27 And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counsellors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men; the hair of their heads was not singed, their tunics were not harmed, and not even the smell of fire came from them. 28 Nebuchadnezzar said, ‘Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants who trusted in him. They disobeyed the king’s command and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that utters blasphemy against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins; for there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way.’ 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon. Daniel 3:27-30

John Allen, a U.C.C. Pastor in Residence, writing in Political Theology Today says that it is rare to hear a story of such instantly successful civil disobedience. Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego refuse to participate in religious devotion that they find blasphemous, they are sentenced to death, God intervenes saving their lives, and King Nebuchadnezzar declares that anyone who blasphemes against the God of Israel will be “torn limb from limb and their house laid in ruins.” This is a sweeping and clear victory.The problem is that Nebuchadnezzar’s decree indicates that he has not been changed by God’s miraculous intervention. Instead, the king resets the stage for the same story to play out with another marginalized group. He rearranged which group were the new holders of power but the bigotry remained. Violent death is still the price for blaspheming against the state’s new chosen God. It is chilling just how quickly the previous victims become part of the system that sought to kill them once it orients its violence toward a new group. The outcome indicates that God’s presence hasn’t engendered any profound change in the course of human affairs. Instead, familiar power dynamics are rearranged with a few new participants.

It feels like our own political landscape. Moments and movements that seem to usher a sea change that feels like a victory are simply incorporated into a broken system that remain essentiallyunchanged by the minor disruption. God’s message was lost when Nebuchadnezzar “promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abedego.” The king relinquished none of his own power. Nor did he dismantle the political system that nearly led to their deaths.

Advent is supposed to be about God coming to live in and change the world. God’s legacy was to usher in a new way of living with the potential to profoundly disrupt the normal rhythms of business. In reality it shows up in a marginalized and impoverished body in a backwater town and was never integrated into the structures of economic and political structures. Advent is not about elevating different people to power, but learning to seek power at a different elevation. Emmanuel, God with us, comes not as a new leader to be fitted into our normal way of living, but as an interruption to our customs.

Advent is an invitation to seek that newness in unexpected places. Dare I suggest that where we might begin to look for the one who brings new and promising changes to our lives and in our world is within our own tradition where the foundation is personal and corporate obedience to the ever present living Christ.

A recent analysis of the State of the Society by the Earlham School of Religion says that by any measure Quaker contributions to the development of civil society over the past three-and-a-half centuries have been impressive.

In the 17th century, Friends made seminal contributions to the advancement of religious toleration.  In the 18th century, Friends established a lasting social and political order in America based on the fundamental principles of freedom of conscience and equality of individuals. In the 19th century, Friends advanced the cause of equality by decisively contributing to the abolition of slavery. In the 20th century, Friends went on to establish and nurture a wide range of organizations that have successfully advanced Quaker principles of peace and justice in the world at large.

The fruits of the Quaker family tree, both in America and abroad, have been rich and abundant over the past three-and-fifty years. You could argue that if Quakers were to die out tomorrow, our presence would continue to be felt for centuries to come. However the health of the tree that gave forth that fruit now finds itself in serious jeopardy. The numeric loss of almost a quarter of membership over the past thirty years presents a rather gloomy picture for the future for the Religious Society of Friends in North America. Despite this rather pessimistic assessment you can find glimmers of hope and signs of strength. In many cases, the primary weaknesses of Quakers can also be our greatest strengths.

The Quaker emphasis on a personal relationship with God has been a continuing source of division within the Society of Friends. On the other hand this relationship has also given rise to a group of people with an extremely well developed sense of individual responsibility.

The lack of internal unity within the Society of Friends is not only a weakness, but also a potential source of great strength. There is, perhaps, no other single religious denomination in American society today that so completely encompasses the entire spectrum of American religious experience. This diversity of theological perspective, in combination with the Quaker openness to continuing revelation, gives Friends great potential for defining a religion of the future that is capable of appealing to large segments of the population.

At a time when each day brings a fresh scandal to light in the business world, never has the Quaker testimony of honesty and integrity been more relevant or needed.

At a time when human over-consumption is putting increasingly deadly stress on the biosphere, never has the Quaker testimony of simplicity been more relevant or needed.

At a time when over 15% of the total population, has no health insurance, never has the Quaker testimony of equality been more relevant or needed.

At a time when the United States has the highest rate of incarceration in the world, with over 2 million of its citizens languishing in jail, never has the Quaker ideal of justice been more relevant or needed.

At a time when the “war on terror” is increasing society’s levels of suspicion toward minority communities, in all their manifestations, never has the Quaker ideal of tolerance been more relevant or needed.

While Quakerism still bears abundant fruit in term of its activities in the world, E.S.R.’s analysis says that Quakers seem to have made little or no progress in terms of “saving themselves” by nurturing the vine that gives forth the fruit.

In an anonymous essay by a British Friend on the future of Quakerism, the author acknowledges that Quakers have had an influence far beyond our small numbers yet believes that Friends are, for all practical matters, invisible to the general population. He also goes on and points to the wonderful gifts Friends have to bring to the world and asks how we can find the energy to expand to meet our own needs and those of more and more seekers in a troubled world? How can we, he asks, affirm, articulate and act upon our faith so that the Quaker way has more meaning for more people?

Spokane Friends Meeting shares both in that great heritage and is experiencing the same retrenchment as the Society of Friends as a whole.

Very recently a person who has been part of this Meeting for quite a few years told me that they were leaving because they came to the realization that they were not a Quaker. The person wanted “to go to church, be fed and then go home and live … life.” I was, of course, disappointed. But, as I began to think seriously about the future of our Meeting it occurred to me what this person actually said. Spokane Friends Meeting is a Quaker Meeting. We are who we say we are – with all the pluses and minuses that goes with that. Such a self selecting process is healthy.

Another individual offered an analysis of why Spokane Friends wasn’t doing so well financially. From their perspective there are three kinds of people in a congregation. There are a few who are productive people who can contribute generously, there are a middle group who meet their own needs but have little left over to contribute and then there are the needy ones. Evidently we’ve given too much attention to the needy and the barely adequate producers and not as much to the producers. In retrospect I found this another testimony to the Quakerliness of our Meeting.

The author of Quakers: A Spiritual Community for our Time? wrote that the Quaker way is not simply an hour of worship once a week; it is about learning, creating, sharing and praying together. It is about faith and practice being interwoven and our whole lives being sacramental. It is about teaching and learning alongside one another, supporting and encouraging one another and loving one another, despite our differences. Then the author asks whether we have the capacity to integrate it more fully into our lives or do we have too many competing interests and demands on us?

In order to ‘grow’, he writes, we need to be clear about our core identity and at the same time be open and flexible. It is his suggestion that renewing our spiritual life together will opoen the gate to new growth and movement. And we shouldn’t approach that in haste but in innovative ways with discernment. Energy for change will come when we start with our center and move out as we are led.

So where do we start? There is a revered piece of Quaker advice that says: take heed…to the promptings of love and truth in our hearts. Our journey starts there – along the path of love and truth, listening to the Spirit’s promptings in our hearts. George Fox had a message for all times. In two passages from his Epistles he speaks of the power of belief in a loving God who directs and supports us.

‘in the presence of the living God be patterns. that your carriage and life may preach among all sorts of people… then you will come to walk cheerfully over the world, answering that of God in everyone.‘

and:  ‘the Lord showed me … that I should have the sense of all conditions and in this I saw the infinite love of God, I saw also that thee was an ocean of darkness and death, but an infinite ocean of light and love, which flowed over the ocean of darkness. And n that I saw the infinite love of God and I had great opening.

When Fox spoke about being patterns it had been his experience that energy flows out from us and creates more of the same. Just as fear and violence breed more fear and violence, so love and truth encourage more love and truth. War does not lead to peace, whereas kindness and respect may well open doors to new understanding. When George Fox spoke about an ocean of light flowing over an ocean of darkness, he knew that the power of love can overcome the power of fear.

Thanksgiving 2013

I know when Thanksgiving as we knew it ended.  It was in 1993 when the last turkey day football game between the University of Texas and Texas A&M was played.  Since 1901 the game between these two rivals was typically played on Thanksgiving Day.  And now that A&M has joined the Southeastern Conference the 118 year rivalry has come to an end.  However, there is a bill currently languishing in Texas’ General Assembly to require that the two teams meet each other annually, not that it would occur on Thanksgiving Day.

Now some are saying that Macy’s Department Store, famous for the nationally televised Thanksgiving Day Parade has decided to open its doors to shoppers at eight p.m. on Thanksgiving Day “It is the death of Thanksgiving.”  Of course Walmart, Target, and Toys “R” Us launched special deals on Thanksgiving last year – But Macy’s!

The truth of the matter is that if no one wanted to shop on Thanksgiving, then no stores would be open.  The true killers of Thanksgiving are those who leave the table to head to the mall.  What is that telling us about thanksgiving, not just the day we call Thanksgiving but the very act of giving thanks itself in our society and in the church.                                                                                            Is gratitude is being replaced by good deals? Are shopping sprees winning out over family meals? As we take gifts of life and health for granted we concentrate on shiny and expensive material gifts. Having the power to buy in our pocket books has become a common place compensation for a sense of powerless in so much of the rest of our lives.  We could call it “retail therapy.” So how is Thanksgiving faring ?

When Paul penned his letter to the Colossians, a group of Christians living along a main roadway in Asia Minor — what is now modern Turkey this question was evidently on his mind. The people of the meeting in Colossi were pulled between the values of their faith and the values of their culture.  We kind of resemble that remark. Paul warned them, “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ” (Colossians 2:8).

These words ring true today.  We know the philosophy of trying to spend ourselves out of economic troubles. The empty deceit of a sales pitch. The human tradition of making the holidays an orgy of consumption. The elemental spirits of the universe that lure us away from Jesus Christ.  Paul asked the Colossians, and us, “Why do you live as if you still belonged to the world?” (2:20). It’s a good question, one that we should ask ourselves on Thanksgiving Day, and every day.

But Paul isn’t  trying to make us feel bad about ourselves. No, if anything, Paul is the apostle of gratitude, with the phrase “be thankful” as one of his recurring pleas (3:15). New Testament scholar David Pao points out that the New Testament has 62 mentions of thanksgiving, and Paul is responsible for more than three-quarters of them.

In Colossians Paul begins with an outpouring of thanks, He starts: “In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints” (1:3-4).  After affirming the good work being done by the Colossians, he writes, “May you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light” (1:11-12).

As the human tradition of holiday shopping tries to crowd out Thanksgiving, we are able to “endure everything with patience” because our joy comes from the gifts of God instead of from conspicuous consumption.  Notice how the letter to the Colossians does not assume that we show gratitude only when everything is perfect. Instead, Paul knows that there will be much hardship to endure at the same time that we are giving thanks.

Holding thanksgiving and hardship together is a spiritual challenge. We struggle to give thanks after the death of a spouse. We try to be grateful when a child is sick. We do our best to count our blessings when we lose a job, fail a class, suffer an injury, or experience a crushing disappointment.

Fortunately, many people find a way to do this. In on-the-street interviews when asked about being thankful, few people bring up about material gifts. Instead, they mention the gifts of God that sustain them through the struggles of life: Children, friends, partners, good health, kindness, generosity, knowledge … plus the gift of life itself.  George Niederauer, the Archbishop of San Francisco, adds to this list: “God’s gifts of artistry, imagination and creativity; his gifts of dedication, fidelity and perseverance; his gifts of strength, acumen and skill.”

Those gifts you cannot buy at Macy’s, Target, Walmart or Toy R Us or Costco whether they are open on Thanksgiving or not.

Paul concludes today’s passage by inviting the Colossians to give thanks to God for what God has done for us.  First, we can be grateful for his forgiveness and acceptance as presented to us the in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. To Paul’s mind God “has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (1:13-14). No matter how many times we stumble, Christ is present to pick us up.

For Paul Jesus is at the center of creation, holding everything together. “He is the image of the invisible God,” says Paul, “the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers — all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (1:15-17).

Jesus Christ is the one who is at the center of everything that is precious to us: Children, friends, partners, health, kindness, generosity, knowledge, artistry, imagination and creativity. In Christ, all things hold together.

Finally, we can be grateful for the presence of Christ in the community of faith.  “He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things.

Whenever two or three are gathered, in church or around the Thanksgiving table, Christ is present. The love of Christ shows us the fullness of a God who loves us so much that he sent him into the very middle of human life, to do the work of making peace.

Is Thanksgiving dead?  Not as long as Christ Jesus is alive among us, at the center of creation and the community of faith. But it is our job to respond by giving thanks for the gifts of forgiveness, for the gifts of the world, and for the gifts of the church.

Let’s do this on Thanksgiving, regardless of when or whether the stores open their doors.

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Since the earliest days of Christendom, the faithful have gathered to give thanks for the life and ministry of the saints – women and men whose witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ has been a blessing in every generation. The witness of many of these blessed women and men – such as Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Theresa of Avila or Saint Augustine of Hippo – are well known. Their writings have become popular.  Their deeds inspire us to name hospitals and schools and churches for them, and their service to the Church is taught to the faithful in every generation. Yet, for others – such as Saint Simon or Saint Jude – little is known beyond their names.

Regardless of how much or how little we know about these faithful witnesses, one thing is certain: their life and ministry richly blessed the world. Of course, by worldly standards, it would appear that saints don’t know much about blessings. Few knew anything about wealth.  Most lived all or part of their lives in poverty. Notions of status and power couldn’t be more foreign to them.   Few ever knew high-paying or revered jobs, choosing instead to work for little or no money at all, serving the poor and the helpless. And far from instilling fear or subordination, many saints were hated and met untimely deaths precisely because of the faith they so boldly proclaimed.

Of course it wasn’t on worldly standards that saints patterned their lives. They lived by Jesus’ standards revealed in Matthew 5 and Luke 6. And as the Gospel of Luke tells us, Jesus’ standard for what constituted a blessing is radically different from the standards to which the rest of the world is accustomed,

“Blessed are you who are poor,” Jesus says, “for yours is the kingdom of God.” “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled.”
“Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.” “Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven.”

Poverty, hunger, mourning, hatred, exclusion, revilement and defamation – these things certainly don’t seem like blessings to me! But Jesus is convinced that they are. And most shocking of all, Jesus says that these are the sorts of people to whom the Kingdom of God is entrusted.

In 1772, at the end of a 39 day ocean crossing, John Woolman, the simple tailor from Mount Holly, West Jersey, contracted small pox and died, in London. In his last hours we are told his mind was full of ‘the happiness, the safety, and the beauty of a life devoted to following the Heavenly Shepherd’.

Jay Miller, in a review of Geoffrey Plank’s book John Woolman’s Path To The Peaceable Kingdom, makes a favorable comparison of John Woolman with Dorothy Day the twentieth century writer, social activist and founder of the Catholic Worker Movement who died in 1980. Despite that she was alleged to have said “Don’t call me a saint. I don’t want to be dismissed that easily” the case of her beatification is currently open in the Catholic Church. Plank writes that “(t)he effusive praise Woolman has received, both as a saint and as a pioneering opponent of slavery, has unfortunately impeded our ability to comprehend his engagement with other Quakers,” and “the secular currents of eighteenth century life.”  Plank’s book seeks to help us better understand Woolman as a complete person thoroughly embedded in the context of eighteenth-century American Quakerism and the British imperialism.

Plank writes: “Woolman saw the imperial economy as a machine, and… the various parts of the British Empire served specialized functions that supported one another. He argued that purchasing the products of slave labor promoted slave-raiding and warfare in Africa and that concentrating wealth in the hands of the landed elite on the American east coast had the effect of pushing landless whites onto Indian lands in the west. He therefore saw from his home in Mount Holly nearly all the evils of the far-flung empire around him.”

Woolman grew up as one of thirteen children on the family farm in West Jersey surrounded by other Quaker families and meeting houses, a legacy left by earlier Quaker settlers. He went to school with other Quaker and native American children. Industry was beginning to change the agricultural character of the Delaware Valley, diversifying the economy, bringing in non-Quakers to the iron works and creating new wealth. He sought out the affirmation and approval of trusted Friends and their oversight. Our image of him has been created by our learning only of his persistent focus on eradicating slavekeeping among Quakers. The reality is that he was took an active role in the life of his Meeting. He engaged in the concerns of Quarterly and Yearly Meetings across the colonies. He helped maintain the meetinghouse, delivered books and pamphlets to local meetings, mediated disputes between debtors and creditors, counseled young men contemplating marriage, served on clearness committees who met with people interested in Quakerism and more.

In 1746 he traveled some 1,500 miles as far south as North Carolina in the company of Isaac Andrews, speaking with slave-owners about the evils of slavery, but as tradition tells it, “so gentle was his personality that he convinced without offense. Always his hearers felt that he appealed to consciences rather than giving blame.”

Being troubled by the wars between the English and the French and the continual threat of wars with native Americans he made a difficult and dangerous trip into the north-central part of Pennsylvania. He stayed for four days among the Minesink tribe, feeling, as he says, “the current of love run strong.” At one point he poured out his heart in prayer, disregarding his translators. When he had finished, the tribe’s chief, Papunehang, put his hand on his own breast and said, “I love to feel where words come from.”

We’ve learned that for a while Woolman was engaged in selling pork to the Caribbean through a Philadelphia broker. His ledgers show that this business stopped abruptly, raising the question of whether there was some connection between it and the slave trade. His business interests then began to be more locally focused as he grew grain and did tailoring for his neighbors. It must have been difficult for his contemporaries to understand this man who wore conspicuously white clothes rather than use dyes which had to be produced by slave labor. But most of all it was his writings which made a larger social critique of the luxury experienced by some at the expense of others’ labor that truly set him apart.

This fuller picture of John Woolman, seeing him in the context of his home, of the politics and economics of colonial America, his concern for humanity regardless of race and even his grasp of the consequences of the most simple of choices, requires us to re-frame our understanding of sainthood, not as the endeavor of a few who transcend but the real vocation of all who follow the path of Christ.

So who or what is a saint? Paul often addressed his epistles to “the saints” of a particular city as in Ephesians 1:1 and 2 Corinthians 1:1, and Luke in Acts 9:2 talks about Peter going to visit “the saints in Lydda”. The Greek word hagios means “to set apart”, “to sanctify” or “to make holy.” It gets translated into English as the word saint. It appears 229 times in the Greek New Testament in which it refers to persons who are “in Christ” and in whom Christ dwells. The assumption is that women and men who follow Christ have been transformed so that they are now somehow “different” from others, set apart for the work of the Kingdom and are thus considered saints. In his book, Making Saints, Kenneth Woodward writes: “A saint is always someone through whom we catch a glimpse of what God is like—and of what we are called to be. Only God “makes” saints, of course. The church merely identifies from time to time a few of these for emulation. The church then tells the story. But the author is the Source of the grace by which saints live.

I still like the story which I’ve told before of the little girl from a rural Friends Meeting who visited a grand cathedral in the big city and was mesmerized by the stain glass windows. When she got home she said that she now knew what a saint was. It is someone through whom the light shines.

Does that come as a challenge to you? I know it’s a tough call and humility and integrity might cause you to refrain from answering but, what kind of saint are you?   In a Mennonite church members of a men’s group decided that they needed to find a way to be accountable to each other. They did their taxes together. When one of them was asked about whether he was a follower of Christ his response was – don’t ask me ask the other members of the men’s group. Has the presence of Christ in your life transformed you? The work of building the Kingdom isn’t easy. But then again, as Jesus reminds us in Luke’s gospel, life with God isn’t easy, either. Life with God means that we will know what it is to be poor, hungry, sorrowful and cursed. Life with God means that we will know what it is to be unpopular – to be discounted and overlooked. And life with God means that we will know what it is to be hated.

But the Good News is that the Kingdom of God is built – brick by brick, stone by stone – by common people : people who know what poverty and hunger and sorrow and being cursed looks and feels like. People who know how it feels to be overlooked and discounted. People who know what being hated feels like. The challenge is to begin to live by a different set of standards. Instead of worldly standards, let us begin seeking to live by the standards of the Kingdom. It starts today. It starts by loving our enemies. It starts by showing kindness to people who don’t deserve it. It grows into the ability to bless those who curse us; to pray for those who mistreat and take advantage of us. It manifests itself in the ability to listen and show honor to those who are forced to beg. It is lived out in our homes, places of work and play and everywhere we encounter the poor and the hungry and the sorrowful and the hated; because, after all, the Kingdom of God belongs to them.

Ephesians 1: 11-19 Paul writes: In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, 12so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. 13In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; 14this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory.

15I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason 16I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. 17I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, 18so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, 19and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.

Near the conclusion of Second Timothy Paul acknowledges that he is about to be ‘poured out as a libation” and that ‘ the hour for my departure is upon me.’  It is where we find the familiar quotation of Paul’s that “I have run the race, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.’ (4:6-7).  Everything for Paul seems to be coming to its end.  He laments that Demas has deserted him, Crescens has gone to Galatia and Titus to Damatia.  Somehow even the coopersmith has done him harm. He reports that when he was taken to trial there was no one was there to support him….He writes: “Everyone left me in the lurch…”.  I think I can understand when he writes that he wants his warm cloak and his notebooks.

To get a handle on the conclusion of 2^nd Timothy we need to start with the introduction, chapter  1:1-14.  It reads: Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, for the sake of the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, ²To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. ³I am grateful to God—whom I worship with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did—when I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. ⁴Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. ⁵I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you.

⁶For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; ⁷for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline. ⁸Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God, ⁹who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace. This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,¹⁰but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. ¹¹For this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher, ¹²and for this reason I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that day what I have entrusted to him. ¹³Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. ¹⁴Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us.

We know from the Book of Acts that Timothy was the child of a Jewish mother and a gentile father. He had shared in the task of proclaiming the Christian gospel. From I Corinthians 4 we know that on at least one occasion Paul sent him to clear up some problems within another worshipping community. In the introduction to this letter we learn that evidently Paul knew Timothy from a child.  He knew his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice.  As I’ve read and re-read this passage I can’t help but wonder whether the tears of Timothy’s to which Paul refers were those of an infant who defied consolation.

It is to this child of the faith, a faith Paul firmly believes was instilled in his holding Timothy as an infant, that he pens this “last will and testament”.  Paul desperately wants to see Timothy one more time before his death.  He wants to make sure that the gifts that God had given Timothy wouldn’t go to waste.  But it strikes me, as I read this letter, that Paul wasn’t so sure and is seeking assurance.

We put a lot of stock in the last words people utter, especially when they have played an important role in our lives. Quakers hold the words spoken by James Nayler on his death bed and those of Mary Dyer before here execution and the those of the last of the Rhode Island quietist leaders, Job Scott, as a precious testimony indeed.  So try to put yourself in Timothy’s shoes and ask yourself how you would deal with this letter, were it written  to you?

I love how the letter starts: ²To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.  How more personal can it get?  It’s like Quaker plain speech when in the language of affection a parent addresses his or her child as “thee”, second person singular instead of the more inclusive ‘you’.  And then in verse three, Paul makes a point. He tells Timothy ³I am grateful to God—whom I worship with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did.  Paul makes no bones about the fact that he still considers himself a Jew and for that he is grateful but more importantly he persists in the tradition of the generations before him.  He desires the same for Timothy.  Be grateful to God for who you are and don’t fail to continue the faithful tradition you have received from your grandmother and your mother. 

The whole passage is rich.  There are at least three specific encouragements Paul gives to Timothy.  (1) Rekindle the Gift; (2) Don’t be Ashamed; and (3) Guard the Treasure.

The Greek word for “rekindling” is wonderfully picturesque.  It is formed by a preposition which means “again,” then a word which means “bring to life,” and concludes with a verb which means “to light a fire.” Thus, the combinations in the word, which only appears here in the NT, urge Timothy bring a certain fire back into his life, a fire that apparently once was blazing brightly. We aren’t privileged to why Paul is under the weight of this concern.  Were you to say that to me I’d have to assume you think that what was once a blazing fire in me had gone out.  To rekindle isn’t merely stirring old ashes, it requires a re-supply of flammable material.  Paul in v. 7 helps to illuminate what he has in mind.  He wrote ⁷for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline. 

The important point here is that Timothy needs to rekindle a gift. Why would someone’s gift lie dormant? We could probably come up with a list of why we don’t exercise our gifts. Sometimes we are simply overwhelmed by life’s realities. We seem to have no time or energy to put our gifts to work. Occasionally, we squander the gifts, either by inattentiveness or pursuit of paths we know are not helpful to ourselves or the kingdom. Other times we just draw back from life.

Jeff Davis, President of the Confederacy, spent eight years of his life as a recluse after the unexpected death of his first wife Sarah. Both had contracted malaria. She died from it. For the next eight years he secluded himself studying government and history, and engaging in political discussions with his brother. When he was elected to Congress from Mississippi the entire tenor of his life changed. He emerged as a statesman of significant dimensions. Even though he has been vilified in American history because of his position as head of the Confederacy, he possessed skills and insight that helped galvanize millions of people for several years.  But my point is that Davis, like others, retreated from life for a while not knowing how he would “re-engage” with life after his enforced time of self-exile.

In the movie “Get Low” a man late in life played by Robert Duvall engaged the local funeral director in planning his own funeral complete with a party.  No one understood why the man had lived the life of a hermit.  At the end it was revealed that he felt responsible for the death of the woman he loved though it was the violence of her husband that brutally killed her and burned down the home in which she died. His isolation was a prison he constructed for himself. It ended with his plea for forgiveness.

Other examples aren’t hard to find. Indeed, many of us retreat from the steaming cauldron of life’s battles for a variety of reasons.

            But among the last words of the Apostle to Timothy were to rekindle the gift, to not let it lay unused forever. Now may be the time for you or others you know to rekindle a gift they have. You will not live a satisfied or fulfilled life in faith if you continually ignore the inner tuggings of your heart to (re)kindle gifts you know are yours. Are there  voices you are trying to tamp down? Are there interests you’d like to explore? Which gift do you need to rekindle today? The world will be grateful for your expressing the gifts you know are yours–and you will feel a deep and abiding sense of personal satisfaction.

Next Paul tells Timothy: Don’t Be Ashamed, don’t be ashamed of the Gospel. From word one from the mouth of Jesus, consistent with the words of the prophets who preceded him, Paul fully understands that the message of the Gospel contradicts the values of that which is characterized by the phrase “the world”.    When we live kingdom values “the world” challenges our very existence.  Others try to “help” us feel ashamed, too, through their comments about our appearance, our past, our being a “loser,” our being “worthless” or unpatriotic or even ‘un-American.’  Make no mistake about it, these experiences of shaming make us a little less hopeful and require us to carefully consider what living with integrity means for us.

The Apostolic advice is for us not to be ashamed. I wonder if this is easier said than done? Certainly the point is the goal to which we aspire, but shame tends to cling to us like mold to a bathroom wall, like plastic film that sticks to our fingers and we can’t shake off. According to Paul, the solvent that removes shame is knowing “the one in whom I have put my trust” (v. 12). Christ, then, is the great shame-remover. Acknowledging Christ in our lives frees us to not only “rekindle the gift” but to feel that the shame that so long has bound us need no longer control our destiny.

Lastly Paul tells Timothy to “Guard the Treasure.” The purpose of rekindling the gift or emancipation from shame is not simply to have a “gifted” and “unashamed” person running around on the earth. The purpose is to guard the great treasure that is entrusted to us.  This image is found in II Cor. 4. There Paul wrote: “For it is God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.” And then Paul becomes quite eloquent as he writes “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair, persecuted but not forsaken, struck down, but not destroyed, always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies”.  Certainly for Paul the act of having the treasure is all the more reason to guard this treasure.

When I was responsible for the financial dealings of F.C.N.L. I was told by members of wealthy families that the one unbreakable rule is this: “Never touch the principle”.  Now that didn’t mean you dig a hole and bury it somewhere. Not at all.  It means that you only use the income produced by wise investing, putting the principle to work for maximum yield.  You guard something precious by being present with it, keeping it in eye sight, and putting it to work.

Paul, in his last will and testament tells Timothy “Rekindle your gift”, “Don’t be Ashamed”, and “Guard the Treasure.”  What wonderful words to live by.

A Growing Chasm

Luke 16:19-31

“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’ He said, ‘Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.’  Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.’ He said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”  Luke 16: 19-31

Alyce M. McKenzie, Homiletics Professor at Perkins School of Theology, says that the background for this parable is a tale from Egyptian folklore about the reversal of fates after death. It reflects a Greek notion that souls go to the underworld for punishment at death. Rabbinic sources contain seven versions of this story. Some rabbinic tales feature Eliezer, which in Greek is Lazaros, walking in disguise on the earth and reporting back to Abraham on how his children are observing the Torah’s prescriptions regarding the treatment of the widow, the orphan, and the poor.  We only find it in the Gospel of Luke.

The idea of the poor waiting for crumbs at the doors of the rich is a detail taken straight from first century village life. This one does not stay in the realm of first century. It invades our comfort zone.  What is realistic about it is its portrayal of the vast gap between rich and poor. The reversal of fortunes it depicts contradicts the popular notion that wealth was a sign of God’s favor and poverty a sign of sin.  It is clearly consistent with Jesus penchant for turning things on their heads.

Wealth isn’t intrinsically evil. It is definitely dangerous. In helping the poor we acknowledge that riches can hinder our own salvation. We admit that we are susceptible to its seduction. 1 Timothy 6 describes the realm of riches as fraught with arrogance, traps, temptation, harmful and foolish desires, ruin, destruction, grief and wandering from the faith. The tragic realization of Scrooge in Charles Dickens’s “Christmas Carol” comes to mind: “These are the chains I forged in life.”

On the other hand disparaging the super rich might make us feel good, but that is a sign of sanctimony. Thank God for the wealthy women who supported Jesus, for the rich man Joseph of Arimathea who tenderly buried him, and for all the wealthy saints today who follow their footsteps.

The story of the Rich man and Lazarus is a three act play. The first act portrays the earthly contrast between a person of wealth and one of poverty. This is Jesus’ story-telling at its best, with Lazarus in such a grotesque and pathetic state that dogs are licking his open sores. When we see someone begging like poor Lazarus, it makes most of us feel uncomfortable or we have to step back because of the stench. The rich man’s sin was not that he was rich, but that, during his earthly life, he did not even “see” Lazarus, despite his daily presence at the entrance to his home. The first time the rich man ever really sees Lazarus is when, from Hades “he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side” .  In that way he is like those who pass by the man in the ditch in the Parable of the Good Samaritan. They “see” and cross the road. The Samaritan is the only one who “sees,” “has compassion,” and crosses the road to help the wounded man.

This sequence of seeing, having compassion, and acting is a common one in the Gospels. In Luke 7:13 Jesus “saw” the woman weeping at the death of her only son, he “had compassion for her” and brought her son to life. When the father “saw” the prodigal son “still far off… he was filled with compassion” and ran and embraced him (Luke 15:20) Matthew and Mark repeatedly tell us that Jesus himself, when he “saw” the crowds, had compassion on them and healed, fed and taught them.  In the parable of the Last Judgment in Matthew 25 what makes some blessed is the fact that, though they didn’t realize it, in seeing the poor and helping them they saw and helped Jesus. By contrast others never really did see Jesus suffering and in need because they never really saw the poor. What is it that causes some people to have something or someone in their line of vision and yet not really see them? And what causes others to both have someone or something in their line of vision and to really see them?

The second act of this parable describes the reversal of their conditions in the afterlife. Even enduring torment in Hades the Rich man doesn’t get it.  He understands the message about wealth and the poor, but he approaches Abraham as if Abraham were his peer. Lazarus remains an inferior who can be “sent” to comfort the Rich Man or to preach to his ancestors. The parable turns from the changed fortunes of the Rich Man and Lazarus to the question of people who do not get the point. Surely Moses and the prophets supply enough reason to treat other people with dignity. If people still do not repent, even Lazarus’ miraculous return will not convince them.

The third act depicts the rich man’s request to Father Abraham for a sign so that those still living can avoid his torment, a request that Abraham refuses. Luke’s readers would see the reference to one rising from the dead as an unmistakable reference to Jesus’ resurrection. The rich man’s request is refused because even a miracle such as that cannot melt unrepentant hearts or bring sight to eyes that refuse to recognize any needs beyond their own.  Am I the only one who is a little gratified that Abraham does not grant the rich man’s request to send Lazarus as a messenger to his brothers? His refusal affirms the abiding power of the Old Testament prophetic witness in Jesus’ ministry as Jesus himself does earlier in Luke 16:16. “They have Moses and the prophets. They should listen to them.” Listening to them would impel someone to “see” the suffering of another and take action, for this social compassion is at the heart of the law and the prophets. We are to show mercy as God shows mercy.

The kingdom of God shows up when and where we least expect it. We don’t expect it to show up in the gap between the bearable, even pleasant, or luxurious living condition of some and the unbearable, inhumane living conditions of others. We don’t expect it to show up in the offer of the ability to see that gap and move from seeing to active compassion before it is too late. But we ought to have learned by now that the kingdom of God is not a prisoner to our expectations. The implication is that the end of our stories have yet to be written.  The rich man ignored the pleas of Lazarus the beggar, and now he is the one begging for a sip of water and is denied. As a master teacher, Jesus told stories like this to awaken longing in his listeners, to help them turn the switch, to desire to be people who see the beggar at the gate and to embrace the miracle of love.

The dismal prospect that people may reject the word concerning wealth and poverty poses a difficult problem for us. The parable calls us to confront ourselves and our communities concerning our own practices, but do we really change? What is the value of holding up this message if people don’t act on the word they already know? Should we simply dwell in the hope that we might repent before the great chasm finally divides us. It does happen.

Just this week I again heard on the news of the growing gap between the rich and poor. There are important disagreements about the causes, consequences, and solutions of radical inequality, but the reality of it is undeniable. In his book Who Stole the American Dream?  Hedrick Smith argues that in the last thirty years “we have become Two Americas.” A “gross inequality of income and wealth” has demolished the middle class dream. This wasn’t inevitable, says Smith. It’s not the result of “impersonal and irresistible market forces.” Rather, it’s the consequence of government policies and corporate strategies.  Joseph Stiglitz, a former chief economist for the World Bank, came to similar conclusions in The Price of Inequality: How Today’s Divided Society Endangers Our Future (2013). He writes, “The top 1 percent of Americans gained 93 percent of the additional income created in the country in 2010, as compared with 2009.” Like Smith, he says this didn’t have to happen.

The issue here isn’t one of envy. Rather, Stiglitz fears that gross inequality threatens the very nature of civil society — our politics, health care, education, housing, employment, legal system, and more. Problems are worse in the rest of the world. According to the World Bank, in 2010, 2.4 billion people lived on less than $2 a day. The bitter irony here is that there’s been significant progress in the reduction of global poverty in the last thirty years. But look at the yardstick — $2 a day!  These people suffer the catastrophic consequences of poverty as measured by a broad array of indices — access to safe and dependable water, life expectancy, infant and maternal mortality, literacy, and so on.

But tragedy isn’t a necessity. The chasm isn’t yet fixed. We read in 1Timothy 6:6-12  “Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment;⁷for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; ⁸but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.⁹But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. ¹¹But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. ¹²Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

By sharing generously and being rich in good deeds, we “lay up treasure for ourselves as a firm foundation for the coming age,” and “take hold of the life that is truly life.”

Ovid, a poet of ancient Roman and a contemporary of Jesus, relates that once upon a time…the gods were quite concerned that they were being ignored. So Jupiter, who was the chief ruling god of thunder, and Mercury, who was the messenger god, visited humanity disguised as poor, beggarly travelers. The idea of gods visiting earth disguised as poor, unknown visitors is quite common among differing cultures and religions. In our own tradition the unknown visitors are most often identified as being angels. In the Book of Hebrews we are strictly cautioned to be kind to strangers because we may be entertaining angels unaware.  They quickly discovered that no matter on what door they knocked the people living in the home abruptly and rudely turned them away.  Eventually the two gods came upon the ramshackle hut of a poor, elderly couple and although they were incredibly poor they welcomed the two strangers into their home and shared what little they had with the visitors.

The next day, Jupiter and Mercury revealed to the couple who they were. Grateful for being welcomed into the elderly couple’s home, the gods rewarded the old couple with one wish. Much in character, the humble couple’s only wish was to be allowed to stay together until death and also beyond.

Jupiter and Mercury granted the couple’s wish. Instantly the ramshackle hut was transformed into magnificent temple where they lived out their lives. The kindly couple died at the same time and were transformed into two trees standing side by side. The trees stood so close to one another that their branches were entwined in an eternal embrace.

What happened to all the many people who’d refused to extend hospitality to Jupiter and Mercury? They were drowned in a great flood and thus repaid for their behavior.

From Erasmus’ relating the story told by Ovid, over the door way to his home renowned Psychotherapist Carl G. Jung place these words: Called or not called, God is there… And he said the question is: Will you welcome the god or turn the god away?  He wrote: “I have put the inscription there to remind my patients and myself: that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”

Marie-Louise von Franz said “It seems to me to be one of the greatest contributions of Jung and his work is that it taught us to keep our door open to the “unknown visitor.” He also tried to teach us an approach through which we can avoid the wrath of this visitor, which every frivolous, haughty, or greedy host in the folk tales brought down on himself. For it depends only on ourselves whether this coming of the gods becomes a blessed visit or a fell disaster.” “Called or not called, God is there”.

In Genesis 28:10-19 we read that: Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran. ¹¹He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. ¹²And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. ¹³And the Lord stood beside him and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring;¹⁴and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. ¹⁵Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

¹⁶Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!” ¹⁷And he was afraid, and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” ¹⁸So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. ¹⁹He called that place Bethel; but the name of the city was Luz at the first.

Our reading puts us right in the middle of the long and fascinating story of Jacob who later will be named “Israel” following his wrestling match with an unnamed assailant at the Jabbok river.  He came into the world gripping his brother Esau’s heel. In fact in Hebrew his name in its verbal sense means “to follow” or “to come behind” but as a noun it means “heel.” Our first encounter with Jacob as a young man suggests that he was suitably named.

You remember the story.  Esau returns, famished, from a long day of hunting, the conniving Jacob persuades his hungry brother to exchange his birthright for a bowl of stew.  Then with Esau’s birthright in hand, Jacob and his mother devise a more audacious scheme. Disguised as Esau, wearing his brother’s clothing and attaching animal skins to his arms and neck, Jacob provides a “counterfeit” meal for his blind father to replace the one that Esau was supposed to prepare. He then announces to his blind father, “I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me; now sit up and eat of my game, so that you may bless me” (Genesis 27:19). While Isaac isn’t entirely convinced that he’s blessing the right son, he goes ahead and gives Jacob his blessing. Later Esau alludes to yet another meaning of Jacob’s name when he says, “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright; and look, now he has taken away my blessing.” Jacob might also mean “someone who cheats.”

Now just in case you are upset by the conniving and unethical behavior of Jacob and his mother Rebekah I want to remind you that despite the elaborate deception to gain Isaac’s blessing, Jacob never rules Esau.  It inaugurates twenty years of flight, exile and servitude for Jacob and loneliness for this mother who never again sees her favorite child.  Those who live by deception suffer by deception.

So, fleeing his enraged brother Jacob left Beersheba for his mother’s homeland in Haran. On the way he has a strange experience at a “certain place.” Resting from his flight from Esau, he spends the night, using a stone for a pillow. In his dream he sees a “ladder set upon the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven.  This is no common extension ladder it is a ziggurat stairway or ramp, connecting earth with sky. This is one of the most famous visions in the Bible.   Jacob then hears God, who is “standing beside him,” make a declaration of commitment to the covenant. The God of Jacob’s fathers will be with him as God had been with them; God will grant Jacob the Promised Land and abundant descendants to inhabit it and will provide protection wherever he goes. However lonely and afraid Jacob feels, his own brother seeking to kill him, and alone in the darkness, with only a stone for a pillow–God assures him that he need not fear, because God’s protective presence will not waver and God’s promise of a robust future will not go unfulfilled.

Wait, after all isn’t this Jacob, liar and trickster, fresh from clever use of a brother’s gullible hunger and a father’s aged blindness. Wouldn’t you think that God might have something to say about such a blatant disregard for basic rules of family life and sibling care? Might God not have said, “Just who do you think you are, you little lying twit! Do you think you are so clever as to get away with such nasty tricks; do you think that you can deceive me as you deceived your dying father?” Some sort of divine displeasure wouldn’t be out of place. But not here. The great promise and blessing are given without question or remonstrance.  Does that give you some hope?  It does me.

What do you think is the meaning of the ladder?  What is Jacob supposed to learn from it? Who are these angel-messengers, and what does their movements signify?  One of the greatest of the Hasidic masters suggests that, presumably, the ladder is intended to represent human beings in this world. Like the ladder, each of us is firmly planted on earth—flesh and blood individuals with bodily needs and earthly desires.  But through entering into a heart felt relationship with God, doing God’s will, and becoming the kind of human being God asks for we are capable of “reaching upward”.

But our text goes much further than merely telling us that we can live on earth and still touch heaven. According to another rabbi the ascent-descent of the angels suggests that even the heavens are affected by our actions.  It was his idea that when we are obedient to God’s will for his creation we effect a form of cosmic repair thus sending angels upward.  And conversely, tragically, when we violate God’s will, we do damage to the very cosmos—we force angels downward and “shrink the heavenly hosts.”

However you might want to understand this interpretation, the thrust of it is clear: God, too, is affected by the choices we make. It seems beyond question that the quality of human life on earth is deeply impacted by the decisions we make and the course of action we take; the daring of this bit of Jewish theology is that the quality of God’s life is impacted. In Abraham Heschel’s memorable terms, the God of Judaism is not Aristotle’s Unmoved Mover but rather the Torah’s radically affected “Most Moved Mover.”  So, accordingly, seeing the ladder and the angelic motion taking place on it, Jacob learns his own potential and of its potential cosmic repercussions.

Another early Hasidic Master offers yet a different way of understanding Jacob’s dream. The ladder filled with upward and downward motion is a metaphor for the religious life of any human being here on earth. There are times when we are in “expanded consciousness” and feel a deep connection to God and God’s will and, in those moments we are “ascending the ladder”. But there are also times when we are afflicted by “contracted consciousness” and feel far away from God and then we are “descending the ladder”.

There is nothing wrong with this up-and-down process. It is an inherent piece of the spiritual life. In fact, it is crucial that we understand that our descents make possible fuller and richer ascents. Just as in a human relationship, distance or crisis in the moment can often lead to a more profound sense of connection and intimacy later; so in our relationship to God, a period of descent can culminate in a more genuine connection to God. This, the old Rabbi tells us, is “descent for the purpose of ascent.”

You might want to notice that God shows this to Jacob precisely at a moment in which he is alone and afraid. It is as if God seeks to reassure him: “This very sense of alienation and dis-connection you feel may yet lead you to find Me in entirely new ways.”

When Jacob woke from his dream, not only the place was changed by God’s presence, he is a changed man. Professing God’s presence in this rather ordinary place, Jacob builds an altar, converting his stone “pillow”into a memorial that marks a life-altering encounter with God.  He calls this place “Bethel” — house of God, professing that God is here, on the way right there where Jacob finds himself.

God’s interruption of Jacob’s anxious journey, which displays God’s renewed commitment to Jacob in his own right, does not contain a single word of judgment regarding Jacob’s prior actions with regard to his brother and his father. Rather God’s address to Jacob contains one unconditional promise after the other. In this grace-filled encounter, we see how God can transform an ordinary stone and an ordinary place into something special; a place where God’s presence has made a home in the world. Similarly, this trickster who has deceived his father and brother, and who since birth has lived in strife with the people around him can be transformed by God into a richly blessed person who serves as a source of God’s blessing to others.

The lyrics of U2’s song “Yahweh” offers an intriguing perspective on this ability of God to transform ordinary things, people and places into something special:

“Take these shoes; Click clacking down some dead end street; Take these shoes; And make them fit.

Take this shirt; Polyester white trash made in nowhere; Take this shirt
And make it clean, clean; Take this soul Stranded in some skin and bones;

Take this soul–And make it sing”

The good news—bidden or unbidden God breaks into our world of fear, terror, and loneliness. Jacob’s dream, which he dreamed somewhere in the middle of nowhere, opens to him a whole new way of being in the world.  Finding oneself encompassed by God’s presence transforms our world.  So there it is – bidden or unbidden, in the most fearsome and lonely places of our lives, God is there and not with judgment or condemnation but with promises and protection.

The Foremost Sinner Receive the Utmost Grace…

A Scottish New Testament lecturer, A.K.M. Adam, says that these verses in the introductory section of 1^st Timothy serve several functions. They magnify the glory of God’s grace. They tell us the extraordinary good news that God extends forgiveness and reconciliation not solely to “the foremost sinners” including a violent despiser of Jesus but, mercifully to middleweight and lightweight sinners such as most us.  His words  bind the manifestation of God’s mercy to the mission of Christ; merciful salvation comes to us not simply in a generic way, but very concretely in the person of Jesus whose forbearance, gentleness, and self-giving exemplify God’s way of dealing with us, the mirror-image of the violent persecution that characterized Paul’s former life. Reading from 1 Timothy 1:12-17

¹²I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because he judged me faithful and appointed me to his service, ¹³even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief,¹⁴and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the foremost. ¹⁶But for that very reason I received mercy, so that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display the utmost patience, making me an example to those who would come to believe in him for eternal life. ¹⁷To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Paul’s character and experience figure in this introductory section as an illustration of the extent of God’s grace. To understand the gift of mercy that is so very important to Paul we need to review what Paul was doing when he got what, most clearly, he did not deserve. Of himself he says he was  “a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence”. In the Book of Acts Luke reports that witnesses to the stoning of Stephen “laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul”. A couple of chapters later we find Saul “still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord” . He even requests a letter from the high priest to the synagogues at Damascus, “so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem”. In his letter to the Galatians Paul describes his former life by saying, “I was violently persecuting the church of God and was trying to destroy it”.

To highlight God’s gratuitous mercy Paul explains that he received mercy “because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief.”  But of what could you imagine of Paul to have been ignorant? He knew the God of Israel, the Torah, and the Prophets. He even knew enough about Jesus to oppose his cause. What Paul says that he did not know what he was doing in the same way that those who crucified Jesus did not know what they were doing: that is they did not grasp fully the significance of what was going on around them. In Luke’s description of the crucifixion he recounts Jesus praying “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing“. Paul’s rationale is he was ignorant as if ignorance offers an excuse. It doesn’t.  But Paul is not the only one to marvel at the contrast between the good we think our actions would have and the harm we actually do. “I didn’t know it would turn out that way.” “I was trying to help.” “I didn’t think anyone would get hurt.” It’s like hearing Patsy Montana sing “I didn’t know the gun was loaded and I’m so sorry my friend”.  No matter what our intentions, still, there we are, standing in the need of mercy. Paul aligned himself with the persecutors at first, but like those for whom Jesus prayed, he received mercy despite his early opposition to God’s purposes

As to his opposition to God’s intentions for creation Paul represents that as the absolute worst thing a person could possibly do; it follows then that because Paul persecuted the church, he must be the foremost of sinners. In 1 Corinthians 4:13 Paul describes himself as “unfit to be an apostle“, “the dregs of all things“. The less worthy of divine favor Paul makes himself out to be the more he underscores the incalculable scope of God’s mercy. This is truly good news. If we grant that God does not hold the sins of even the worst sinner ever — blasphemer, persecutor, insulter and opposer — then surely God’s grace extends to us less hyperbolic sinners.

Our understanding of free will means that we presume that God will accommodate those whose unyielding commitment to their own understanding of freedom and goodness distances them from forgiveness. God will not redeem everyone from the consequences of every evil that a person does suggests that none of us are in any position to make any claims about who God will or will not forgive. Not everyone will accept God’s offer, and that might include some of us who refuse to accept the possibility that God forgives sins that they wouldn’t!  I think that’s rather generous of God to ensure that the specific contours of final judgment lie well beyond our capacity to determine, whether concerning just what eternal blessedness will be like, or who will share it or not.

The thanksgiving expressed emphasizes Paul’s sinfulness only insofar as it demonstrates the surpassing greatness of Christ’s work to save Paul, to strengthen him, and to call him to something better. These words point beyond Paul, and beyond sinfulness, to the work of Christ to exercise “the utmost patience” in order to save blasphemers, persecutors, people of violence, and other sinners. Christ makes Paul an example to show that if Paul can be saved, anyone can be saved.

To figure out what it means for Christ to “save sinners,” we have to look back to the first verse of this lesson. There, we see that Christ strengthened Paul, judged him faithful and appointed Paul to Christ’s service. “Saving,” as Paul describes what happened to him is certainly not ignoring sin and the harm it does. Saving is not moving a name from one column to another. Saving is re-commissioning someone for new work. It is taking a persecutor of the church and turning him into an ambassador of Christ. Saving is the human equivalent of fashioning swords into plowshares or a rather sophisticated form of human recycling. Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. Paul should know. He thought himself to be Exhibit A.

But there is a little more about that we have lost over the years. In an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation Captain Picard has an experience of seeing what his life would have been like if one particularly embarrassing chapter had been removed from it. Afterward, he confides to his first officer, “There are many parts of my youth that I’m not proud of. There were… loose threads—untidy parts of me that I would like to remove. But when I pulled on one of those threads, I unraveled the tapestry of my life.”

Paul is genuinely remorseful about having persecuted the church, yet he cannot remove that thread and still tell the story of his life and his new life in Christ. In the end he comes to see Christ as having re-commissioned even this chapter along with all of the elements of his character that led him to do such a thing. At least part of the miracle of salvation in Jesus Christ, as testified to by the apostle Paul’s life, is that Christ does not unravel the tapestry of those whose lives he saves. He does not unravel anything, but out of that mess of threads and stitching, he recycles something delightful for the human family;  he redeems something  for the good of his kingdom.

The passage links the forgiveness Paul receives to his call to ministry. This passage also appreciates that responding to God’s compassion is not receiving a guarantee for a future gift, but taking up an offer on a relationship with a God who is going places. We are invited, in grace, to get on board and partner with God who is on a mission and where there will be a role, often a distinctive ministry, for us. That was Paul’s understanding.

Paul became a model of conversion, a hero for many early Christians. His switch from being a persecutor to becoming a bearer of mission is legendary. It is a celebration of God’s generous grace. The Gospels and Epistles emphasize and repeat the axiom that God’s greatness is revealed in having mercy for people we would not think would receive mercy. The minute we decide that some horrible sin is unforgivable, we challenge God to forgive it — and God answers our judgmental edicts with the promise of unexpected, unreasonable, overflowing mercy.

In 1976 John Powell, a Jesuit priest, published a book entitled, Why Am I Afraid To Tell You Who I Am?”  The book sold millions of copies and despite the tragedy of his own life remains in print to this day. Powell’s simple thesis is that people hide who they really are from others because of one basic fear. He describes this fear in a conversation..

Powell:  “I am writing a booklet, to be called, Why Am I Afraid to Tell You Who I Am.” 

Other:   “Do you want an answer to your question?”

Powell:  “That is the purpose of the booklet, to answer the question.”

Other:   “But do you want my answer?”

Powell:  “Yes, of course I do.”

Other:   “I am afraid to tell you who I am, because, if I tell you who I am, you may not like who I am, and it’s all that I have.” “There are times when I am deathly afraid that most everyone I know would want nothing to do with me if they really knew me.”

This passage from 1st Timothy contains a statement which is in stark contrast to the tendency we have to hide our inner frailties. In fact, the writer shines a light on his weakness for all to see. Listen once again, This saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners — of whom I am the foremost.” How can someone reveal such a thing? The answer to that question is crucial because it points to the only real source of healing for and freedom from the inner anguish with which so many live. The answer to healing for our broken inner person is this: The sin and brokenness of humankind is great…     but the grace of God is greater still. In fact, it is amazing!”

Paul says that he was, “…a blasphemer, persecutor, and a man of violence…”  No kidding! He was there when Stephen was martyred for his faith by being stoned to death and may even have had a role in the execution. Christian people went into hiding in fear when Paul came to town seeking to bring them up on charges before the Jewish council.

“But,” he says, “I received mercy… and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.”  Not only that, Paul says that he is evidence to everyone else that if he can receive God’s grace and love, anybody can receive God’s grace and love. If the Lord God of this universe knows you, loves you and redeems you, then there is no one to fear. The whole idea of God’s amazing grace is so wonderful that Paul concludes our scripture with this doxology: “To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Philemon

1Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our dear friend and co-worker, 2to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house: 3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4When I remember you in my prayers, I always thank my God 5because I hear of your love for all the saints and your faith toward the Lord Jesus. 6I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective when you perceive all the good that we may do for Christ. 7I have indeed received much joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, my brother.

8For this reason, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do your duty, 9yet I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love—and I, Paul, do this as an old man, and now also as a prisoner of Christ Jesus. 10I am appealing to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I have become during my imprisonment. 11Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful both to you and to me. 12I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you. 13I wanted to keep him with me, so that he might be of service to me in your place during my imprisonment for the gospel; 14but I preferred to do nothing without your consent, in order that your good deed might be voluntary and not something forced. 15Perhaps this is the reason he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back forever, 16no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a beloved brother—especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. 17So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. 18If he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. 19I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand: I will repay it. I say nothing about your owing me even your own self. 20Yes, brother, let me have this benefit from you in the Lord! Refresh my heart in Christ. 21Confident of your obedience, I am writing to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. 22One thing more—prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping through your prayers to be restored to you. 23Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, 24and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers. 25The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

The Letter of Paul to Philemon is a little treasure.  It is a tiny window on the complex world of first century Christianity and the systems of power in which it swam. It also gives us a glimpse of the very human side of Paul witnessing to the high demands which Christianity made on him and makes upon us all.

In that day slavery was an excepted institution.  What we know of slavery in the 21^st Century bares little likeness to either the secular slavery of the first century Roman empire.  Slaves weren’t considered people. They weren’t allowed to marry and any children born to them could be bartered or sold as any other possession by their master. or of the Hebraic concept which was much more humane.  This was vastly different than the much more limited and humane form of slavery as practiced by the Jews. Paul writes to the Ephesians that slaves were to obey their master.

Onesimus the reason for the letter being written.  Apparently he had run away to hide in the big city of Rome after in some manner defrauding his master Philemon.  Were he to be apprehended he would be physically brutalized  and possibly face the death penalty. As providence would have it Onesimus met the aging Paul who was imprisoned and discovered that they had something in common – Philemon.

The letter doesn’t say how Onesimus came in contact with Paul. We do know that he had repented of his crime, embraced the Christian faith and had become invaluable to Paul. Paul admits to considering simply keeping the run away slave with him but decided that to do that without Philemon’s consent would be wrong.

Despite the possible consequences, Paul’s counsels the young runaway that Christian ethics required that he return to his outraged master and seek forgiveness. Paul pens a masterpiece of delicate humor saturated with the confidence of Christian faith as he sends this young man back to face the music. Most clearly Onesimus had become quite dear to Paul, so much so he refers to the run away slave as his son. He says that parting with him was like parting with his ‘very heart’.

Philemon, a gentile and likely a Roman citizen, was a prominent citizen of Colossae and a leading member of the Church and whose conversion from pagan religion to Christianity was accounted to Paul. A precious bond of brotherhood in the faith had evidently formed between the two of them. The letter Paul writes to Philemon makes it clear that the current situation was putting their relationship to the test.

Paul is anxious that Philemon sees what he ought to do. Paul comes very close to being offensive when he instructs Philemon of his duty and reminds him that he is in debt to Paul, not financially, but possibly because he is a convert of Paul’s mission  Any part of this could easily alienate Philemon.  Paul treads a very fine line and risks his relationship with Philemon. He tries, not very subtly, to affirm the positive side with Philemon. Paul knows the social rules. He must send Onesimus back and to assume that Philemon would be happy to have Onesimus return to assist Paul would infringe on Philemon’s rights.

Paul goes out on a slim limb when he writes this masterpiece of tact. It would be very easy for him to offend or embarrass Philemon. How would Philemon cope with relating to Onesimus as a person and not just as a slave named useful? What would members of his household and his neighbors think of him for doing so? Paul even promises to pay off any debt there may be or make up for any wrong. But there was more at stake than money. Shame, reputation, sense of control, status, social expectations, the stability of the household and issues of law and order were all in play.

How can he get Philemon to agree with his request? Paul uses a play on words: The name, “Onesimus” means translates into English as “useful”.   So Paul, using a synonym writes: Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful both to you and to me.  It is unlikely that Philemon laughed at this but it would have been noticed.  Through it, Paul points not only to the value that Onesimus has to Philemon, but now how valuable he is to both Paul and the Kingdom of God. Certainly, this is not the slave that Philemon remembered.   He had been transformed by Christ.

That Onesimus is identified as the traveling companion of Tychicus and as a trust worthy and dear brother in Colossians gives us some confidence that Philemon was persuaded to both receive him as a brother in Christ but also released him to return to assist Paul.

Paul breathes the spirit of Christ and of equality within the Christian community. into this letter.  He does not directly attack slavery, for this is something the Christian communities of the first century were in no position to do. Yet Paul, by presenting Onesimus as “brother, beloved…to me, but even more so to you” voiced the revolutionary idea that would break down worldly barriers of division “in the Lord.” Onesimus is a person. Paul has been served by him, but does not see him as an impersonal slave. He is a person, as much loved by God and beloved to Paul, as anyone else. Paul argues that Onesimus is now Philemon’s brother, not just his slave. As a person Onesimus is as deserving of as much respect as Paul himself. It is not just a case of doing a favor for someone who has become Paul’s companion and friend. It is a matter of how we view other human beings.

Paul’s invitation to Philemon to give up on getting even and see in a useless tool a person loved by God.  It is a case study in tactfulness. Without a hint of insincere flattery, we read how deeply Paul cares for Philemon a “dear friend and coworker.” It is obvious that love and trust preceded Paul’s request. Is it obvious to us that before we challenge anyone in like fashion, we need to pave the way with genuine encouragement?

We find in Philemon an invitation to extend forgiveness based on this same principle of giving up on getting even. We don’t see Paul using his power and prestige to influence Philemon. We see him appealing “on the basis of love”. That love flows from God embodied in the life of Christ and Christ’s continuing presence. That love is also the reason why Paul was prepared to risk a potentially embarrassing initiative and write this letter to advocate for Onesimus. Paul’s complex footwork reveals how much he was aware that his initiative could fall flat on its face. But he does not fall back into his comfort zone. There may have been ways in which he could have avoided the issue. After all, Onesimus was only a slave – only a slave?! Could Paul ever think like that?

Love sometimes requires going out on a limb and advocating for people who are powerless in systems which resist and resent their values being subverted. The task is still immense and continues today – wherever human beings are reduced through systems, prejudices and governments to things, useless or useful.

Be Bold and Courageous

Message from LaVerne Biel

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Some of you have known me a long time and some of you a couple years or less. Kent’s and I have always known that we like to squeeze and stretch ourselves personally, professionally, or spiritually whenever possible.

This last year God, Kent, and others challenged me in new and different ways. Now I see these challenges were really opportunities in disguise. One opportunity was to leave my home and possessions to strangers. In reflection this taught me to hold onto things lightly.

The next encounter was to run for political office. I really never saw myself as a political person. I held my beliefs closely. In fact I guarded them. What was the first thing I had to do? Field a question about my stand on abortion. Okay, I’m not sure how that relates to serving on City Council but I knew I had to answer the question truthfully. From there everything was a free fall. I ran as an Independent. For those of you who don’t know, running for political office consumes every waking moment of your life. From May until the primary August 6^th I had knocked on 7,000 doors, participated in two debates, talked to the press, raised campaign money, and met lots of new people from all walks of life. I missed family dinners, and reunions only to lose the primary election. However, I didn’t feel defeated. I still don’t! I really believe that I followed God’s leading. When I think back to what I was doing or where I was at in my life. I was complacent and content. Right after the election God told me that moving forward I was to be “bold and courageous” (which is the opposite direction from complacent and content).

Joshua 1:1-9 has provided me with a guideline on how to be bold and courageous which I’ll share with you. I found three words that outline Joshua 1:1-9, Promise, Possession, and Persistence.

(My paraphrase is in quotations)

Let’s read: 1. After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: 2. Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them – to the Israelites. 3. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. 4. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon and from the great river, the Euphrates – all the Hittite country to the Great Sea on the west. 5. No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, So I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. 6. Be (bold) and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7. Be (bold) strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the laws my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it (as a republican) to the right or (as a democrat) to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9. Have I not commanded you? Be (bold) strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

I found this a story: A philosophy professor was known to give difficult tests. Her next exam was going to influence a quarter of the grade and her students were nervous and apprehensive the morning of the exam. They quietly and reverently sat down at their desks. Sitting on their desks was a single piece of paper face down. The professor asked them to flip over the paper and start their exam. The exam was a single question. Many students fidgeted in their seats and stared at their paper. One student tapped his pencil on his desk a few times, scribbled something down. Got up and handed his paper to the professor and left. He got an A. The question was: What is courage? His answer was: This is!

Back to the passage of Joshua 1:1 – 9.

In verse 1 we read about the passing of Moses. Joshua was Moses’ replacement and I’m sure that the Israelites were apprehensive about Joshua’s leadership abilities. They knew that Joshua was Moses’ minister, a great military leader, and that he had already seen the promise land. However, knowing what we know about our natural tendencies, I’m sure there was lots of lamenting and grumbling. What did God do to quiet them? God spoke directly to Joshua to reassure him that God was going to fulfill his promise to Moses and to the descendants of Abraham. God’s promise is a gift not an obligation.

The promise listed in Deuteronomy 11:24 “Every place where you set your foot will be yours: Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the Euphrates River to the western sea.” God revealed this promise in Deuteronomy after the 10 Commandments and after a beautiful description of the promise land. We can estimate that there is a distance of at least 50 years between these promises. God comforts Joshua with this Deuteronomy scripture word for word. However, God’s word required some action from him. He had to extend himself. He had to be “all in”! Again, the passage reads, “where you set your foot” will be yours. Your foot! God made it personal. No horseback, no chariots, no decrees, no letters, no phone, no internet, no Facebook, and no Twitter. He was pretty clear that to take possession of the land then it required personal commitment and sacrifice. God tells Joshua that He will be with him and never forsake him while he stepped in an unknown territory.

God states this pretty clearly if you intend on possessing this land it’s going to require engaging your body, mind and your heart. It’s going to take your whole being. Verse 6 states “be (bold) strong and courageous. The Hebrew word in this passage for strong is “châzaq” (Khaw-Zak’) means obstinate, to bind, or restrain. To be obstinate is to be bold. The Hebrew word for courage is âmats (aw mats’). A primitive root: to be alert; physically or mentally. Why does Joshua need to be alert? This was necessary to lead them toward their gift and take possession of the land. Verse 7 again states to be (bold) strong and courageous by being careful to obey the Ten Commandments to be successful wherever you go. My best example of success was my grandfather. He was a farmer/machinist by trade. A jolly man who liked to play practical jokes, loved to horse trade, and was passionate about his faith and what he believed. I saw him treat every person that crossed his path with kindness and humility. When my grandfather died my dad talked to me about how my grandfather was successful. I have to admit at the time I didn’t see him as that. I remembered a man who gave me unconditional love. My dad pointed out that when he died all his bills were paid and he had $300 dollars left over. He gave his life to serving others to direct them toward God. God possessed his heart. He was successful. In order for God to possess our hearts we must be persistent in our faith.

Persistent faith permeates our thoughts. It consumes us. How can this happen? Verse 8 states that we are to speak the Book of the Law continually and to meditate on it day and night. I don’t know about you but this would require me to turn off the TV, stop playing computer games, and put down the novel I was reading. It sounds to me that persistence takes practice! I’m to shut off the outside noise, the events of the day, our culture, and focus on God by diving headfirst into His word and prayerfully mediate. In Verse 9, read for the third (for reinforcement) time God tells Joshua to be (bold) strong and courageous to not lose heart because God was going to be with him wherever he went. Persistence pays off by having God with us wherever our feet, heart, and mind are directed. It certainly sounds like a recipe for success.

Joshua fought his own battles with friends, enemies, and different cultures. In the end he knew he had to restate and clarify what the Israelites already knew. Joshua 24:15b, “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

In the New Testament in I Corinthians 16:13 it says, ”be on your guard, stand firm in the faith; be people of courage; be strong.  I’m sharing this passage with you because God is calling me to not be satisfied unless I’m being bold and courageous to follow Him in faith and obedience. God promises to be with me. He possesses my heart. I now know that I will practice my persistent walk wherever God leads me. Come join me to discover how you can be bold and courageous for God.