I was in bondage to fear, and I knew better than to think that sin was a way out of that, but still I confess I admired and envied those who were not in bondage to fear. The lie says that sinners are powerful and free. The truth is that sinners are very much in bondage to fear. How can sin conquer fear? It cannot. It can give the illusion of power, but it is a lie. What conquers fear? Only one thing I know, perfect love (1 John 14:18). Lord, I must stop here and give you thanks and praise because you have given me so much healing in this area over past several years, it is like the difference between night and day. But Lord, I confess my healing is not complete. There are still occasions when I waiver. There are those days when I hesitate and say to myself, "What will those people think of me if I say or do this or that?" As you know, Lord, those fears are not totally unfounded. There have been those times when I boldly proclaimed exactly what I truly believed you want me to say, only to get into a truckload of trouble for doing so. But what I hear you telling me, Lord is that fear is not overcome by one's own personal inner strength. Fear is only overcome by perfect love, and that comes only from you. So, if I am going to envy anyone, it should not be the sinners, it should be your saints. Sinners can only give the illusion of power. They don't actually have any; it is all a lie. But you, O Lord, are the source of all power. Full authority has been given to you over heaven and earth. If I hitch my wagon to your star I cannot go wrong. You promised that surely there is a future and my hope will not be cut off. Let the only thing I fear be you, Lord. Praise your holy name, now and forever. Alleluia and amen.

Wednesday, 5 March 2003
Proverbs 25:16 NRSV

If you have found honey, eat only enough for you, or else, having too much, you will vomit it.

This is one of the things I love about scripture, Lord. At times it is stately, at times it is ethereal, and at times it is rudely practical. The modern equivalent of this proverb is probably, "Too much of a good thing makes you sick." But the original, with its reference to vomit, is so much more graphic. And I know this is true. Why just the other day I decided to mix some peanut butter with some (cold) hot fudge sauce. Both jars were almost empty, so I decided to mix them together. Only the peanut butter jar was emptier than the hot fudge jar, so I opened a new jar of peanut butter and mixed it in. That produced a greater amount of final product than I wanted but not enough to eat some and save some for later. And having tasted it, I wasn't sure I wanted to save any for later. I love peanut butter cups and chocolate/peanut butter ice cream, so I thought it would be fabulous. It turned out to be tolerable. I tried to eat it all. I couldn't finish it. If I had, I would have experienced today's proverb in all its glory. Fortunately, Lord, you gave me the good sense to stop. Even more fortunately, you gave me the good grace to listen to you. I wasted food that day, Lord. (When I was growing up, wasting food was a sin.) And speaking of growing up (something I hope to get around to some day), I remember my own father telling me a similar story of mixing peanut butter and honey when he was a boy. He made too big a batch and was forced to eat it all. He never made it again. Since I am an adult (grown up or otherwise), I did not have a parent forcing me to eat it all. Where are we going with this, Lord? Today's lesson is not the most profound. But I do wonder one thing. Is it possible to get too much of you, Lord? I seek you, I crave you, I desire you, I want you; every fibre of my being cries out for more of you, Lord. But if I get too much of you will I vomit? I do know that our frail human spirits can only take so much of your Holy Spirit at one time. Otherwise the intensity of your presence would destroy us. Come to think of it, I don't know that. I don't recall ever seeing anyone destroyed by having too much of your Holy Spirit. Of course, in your kindness you wouldn't let that happen. But even the ancients believed that a person could not look upon your face and live. So Lord, here is my prayer for today: While I certainly don't want to get sick from too much of you Lord, grant me all of your presence that I can bear. And let's push the envelope a bit (whatever that means). Grant me all that I can bear of you, and then just a little bit more. Expand my capacity so I can receive even more of you. I want to be totally given over to your Holy Spirit. Praise your holy name, now and forever. Alleluia and amen.

Thursday, 6 March 2003
Proverbs 26:2 NRSV

Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, an undeserved curse goes nowhere.

Lord, this passage brings good news. . .I think. There are a lot of Christians who are sore afraid of being cursed. They look for devils and demons under every rock. They spend their lives battling Satan's strongholds. They see themselves caught up in some giant, intergalactic, spiritual battle between God and Satan, and whether they realize it or not, they are seeing God and Satan as equals, where Satan actually has a chance of winning! Hello! Get a clue! Satan is not God's equal. Satan is not even our equal. When Jesus died on the cross, Satan was defeated. And when Christ rose from the dead, Satan's fate was sealed for all time. The battle does not have to be fought again. It is over. Any notion that Satan has any power at all is a lie. (This is not to say that humans, claiming to act in Satan's name, can't do some serious damage. But that's another matter.) Satan is a liar, and about the best he (or she or it) can do is whisper. Which brings us to:

Proverbs 26:21-22 NRSV

As charcoal is to hot embers and wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife. The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body.

Lord, I wish I had had a better understanding of these words back when I was a Pastor. I have seen more churches undone by whispering than by anything else. What is the one entity that rejoices when churches come apart? Why, the enemy, of course. Therefore, who is most likely at the heart of whispering campaigns that destroy churches? Why, the enemy, of course. Who is the one who is never blamed for the fall of a church? Why, the enemy, of course. Whom do we blame? We blame the Pastor, we blame the Board, we blame the Music Director, we blame the deacons, we blame the people in the pews (or at least the ones who are different from us). Why is that? Because the words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body. The enemy really only has to find one gullible person and whisper lies in his or her ear. And Satan is not only a liar, Satan is an excellent liar. The enemy laces the lies with just enough truth to make them believable. And once the whispering starts, it spreads like wildfire.

So, how does all this tie together? An undeserved curse goes nowhere. This means that we don't have to be afraid of evil that we didn't bring on ourselves. The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels. This means that if we are not careful, we can bring it on ourselves. Lord, I feel like I'm being more than a little preachy today. But if I'm hearing you correctly, you are saying, "Go for it. The church needs to know what its dangers are and what its dangers aren't." We look for Satan in imaginary curses and fire-breathing dragons. But undeserved curses have no power and fire-breathing dragons are very rare, indeed. Our enemy is defeated and the best he can do is whisper. Unfortunately, we keep falling for it. My prayer today is: Lord, keep me from whispering. And keep me from believing whisperers. And by your awesome and mighty power, keep the father of lies from whispering even more lies into the ears of your people. Praise your holy name, now and forever. Alleluia and amen.

Monday, 10 March 2003
Proverbs 30:2 NRSV

Surely I am too stupid to be human; I do not have human understanding.

I will admit, God, there were more profound verses in this chapter, but this one really caught my attention. It reminds me of an expression a former co-worker often used, "He is just too stupid to live." Usually it was in the cafeteria, over lunch, when a bunch of us would sit together and share funny stories. He often told stories about his previous job, and now that he has moved on he is probably referring to some of us that way. Today's verse, however is in the first person singular. "I am too stupid to be a human." Well what does that make me, exactly? Perhaps it is out of this stupidity that the author goes on to ask in verses 7-9:

Two things I ask of you; do not deny them to me before I die: Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that I need, or I shall be full, and deny you, and say, "Who is the L ORD ?" or I shall be poor, and steal, and profane the name of my God.

Actually, it is not stupid to ask to have falsehood and lying to be removed far from me. It is not immediately clear whether the author is asking to be saved from the falsehood and lying of others or from the urge to do it himself, but I am not proud, I'll take both. But it is the second part with which I take issue. "Give me neither poverty nor riches." Give me a break! I agree that I don't want the poverty. And I like when he says, "or I shall be poor, and steal, and profane the name of my God." This sounds like the writing of someone who has been there, someone who knows from their own life experience that if you get hungry enough, you will steal. I am ashamed to admit that I while I did steal out of hunger, I also stole out of covetousness. Of course, I was younger then and far more stupid than I am now. But I did it, and I remember doing it. I confess it, and I repent of it. Lord, I sincerely hope you are better at forgiving me than I am at forgiving myself. But why would the author not ask for riches? He says "feed me with the food I need" (or in the NIV, "give me only my daily bread"), otherwise "I shall be full and deny you, and say, 'Who is the Lord?'" Lord, I would like to think that should you see fit to dump riches on me, I would spend the rest of my life praising you. I spend my life praising you now. Why should that change? If you were to bless me with fabulous wealth, I could work my ministry full-time, I could be even more generous with the poor and with the church. I could buy the William Way center an elevator. Just think of all the good I could do for you, Lord! I know I have. But I have also learned I must be careful what I ask for. My assessment of my abilities sometimes exceeds reality. And so, Lord, I will boldly ask you to bless me with all the wealth I can handle (and teach me to handle more). Be patient with me, Lord, because there are days when I am too stupid to be a human. Those are the days when I rely totally on you. And that is a good place to be. Praise your holy name, now and forever. Alleluia and amen.

Tuesday, 11 March 2003
Proverbs 31:3 NRSV

Do not give your strength to women, your ways to those who destroy kings.

Finally! A proverb for gay men! Thank you, Lord! OK, kidding aside, this chapter purports to have been written by woman, King Lemuel's mother. Most of the chapter is given over to describing the perfect wife, an ideal many women aspire to, but one which (based on the description in this chapter) no one woman could ever successfully achieve. And in its context, the verse I chose for today's reflection is about the dangers of hanging out with "loose" or non-believing women, as well as partaking in strong drink. The immediate context also admonishes us to defend the rights of the poor and needy. And I know we are not supposed to take verses out of their context, but Lord I also know that sometimes you speak to us in exactly that way. And while I am sure that you appreciate both the scholarly and spiritual way I try to get at the heart of each verse or passage of scripture, there are times, Lord, when I can almost see you winking at me. "Do not give your strength to women," you tell me with a smile. Yeah, I know that in my case the admonition would be not to give my strength to men, and not to look to men for strength that I am supposed to get only from you. None the less, what the passage actually says is "Do not give your strength to women," and it is most clearly aimed at heterosexual men and their foibles. Though there is definitely a serious message here for me as well, I can still see you winking and smiling at me. I can almost hear you saying, "Well Arthur, this is one verse you will be able to keep, no problem." Thank you, Lord, for your sense of humor, and for mine, because I know it comes from you. Praise your holy name, now and forever. Alleluia and amen.

Thursday, 13 March 2003
Ecclesiastes 2:24-25 NRSV
There is nothing better for mortals than to eat and drink, and find enjoyment in their toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God; for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment?

There is truth here, and yet it is not the whole truth. Lord, over the course of eternity, you have ordained that we spend a few short years on this earth. I'm not sure how that fits in the grander scheme of things, but you are God and I am not, and I figure you know what you are doing. It is important because it informs the choices we make when it comes to spending our time here. If life on earth is preparation for spending eternity with you in paradise, then we would do well to spend our time here preparing. If life here is the beginning and end of existence, and there is nothing else, then there is no need to spend any time preparing for anything, and we are free to do pretty much anything we want. Curiously, I find that the choices are not mutually exclusive. There is some truth in both. I do believe that this life is, in some sense, a preparation for what comes after. Death, then, is not so much the end of existence as it is a graduation. In schools, not everyone graduates; some quit and some flunk out. Is this true in life? Well there are those who quit this life, sad as that may be. And if my understanding of scripture is correct, there are also those who leave this life, but do not graduate to the next. They spend eternity separated from you, O Lord, in a place where you said there was weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. But I am starting to wander off topic. What today's verse tells me is that even though this life is lived in preparation for the next, we must also take this life on its own terms. To survive we must eat and drink. And to have food and drink and shelter, we must work. So we are exhorted to eat and drink and find enjoyment in our work. I notice that it does not simply say "enjoy your work," but rather "find enjoyment." Qoheleth must know that if there is to be enjoyment in our toil, sometimes we have to go looking for it. But even this is from the hand of God, "for apart from God who can eat or who can have enjoyment?" And so we have a life on earth that is two things: It is preparation for an eternity spent with God, and it is to be enjoyed on its own terms as well. (Even in school we had recess.) And let us not forget that eternity does not begin after we die. Eternity is already in progress. But we'll have to explore that another day. Thank you, Lord, for both eternity and for this portion of it, spent on earth. It really is a beautiful place. Please help us to keep from blowing it up. Thanks, God. Praise your holy name, now and forever. Alleluia and amen.

Saturday, 15 March 2003
Ecclesiastes 4:1 NRSV
Again I saw all the oppressions that are practiced under the sun. Look, the tears of the oppressed-with no one to comfort them! On the side of their oppressors there was power-with no one to comfort them.

Lord, I've always been so fixated on verse 11 of this chapter, I never really noticed verse 1. Recognizing yet again that this is a pre-Christian writing, and that all Christians have the Holy Spirit as their comforter, what really stands out for me in this verse is the final sentence. "On the side of their oppressors there was power--with no one to comfort them." I don't generally think of oppressors as needing comfort. Perhaps that is the cause of their oppressing. That would mean that the difference between the oppressed and their oppressors is not which one needs comfort, but rather which one has power. Everyone needs someone to comfort them. Those with power simply take it out on those without power. Those without power just suffer the abuse and add on an extra reason to need comfort. Perhaps rather than simply praying for the oppressed, we ought also to pray for oppressors. Pray that they be comforted so that they stop oppressing. And continue to pray for the oppressed that they might have the power to rise up and throw off the yoke of their oppressors. In this society of victims which we seem to have become, everyone claims to be oppressed by someone else. The Palestinians claim the Israelis oppress them with their heavy-handed occupation. The Israelis claim they are oppressed by terrorist suicide bombings. Everybody wants some sympathy. I sympathize with the Israelis because they must constantly live in fear of yet another suicide bombing. I sympathize with the Palestinians because they do not have a land of their own, and they cannot breathe free under Israeli occupation. But all my sympathy hasn't solved the problem. Reflecting on that situation alone (and there are so many other similar situations around the world), it is easy to concur with the author of Ecclesiastes, "All is vanity, a chasing after the wind." In other words, it is all hopeless. We do the best we can and nothing changes. If it weren't for Jesus, there would be no hope at all. Unfortunately neither the Palestinians nor the Israelis are followers of Jesus and the Christians in the area are so busy squabbling over who has the rights to which holy site, that even they do not provide a credible witness to the love that is Jesus. Lord Jesus Christ, our scriptures tell us that you will return in glory one day. How about today, Lord? The world is about to blow itself up and even those who claim you as savior seem to act as hateful and self-righteous as everyone else. Lord, we need you to come back. Please make it soon. And Lord, if there be any part of me that still needs to repent and surrender to you, please grant me the grace to make that happen--before you get here. Because when you show up, Lord, I just want to enjoy the glory. Praise your holy name, now and forever. Alleluia and amen.

Monday, 17 March 2003
Ecclesiastes 6:12 NIV
For who knows what is good for a man in life, during the few and meaningless days he passes through like a shadow? Who can tell him what will happen under the sun after he is gone?

The answer to both of these questions is you, Jesus. Qoheleth makes some assumptions here with which I do not agree. Our days are neither few nor meaningless. Well OK, the "few" part is somewhat subjective. There are those whose life is cut short, and almost everyone wants to prolong their time here on earth as long as they can. Still, on average, most folks get more than 50 years as adults to accomplish the mission God has given them. I will concede that compared with eternity, that seems short. But still, it is plenty of time to accomplish much. But are those years meaningless? Well, that depends on us. We have both the responsibility and the ability to fill our lives with meaning. If Qoheleth feels his life is meaningless, then it seems to me that he has spent way too much time sitting around and thinking and not nearly enough time getting out and doing. This is a symptom of clinical depression. Hey, Qoheleth should not complain. His book got included in the Bible. He will be remembered for all eternity, or at least for as long as there is a Bible and people read it. Even if his book is depressing and offers very little spiritual encouragement, it is still there. The Holy Spirit found it significant enough to make sure it got included in the canon. What does that say to the rest of us? Our lives make a difference. No matter how meaningless they may seem to us at the time, we have no way of knowing how our lives will affect people we will never meet. We cannot all get books included in the Bible, but we can touch someone's life in a meaningful and positive way that so moves and transforms them that they pass it on to someone else. And they pass it on to someone else. We cannot know how many ripples are spreading out in the ponds of our lives. (That sounds like the intro to a soap opera: "Like sands through the hourglass of time, so are the ripples in the ponds of our lives...") You know, O God. You know what is good for us during our time on earth and you know what will happen on earth after we are gone. And if we listen, Lord, you will tell us what we are supposed to be doing while we are here to achieve the most powerful and lasting effect. Some of us are called to be leaders and affect the lives of hundreds or thousands or even millions. Some of us are called to be foot soldiers (or some other non militaristic metaphor) and affect the lives of the handful of people around us. Both callings are admirable, as are all in between. I thank you, Lord, for the mission you have given to me, and I pray for clarity that I might understand it even more fully, and I pray for strength that I might carry it out. I hate praying for patience for whenever I do you seem to put me in situations that try my patience, so I pray for persistence that I might keep pressing on during those times when there seems to be little progress. Thank you, Lord. I thank you and I praise your holy name, now and forever. Alleluia and amen.

Tuesday, 18 March 2003
Ecclesiastes 7:10 NRSV
Do not say, "Why were the former days better than these?" For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.

"Let's go back to the good, old days." "Let's sing more of the good, old hymns." "Give me that old-time religion." "I liked it better the way it was before." "We've always done it that way. Why should we change now?" "God said it. I believe it. That settles it." O Lord, when will your people stop wallowing in what you "said" and start wondering what you are saying now? Somehow, Lord, we have gone from a place where tradition informs our faith to a place where tradition has become our faith. Lord, we don't teach the same things to first graders that we teach to graduate students. We assume (hopefully correctly) that graduate students have a much greater capacity to comprehend nuance, to grasp the abstract, to hold conflicting truths in tension than do first graders. Our Bible records your interaction with humans over thousands of years. Even that witness testifies that our understanding of you and your revelation to us grows and changes over time as we mature in our faith. So why is it that so many of your people try to live out adult lives of faith based on what they learned in the Sunday School of their childhood? We are adults now. We are supposed to be smarter than that. Then there are those who go too far the other way. They become idolaters of their intellect. Rather than using their intelligence to inform their faith, they allow their intelligence to become their faith. They are oh, so clever. They have their own brand of self-righteousness. They call themselves "progressive," implying that the rest of us are retarded. Faith is a matter primarily of the heart, not the head. Our understanding of what it means to love and to be loved also grows and matures over time. Here, however, there is a difference. Jesus, you said we are to approach you as little children. Because for all of our understanding and maturity, children are still better at giving and receiving love than adults. Our response is to want to "go back" to the way things were when we were children. But that misses the point. Children are not obsessed with the past; only adults do that. Children are interested in the now. When Moses asked your name, O God, you didn't say, "I was." You said, "I am." Lord, I appreciate the rich Christian tradition that I have inherited. And now I am praying, Lord, that you will help me put it aside. I don't want to throw it away; it is a nice place to visit. But help me, Lord, to put it to one side so I can focus not on where you were, but rather on where you are. Lord, Moses did not spend his time pondering how you acted with Abraham. Moses dealt with you directly. Hannah didn't earn a doctorate studying how Rebecca talked to you. She talked to you directly. And so while I'm glad to know, Lord, how you acted in the past with others, do not let that limit how you deal with me today. Lord, I have read and I have learned how you have spoken to others. Speak also to me, that I might know you as well as they did (or even better). Because that is what I really want, Lord. I want to know you now. Praise your holy name, now and forever. Alleluia and amen.

Wednesday, 19 March 2003
Ecclesiastes 8:14-15 NRSV
There is a vanity that takes place on earth, that there are righteous people who are treated according to the conduct of the wicked, and there are wicked people who are treated according to the conduct of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity. So I commend enjoyment, for there is nothing better for people under the sun than to eat, and drink, and enjoy themselves, for this will go with them in their toil through the days of life that God gives them under the sun.

Lord, finally Qoheleth makes his point clear: "Life isn't fair. Get over it. Eat, drink and enjoy yourself; it will get you through." I once read somewhere that one of the major causes of depression was people languishing over the fact that life isn't fair. I believe, Lord, there is a lot of truth there. From my perspective, there are lots and lots of times when life isn't fair. So what are my choices? I can get all upset and sit around, feeling sorry for myself. Or I can get over it, and get on with my life. According to your calling, I will strive to make life more fair when I leave than it was when I got here. But success is in your hands and on your timetable, and I am content to leave it there. Said in a loving and compassionate way, "Life isn't fair; get over it" can be a very healing thought. Of course, if we are not careful, it can lead to sarcasm or cynicism, but that misses the point. The point is that there is no point in getting all upset over things we cannot control. The point is to strive to make a positive difference and leave the rest to God. "Eat, drink and be merry." Lord, lately I've been eating way too much. I haven't seen my belt buckle in years. Keep working with me on that one. Fortunately I no longer drink too much (like I did, oh 30 years ago). Thank you for saving me from that trap, O Lord (and maybe you can do the same with the food). And then there is "be merry." I cannot be accused of excess in this area. If anything, I've been positively anhedonic. Unless, of course, the proper translation is "be gay," in which case. . .well, you know. (Sorry Lord, it was a cheap joke I just couldn't resist.) Lord, today we stand on the brink of war. Once that demon is released from its cage, who knows what might happen. Our president thinks he can contain it. I hope he is right, but I confess I have my doubts. Who knows where we will be tomorrow, or even if we will be, tomorrow. Saddam could surrender and the war never happen. Or he could stay and fight, and we could be drawn into protracted battle that lasts for weeks, months, or evens years. It could be a localized conflict, or it could escalate into global warfare. The moat that surrounds our country has gotten too small to offer much protection. I only live 30 miles from New York City, close enough to be in harms way, should harm come this way. And even if it doesn't the financial fallout from this war could affect the world economy for years to come. Lord, life really isn't fair. "Get over it" seems like such small comfort. And yet I sense spiritual truth there. There is no point in agonizing over things I cannot control. So Lord, I will do what I can to bring peace to this world, and leave the rest to you. If I trust you, and I do, then I will have peace enough for myself and to share. Trusting you is my way of "getting over it." Let me trust you even more. Praise your holy name, now and forever. Alleluia and amen.

Friday, 21 March 2003
Ecclesiastes 10:19 NIV

A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes life merry, but money is the answer for everything

Lord, this proverb shocks the Puritan value on austerity that we have inherited. Money is the answer for everything? Didn't Paul tell Timothy that love of money was the root of all evil (1 Tim 6:10)? Didn't the author of Hebrews advise to keep our lives free from the love of money (Heb 13:5)? Jesus, didn't you say that we cannot serve both God and money (Matt 6:24; Luke 16:13)? Though written much later, Ecclesiastes hints that it was written in the tradition of Solomon, known for both his wisdom and his wealth. At this point we must step back and notice that the view of wealth is much different in the New Testament than it is in the Hebrew Scriptures. At the risk of over generalization, the early Christian movement is mostly made up of poor people who do not trust the rich all that much. There are some exceptions, but society's elite are generally seen as the adversary in New Testament times. The Hebrew scriptures, on the other hand, see wealth as a sign of God's blessing. The Pentateuchal Patriarchs are almost all men of means, tribal leaders with all manner of cattle, servants (or slaves) and wives. So in this pre-Christian era, it is not altogether out of context to read, "money is the answer for everything." In fact both Proverbs and Ecclesiastes make it abundantly clear over and over that foolishness leads to poverty and wisdom leads to wealth. And we must remember that the NT authors did not say that money was the root of all evil, but rather the love of money. Jesus, you did not say we couldn't have money, he said we couldn't serve money. Of course, you did tell the rich, young ruler to give away everything he owned to the poor so he could follow you (Luke 18:22). I have always assumed that was because you knew that money was his stumbling block, that you require each of us to sacrifice whatever comes between us and you. For the rich, young ruler it was his money, for me it might be something else. But you did stress over and over how difficult it was for the rich to enter the realm of heaven. I note with interest that you did not say it was impossible, only that it was difficult. Even so, Lord Jesus, I cannot imagine you saying, "money is the answer for everything." Also we must not forget that, in many ways, Qoheleth is a minority report. He strains against traditional theology at several points. So where is the spiritual truth for me in all of this? It may simply be that sometimes the scriptures shock my sensibilities. And Lord, it seems that you do not like us to become complacent. Though a verse may seem out of sync with the rest of scripture, it is still there. And sometimes you just like us to deal with stuff to keep us on our toes. That's OK. You're the boss. Praise your holy name, now and forever. Alleluia and amen.

Saturday, 22 March 2003
Ecclesiastes 11:5 NRSV
Just as you do not know how the breath comes to the bones in the mother's womb, so you do not know the work of God, who makes everything.

That's true, Lord. We can understand the chemistry and biology of conception and fetal growth, but we cannot know where consciousness comes from. Come to think of it, we don't know all that much about the chemistry and biology, but we do know some things. The point is that there is a lot more that we don't know than we know, and since you know everything, Lord, it seems best to me to leave things up to you. Not that we poor humans don't have stuff to do. If we listen, you give us instructions, and that is exactly the point. Our instructions come from you, and not from any other source, especially not from our own imaginations. Lord, how long will this war rage on? Everybody is fighting in your name. George W. is leading a crusade to make the world safe for Methodists, meanwhile Hamas is declaring Jihad on all Christians, or at least all Americans and Brits. And everybody is praying to you and fighting in your name. Don't you get tired of that, Lord? I know I do. Today's verse reminds us that we do not know your work. Maybe so, but I pray that your work this day will be to find a way to end this horrible war. I know you can do it, God; I just don't know how or when. Yet and still I will praise your Holy Name, now and forever. Alleluia and amen!

Monday, 24 March 2003
Song of Songs 1:2 NRSV

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is better than wine.

And so we begin our journey into the Song of Songs, a love poem. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth. Lord Jesus, I remember when you kissed me on the mouth. I remember the surge of passion I felt. I remember being surprised, not so much at your love for me but at my love for you. I remember the depth of that kiss, how we clutched at each other and how our tongues were intertwined. I remember it as a deeply passionate and intimate moment with you. And I remember sharing the story of that kiss with a congregation in Baltimore who were so horribly offended that they invited me never to come back and preach again. I remember being baffled, Lord, as to why that image was so offensive to them. And I remember concluding that it was mainly because I assumed, based on previous experience, that I had a level of rapport with that congregation that I did not, in fact, enjoy. While that was true as far as it went, there was something else, well two things actually. One is the disconnect between sexuality and spirituality in our culture. We still tend to think of sex as somehow dirty or sinful or, at the very least, not appropriate to be spoken of in the same sentence as God. The other reason hides behind the first. It is a discomfort (fear, really) of being truly intimate with you, Lord. As long as we can reduce you to a philosophy, we feel safe. But the idea of being as close to you and intimate with you as we are with our human lovers is very threatening to us. Because if we did that, then you would know us as we truly are. We claim to be forgiven; we eloquently debate and philosophize about how we are forgiven; we sing songs about how we are forgiven, but deep inside, we don't feel forgiven. Maybe that is because there are some sins we are still trying to hide from you (as if you couldn't see them anyway). We are afraid that if we share passionate intimacy with you, then you will learn our secrets and not love us any more. When the truth is, that if we really knew how passionately you are in love with us, we wouldn't worry about such things. Right smack dab into the middle of our discomfort over passionate intimacy with you, O Lord, you drop the Song of Songs. Here is an erotic love poem, and while it purports to be about a man and a woman, it is really about your love for us and our love for you. With this poem, O Lord, you woo us to your bedchamber. Would that I go willingly and not play coy and hard to get with you. Kiss me with the kisses of your mouth, O Lord, for your love is better than wine. Praise your holy name, now and forever. Alleluia and amen.

Friday, 28 March 2003
Song of Songs 2:3 NRSV

As an apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among young men. With great delight I sat in his shadow, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.

This is how I feel about you, Jesus. I do want to thank you, Lord, for getting me through that hospital ordeal of the last 3 days. It is good to be home. Show me how to stay well, that I might enjoy your sweet fruit for years to come. Today's verse evokes an image of an attractive and healthy young man, tall and in shape with a ready smile--someone whose kisses are sweeter than the sweetest fruit, someone whose touch causes electricity to tingle throughout my being. And this is you, Lord. How you long to take me in your arms and kiss my eyes and my face and my mouth. How I long to return your embrace and your kisses. Lord, so many Christians have trouble using romantic imagery to speak of you. But somehow, Lord, I believe that your love for us goes much farther than we realize, that your love for us is not some philosophical abstract. Your love for us is tangible and real. And if the romantic imagery helps us to understand that, then I will use it. Lord, I am finding myself distracted by many things, from the war in Iraq to my recent hospital stay. So I pray you grant me the grace of peace in my heart. Praise your holy name, now and forever. Alleluia and amen.

Saturday, 29 March 2003
Song of Songs 3:1-4 NRSV

Upon my bed at night I sought him whom my soul loves; I sought him, but found him not; I called him, but he gave no answer. "I will rise now and go about the city, in the streets and in the squares; I will seek him whom my soul loves." I sought him, but found him not. The sentinels found me, as they went about in the city. "Have you seen him whom my soul loves?" Scarcely had I passed them, when I found him whom my soul loves. I held him, and would not let him go until I brought him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me.

O Lord. Does this describe my search for you or your search for me? Or both? There are times when I seek you, Lord, but cannot seem to find you. Oh, I know you are around somewhere and are never far away, yet there are those days when I seek a deeper intimacy with you but just cannot seem to connect. "Upon my bed at night" refers to the intimacy I seek with you. Then I get up and go looking for you. In my younger days that meant exploring different faith traditions, different philosophies or different disciplines for accessing the divine. Now that I've come to know the power of your resurrection, I no longer waste my time with other pursuits. However, on those occasions when I cannot seem to connect, I will wander the streets and squares of the renewal movement, looking for a teaching or a worship song or a revival meeting where I might encounter you. The sentinels find me. They are the prophets, preachers and teachers you send to help show us the way. And they seem so connected to you that I am tempted to follow them about, hoping some of what they've got will rub off on me. And they may have a special connection to you, but they are not you. I learn what I can from them, but I must move on. Scarcely do I pass them when I find you. I hold you and will not let you go. I hang on to you for dear life, and in that tight embrace I am transported, as it were, back to the safety and security of the womb. And I am not quite sure how it works, but I get the feeling that you have been searching for me every bit as earnestly as I have been searching for you. And when we find each other, we hug and squeeze each other as if there were no tomorrow. And there are kisses, passionate kisses. And you look at me and smile and say, "Come on, there is something I want to show you." And hand-in-hand we go running up to the top of the highest hill, where the night time view of the city and countryside dazzles us. All the lights are as gold, thousands and thousands of points of golden light, laid out upon the earth. I am awed by the beauty of the view and the joy of being in your arms, and you whisper in my ear, "You think that's something? Look up." And I raise my gaze to the heavens and millions of stars are spread out in their patterns above us. But there is something more. I begin to hear glorious symphonic music as a vision of a glory far greater than the earth or the stars starts to unfold. I see that the earth and the stars are only a part of a vast panorama that stretches much farther than I can see. They are only a piece of a much larger picture that is coming into focus. As I am dumb struck by the wonder and the glory of the heavenlies, you hold me even tighter and kiss me again and softly whisper in my ear, "You ain't seen nothin' yet..." Praise you, Lord Jesus. My heart sings praises, now and forever. Alleluia and amen.

Sunday, 30 March 2003
Song of Songs 4:13a, 15-16 NRSV

Your channel is an orchard of pomegranates with all choicest fruits. . .a garden fountain, a well of living water, and flowing streams from Lebanon.
Awake, O north wind, and come, O south wind! Blow upon my garden that its fragrance may be wafted abroad. Let my beloved come to his garden, and eat its choicest fruits.

Lord, it does not take much of an imagination to see strong sexual overtones in this interchange between lover and beloved. At any rate it sounds more romantic than "your hair is like a flock of goats" (v.1). It speaks of an intimacy that is both tender and intense. And as it is a love poem from you to me, it leaves me wondering how I might eat of your choicest fruits. Several images come to mind, but I am not comfortable sharing them with others. There are certain levels of intimacy whose power can only be known between the two sharing the moment. What is important is not how I go about sampling your choice fruits, but that you offer them to me in the first place. And it is not a begrudging offer. You actually call upon the winds to waft the fragrance of your garden my way to entice me. You not only offer your fruit, you encourage me to come and feast. I am constantly amazed at how deep your love runs for me. I love you, Jesus. I am totally helpless and vulnerable in your arms. Every molecule of my being yearns for you. Like a bee to an orchid, I am drawn to come and sample your sweet nectar. Your fragrance wafts my way and seduces me. It draws me closer and closer to you. You bid me come to you and share a season of divine intimacy with you. My heart cannot resist. I am yours. And I praise your holy name from this day forth and forevermore. Alleluia and amen.