Hearing and Speaking and Anger Control

James tells us to

"Be swift to hear,

Slow to speak,

Slow to wrath..."

Words to live by.

How often do we truly listen?

Listen, not only with our ears,

But with our hearts?

Do we hear the anguish in our brother's words?

Do we understand what underlies words of cheer?

We must think before we speak,

Understand before we answer,

Feel before we offer a solution,

Share our love if nothing else.

Remember that anger for our own benefit

Is wrong.

Remember we are to be in control.

Remember that wrath because another has been harmed

Is justified.

Remember we may be the only glimpse of our faith

That another sees.

Let me heed the words of James.

God of the Living

"For he is not a God of the dead,
but of the living;
for all live unto him."
Luke 20:38

Jesus spoke these words.
For me, they are enough.
I do not worry about the rapture.
I do not worry about a thousand years.
I do not worry about Christ's reign on earth.
I know that I will live in Christ forever.
I know that time is not a shroud for God.
Time only fetters us, not God.
We are with God now.
We will be with God through the infinity of time.

Laodicea

Today, I contemplate the lesson of Laodicea,
One of the seven cities of Revelation.
You found the people of that metropolis lacking,
Not because they were evil,
But because they were not good.
Lukewarm, you called them.
Is that the problem with me?
Am I neither hot nor cold?
Lord, show me how to be on fire for you
And yet not alienate those
I would seek to show your love.
Let me not be tepid.

A Jesus Prayer

Jesus, who came to us,

To save us from ourselves,

Praise for your sacrifice;

Praise for your love.

May you return soon,

To rescue this world at last.

May your love fill us.

May we love our brothers as ourselves,

And know your everlasting love.

We owe you are very existence;

Let us not squander that gift,

But use it wisely.

For you are the Word made flesh,

God in action.

Amen.

The Vineyard Workers

My thoughts turn to the parable of the vineyard workers.
Some were hired in the morning,
Some just before quitting time,
But all were paid the same.
I know that means that no matter when we find God,
Early in life or in our fading seconds,
Our reward is the same:
Eternal life, eternal love.
But still I wonder about fairness.
Should not those that work longer and harder be paid more?
Perhaps in God's kingdom the work is the reward itself.
Help me to know I labor in God's vineyard,
And be satisfied with whatever reward God gives.

Worry

Be therefore,not anxious about tomorrow;
for tomorrow will be anxious for the things of itself.
Sufficient unto the day is its own trouble.
Matthew 6:34

When my life is full of worry,
I turn to this verse in Matthew.
We need only face one day at a time.
Dr. Gerald Mann said, "Wait to worry."
I must take that advice to heart.
Worry drains my initiative.
Worry makes me afraid.
God tells us to "Fear not."
Let me walk unafraid today.

Right Hand of God

James and John sought to sit
At the right or left of Jesus
Without knowing what that meant.
In time, they drank of his cup
And understood.
Who sits at the right hand of God?
Some mighty prophet?
Some lowly peasant
Who welcomed all into her home,
Fed the hungry,
Gave clothing to the poor,
Visited the sick
And thought of others first?
Only God knows who sits beside Him,
But within me is a small flicker of hope
That it is a woman.

This is the Day

This is the day the Lord hath made;

We will rejoice and be glad in it."
Psalm 118:24

My mother's favorite verse.
She had it posted on her bathroom mirror.

Photo by Pierce Place

God is the Creator;

He speaks and existence begins.

Every day he renews that speech.

We must remember that apart from God

There is nothing.

Our time on earth is brief;

Let us savor the moment.

Joy comes from everywhere;

We need only pay attention.

Gladness, like a firefly,

Wings in and flashes for the moment.

If we try to trap gladness,

It will die.

Gladness must be free

To find another.

Rejoice,

For that is God's command.

Mary and Martha

Martha tended to the physical needs of those around her

While Mary chose the spiritual and sat at Christ's feet.

Jesus tells us Mary's choice was better.

Am I a Mary or a Martha?

Do I exclude Jesus by staying too busy?

Has work become more important than God?

I need to sit at Jesus' feet.

I need to be still and listen.

I need to pray.

Strength

"I can do all things through Christ,

Who strengtheneth me."

I try to think of this verse from Phillippians

When life is difficult.

This verse is a reminder that

We need not struggle alone.

Too often I use my puny resources

And forget to rely on God.

I believe modern society

Teaches individualism to the Exclusion of God.

I need to remember that

God is with me

And so too, His strength.

To Die Is Gain

Someone dear to me died last week.
A committed Christian, he is with God.
His minister quoted Paul:
"For to me to live is Christ,
To die is gain."
My favorite verse:

Phillippians 1:21.

"To live is Christ" should be our motto.
Every day should bring us closer to God,
Every day, we should try to follow Christ's example,
Every day, we should pray,
Every day, we should wait in silence to know his will.
Every day, we should count our blessings.
"To die is gain" should echo in our hearts.
Death is nothing to fear.
Death is a portal to eternity.
Death is the doorway to God.
Death is a threshold we all must cross.
Death is God's first embrace.
Live every day for Jesus and
Fear not.

A Prayer to I Am

God, the great I Am,

Your name signifies being,

You are existence for all.

Give me the means to survive.

Forgive my sins,

Let me understand the failures of others

And forgive them.

Remove the desire for riches,

Let me be satisfied with what you give me.

For you are the universe, eternity,

And infinite.

Apart

I feel adrift.
I go to church, but I am a spectator,
Not a participant.
I want to feel part of the Body of Christ,
To know the warmth and security
I have experienced in the past.
Why do I feel separate?
I do not know.
I will follow your words:
"What doth the Lord thy God require of thee,
But to fear the Lord thy God,
To walk in all his ways,
And to love Him,
And to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart
and with all thy soul."
Whether I feel your presence or not,
Whether I feel part of the fellowship,
I have committed my soul to your care:
There is no other way.

God, Three in One

"In the beginning was the Word,

And the Word was with God,

And the Word was God."

"And the Word was made flesh,

And dwelt among us..."

So does John introduce Jesus.

"I AM" speaks creation into existence.

God in action is the Word.

Christ is God in action.

Between "I AM" and the Word

Is Love, the Holy Spirit.

God, Three in One.

I AM Love in Action.

Commandments

I turn to Jeremiah
As he scolds the religious leaders of his day.
Why is it so easy to believe that we have the answer,
That our way is the only way?
Rules are easy to write but hard to follow.
Perhaps that was why Christ gave us such a simple ones.
Love God and love each other.
Help me not to caught in the mesh of rules woven by man.
Help me to follow your two comands.

Justice and Care

Today, I contemplate the words of the prophets,
Amos and Jeremiah.
What was their admonition?
To do justice and care for the needy.
How do I do that, Lord?
I give my money to the church
And other charities.
But is that enough?
Show me how to personalize your words.
Show me how to love others and do justice.
In the words of Amos:
"Let justice run down as waters,
And righteousness as a mighty stream."

Fruits of the Spirit

Lord, let me harvest the fruit of the Spirit
Not the wealth of Humanity.
I know that
"The fruit of the Spirit is
Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance."
Let me pick just one this day to nourish my soul.
Help me to choose wisely and understand your Word.
Because of your sacrifice, eternity is open.
We need only to dwell with the Spirit
To partake of the Fruit.
I pray that I can walk with the Comforter
For now and always.

Repentance

The words of Job haunt me this day.
"I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes."
How often I find my ways are wicked
And my soul darkened by evil.
Forgive me.
I do repent and seek your will.
I will make reparations to those I have wronged.
I will not seek revenge for wrongs done me.
I will forgive.
Help me for I am too weak to succeed
Without your grace.

Warming the Soul

Winter's cold embraces us.
I long for summer's warmth.
I will turn my face toward you, Lord,
And feel your warmth in my soul.
I pray that others may know your tenderness,
Your lovingkindness.
When the north wind howls,
May I remember the words of the psalmist:
"He spreads the snow like wool
and scatters the frost like ashes.
He hurls down his hail like pebbles,
Who can withstand his icy blast?
He sends his word and melts them;
He stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow."
Let your Word reach my soul
And melt my heart.

Renewing New Year's Resolutions

Dear Lord, we start a New Year today.
This is not a time for new resolutions,
But a time for renewal of old ones.
To love God and love others as ourselves.
Only you can give us the strength to love like that,
Thank you for your power and grace.
Give us the wisdom to know that every day is new,
That we can rejoice and be glad in it.