Uniting Church Hopkins Region Devotions for 7 June 2020
Friends, Here are some devotions you might like to spend some time reading, praying and reflecting on; especially if you can’t access the- -Hopkins Region YouTube service. In YouTube, search for Uniting Church Hopkins Region, or you can go directly to it from the Warrnambool Uniting Church website: warrnambooluntingchurch.org.au/services or at -Or free_key.com on Zoom at 9am Sunday. Meeting ID: 952 7479 6364 and Password: 157920 What we do in free_key will have a lot in common with this. Grace and peace be with you! As is our custom and what we want to do, we acknowledge the Traditional Owners of our land, honour their care for the land, and pay our respects to their elders, past, present and emerging. We acknowledge we have what we have because of their dispossession. So we commit ourselves to reconciliation and justice as First and Second Peoples together. Opening Prayer Dear God, I give thanks for my connection to you, and to our Christian community. As I spent this time in devotions, draw me closer to your heart, to appreciate more the intimate place in which I’m held in your love. May that love send a tingle all through me, that I may glow with your love for those I already love and for your world. In the name of Jesus. Amen Reflective Prayer Spend a moment seeing what arises in your heart with these prompts. Don’t judge the thoughts, feelings or memories but boldly hold them before God as part of you. Dear God, There are things that I know are good in how I live . . . There are things that I know are not good . . . There are many things that are in a messy, unsure, middle . . . And things I’m caught up and stuck in . . . Free me from regrets that wrap around me . . . for things done . . . and for opportunities missed . . . Free me from hurts that still haunt me . . . Guide me in these questions I have . . . Make clear for me these situations where I’m in two minds (or three or four) . . . And give me some time to lose all these in gratitude for the huge range of blessings you give . . . For the gift of life, for your love, for your grace, for your strength, for your peace, for the inner voice of your Spirit, I praise you. Amen Introduction We’re continuing this series on Jesus’ Beatitudes and Sermon on the Mount. In today’s reading we see again that Jesus toughens up the Jewish Law, which was about actions, to include attitudes. But he’s not just making it even more impossible to fully obey. He’s saying what happens within you if you get caught up in living in a Spirit of love. Whereas once I would pray submitting myself to obey God’s will, in my morning ‘waking-up’ prayer each day I now eagerly ask to fully participate in God’s True Life Flow which is love. It’s this change of attitude- wanting to be part of God’s action, rather than reluctantly obeying God’s rules. Reading: Matthew 5: 27-31 27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ 28 But now I tell you: anyone who looks at a woman and wants to possess her is guilty of committing adultery with her in his heart. 29 So if your right eye causes you to sin, take it out and throw it away! It is much better for you to lose a part of your body than to have your whole body thrown into hell. 30 If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away! It is much better for you to lose one of your limbs than to have your whole body go off to hell. 31 “It was also said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a written notice of divorce.’ 32 But now I tell you: if a man divorces his wife for any cause other than her unfaithfulness, then he is guilty of making her commit adultery if she marries again; and the man who marries her commits adultery also. Reflection The 7th of the 10 Commandments was that brief- ‘Do not commit adultery’. How does that allow for the complications of modern life? Yet Jesus says ‘Don’t even be lustful.’ And when the Jewish Law said ‘give a written notice (which may have been a bigger deal in a largely illiterate society) to divorce your wife’; Jesus says- well it’s interesting- it’s not just ‘Don’t get divorced.’ You might like to look up what Jesus says recorded in Matthew 19:9, Mark 10: 11-12 and Luke 16:18. There are some differences. I think Jesus is saying don’t be looking for loopholes. We make a mistake if we try to make what Jesus says into legalism. If we seek to live in the Spirit of Love, people are most likely to be faithful. But when that doesn’t work out we are held in grace, and we are given new starts. What Jesus says about looking lustfully, is not about attraction, even day-dreaming, but possessing- where the woman becomes an object- when its what you want, regardless of what she might want. That is denying the full humanity of someone. At the same time, when you are attracted, it’s not making that person an idol, again it’s recognising their full humanness. When Jesus speaks about cutting off your hand or plucking out your eye that’s not meant to be taken literally, but taken seriously: avoid the things that can lead to lust. It can mean don’t look at porn for example. Now, note what Jesus says is all directed to men. So women can do whatever they like! Yeah? Rather than it being primarily about gender, it’s directed to those who are powerful in a situation. With power goes responsibility to not oppress or exploit those with less power. In terms of what-not-to-do, this is what the Law is all about. But if you’re caught up in the Spirit of Love you’re not going to do that anyway. Reading the gospels as a whole, within the given patriarchy, Jesus was always tipping the balance towards equality. Reading: John 8: 1-11 8 Then everyone went home, but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early the next morning he went back to the Temple. All the people gathered around him, and he sat down and began to teach them. 3 The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees brought in a woman who had been caught committing adultery, and they made her stand before them all. 4 “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. 5 In our Law Moses commanded that such a woman must be stoned to death. Now, what do you say?” 6 They said this to trap Jesus, so that they could accuse him. But he bent over and wrote on the ground with his finger. 7 As they stood there asking him questions, he straightened up and said to them, “Whichever one of you has committed no sin may throw the first stone at her.” 8 Then he bent over again and wrote on the ground. 9 When they heard this, they all left, one by one, the older ones first. Jesus was left alone, with the woman still standing there. 10 He straightened up and said to her, “Where are they? Is there no one left to condemn you?” 11 “No one, sir,” she answered. “Well, then,” Jesus said, “I do not condemn you either. Go, but do not sin again.” I love how in the story Jesus wrote in the dirt. There have been many guesses at what he wrote, but I think it was just doodling to divert the angry attention away from the woman. In this reading, in John 4 with the Samaritan woman, and in Luke 7 with the ‘sinful’ woman who anointed him, Jesus always has grace for the woman, the less powerful person, who gets caught up in wrongdoing- whatever her (lesser) share of blame. But still he calls the person to a new, better way. Questions to ponder. Who holds power in our world, our communities, our church, our homes? What does Jesus say to people who make mistakes because they are longing for love? What does Jesus say to people who exploit others because they hold power? Where do you see real grace happening? Where do you see cheap grace happening (where a blind eye is turned)? Where do you see inappropriate (not Jesus’ style) judgment? Where do you see appropriate judgment happening? Prayers Create a clean heart within me Lord, where loving goodness is my desire; and a clean mind, where I see clearly through murky deals to what is right. I pray for our world that seems to be descending into more chaos. But I give thanks for all the calling out of racism, corruption, greed, sleaze, and plain rudeness. Bless all the protests, and help them to be both peaceful and effective. I pray for all the situations around the Covid 19 virus- those who have it, those in quarantine, those who work in care, those who have lost work and have no support, those whose poverty makes them very vulnerable, those who are bereaved, those in research. I pray for all leaders for goodwill and wisdom. I pray for those facing loss of crops and famine in Africa and across to India from a locust plague. I pray for all those sexually exploited, those who face sexual harassment, or are at risk of violence in their relationships. I pray for all people finding their way through the trickiness of sexuality. Help us see it as a blessing and a joy. I pray for all those deserted and all those lonely and longing for love. I pray for movement forward in Reconciliation, in abating climate change and our treatment of refugees. I pray for healing for those I know of who are unwell and for others in need . . . And for myself . . . Loving Creator, we honour you, and we honour all that you have made. Renew the whole world in the image of your love. Give us what we need for today, and a hunger to see the whole world fed. Strengthen us for what lies ahead; heal us from the hurts of the past; give us courage to follow your call in this moment. For your love is the only power, the only home, the only honour we need, in this world and in the world to come. Amen. The Lord’s Prayer paraphrased by Sarah Dylan Breuer Blessing Yes life is complicated, and we all carry baggage from our choices and those of others. So please, always know you are held in the loving grace of God, who understands us thoroughly and loves us as we are. May that love give you freedom from whatever holds you back from living life fully, and hold you back from using whatever power you have to harm others. May your life be so tuned to Love that you are a blessing all around you. In the name and Spirit of Christ. Amen Uniting Church Hopkins Region Devotions for 14 June 2020
Friends, Here are some devotions you might like to spend some time reading, praying and reflecting on; especially if you can’t access the- -Hopkins Region YouTube service. In YouTube, search for Uniting Church Hopkins Region, or you can go directly to it from the Warrnambool Uniting Church website: warrnambooluntingchurch.org.au/services or at https://youtu.be/K6TmLgIOp4I -Or free_key.com on Zoom at 9am Sunday. Meeting ID: 927 2549 3229 Password: 631065 What we do in free_key will have a lot in common with this. Grace and peace be with you! Acknowledgement As is our custom and what we want to do, we acknowledge the Traditional Owners of our land, honour their care for the land, and pay our respects to their elders, past, present and emerging. We acknowledge we have what we have because of their dispossession. So we commit ourselves to reconciliation and justice as First and Second Peoples together. Prayer Dear God, another week has gone by in these unusual circumstances. There have been good and bad things about it. I’m ready for another time when I focus on you for strength and purpose; and to express the gratitude that is necessary for happiness and a good perspective. So here we go together- me sharing with you and listening for your Spirit’s inner voice within me to speak your love and grace and your next steps for me. In Jesus’ name. Amen Reflective Prayer Slowly do this prayer exercise Tell God something- anything- that comes to mind from: Last Sunday . . . Monday . . . Tuesday . . . Wednesday . . . Thursday . . . Friday . . . Saturday . . . Go back over those things and choose what is God saying to you from this list:
Following our pattern of working our way through Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount today our Reading is: Matthew 5: 33-37 33 “You have also heard that people were told in the past, ‘Do not break your promise, but do what you have vowed to the Lord to do.’ 34 But now I tell you: do not use any vow when you make a promise. Do not swear by heaven, for it is God's throne; 35 nor by earth, for it is the resting place for his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Do not even swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. 37 Just say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’—anything else you say comes from the Evil One. If you were playing ‘Truth or Dare’ which would you choose? OK, who has disproved Jesus by putting colour in your hair? Who has ever tried to make a bargain with God along the lines of ‘If you get me out of this I will do . . . . ?’ Reflection Remember in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus is not just giving tougher new rules. While presented as instructions, it’s about what you’d be doing if you were caught up in the Spirit of Love. This is what living in love looks like. Be a straight talker. The passage connects to the 10 Commandments- the 3rd is ‘You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.’ (Exodus 20:7) And also the 9th ‘You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.’ (Exodus 20:16) And more specifically: Deuteronomy 23: 21 ‘If you make a vow to the Lord your God, do not postpone fulfilling it; for the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and you would incur guilt.’ This is invoking God’s name to back up what you’re saying, trying to be more convincing because you’ve called on God. But it runs deeper than that: Using God for our selfish-purposes. A big example was Donald Trump holding up the bible in front of the church the other week, after having had the pastor cleared out of the way. I put a post on Facebook last week: Here’s a bible study idea. What if that black bible Donald Trump was holding up had flopped open at a verse God wanted him to read, what would it be? I got some predictable comments from friends who agree with me- then the former UCA Moderator and cousin of Lou Hollis and Jenny Grenfell, Sharon Hollis, popped my bubble with ‘Or maybe ask myself the same question because I can’t change Donald Trump but I can change my own response to injustice’. Fair enough. Jesus said ‘Don’t judge.’ As a minister there’s a BIG responsibility to not be using God for my purposes. There was an article by Robyn Whittaker from Pilgrim Theological College in The Conversation that said: While Christian outrage at Trump’s hypocrisy is genuine, we need to ask ourselves: did Trump do anything new? Has he done anything that powerful “Christian” leaders haven’t done for centuries? The answer is no. Co-opting Christianity in the service of power is almost as old as Christianity itself. In the early fourth century, Flavius Valerius Constantine would defeat his brother-in-law, Maxentius, in a battle for control of the Roman Empire. His victory would solidify him as emperor of a vast western empire. The legend goes that Constantine had a vision before the battle on Milvian Bridge: he saw a cross of light in the sky and heard a voice that said, “In this sign, conquer”. The next morning, Constantine ordered his soldiers to paint crosses on their shields. They marched into battle as the first cross-bearing “Christian” soldiers. When Constantine won, he would attribute his victory to the God of the Christians. The new emperor’s adoption of the cross transformed a persecuted, minority sect into a legitimate religion and, eventually, the official state religion. We have been left with a legacy in Western Christianity of powerful rulers claiming God for their cause. The Crusaders rode out to fight Muslims with chests and shields adorned with the sign of the cross, popes would wield more power than kings, and God’s name would be invoked in war after war. Eventually, Christianity became so synonymous with colonial power and whiteness that the two can be hard to distinguish. The Bible arrived on the shores of Australia in the hands of those who would colonise this land through violence and domination. The Bible was, at least superficially, synonymous with white culture and power. It would be (mis)used to justify colonisation in Australia. The co-option of Christian symbols by Western Christian empires has meant its core symbols have often been inverted in meaning. The great irony is that the cross worn as a symbol of power and victory by imperial soldiers was first the symbol of the unjust death of Jesus, a brown-skinned Jew killed by the Roman State. It was a shameful symbol in that culture, an image for a humiliating public death. Had Trump read the text he held, he would have found a story of liberation for slaves, a divine preference for the poor, a demand of justice for the marginalised, a cry of lament from those who grieve, and a damning critique of any empire that oppressed its people.’ Some people have taken this passage to mean you shouldn’t take an oath in court- and in good conscience have made such a stand. I believe as a Christian there is a limit to an oath of allegiance to your nation, for example. I think the last verse gives the clue to the meaning: ‘Let your Yes be Yes, or your No be No’- is a way of saying, ‘Be a person of such reliability in what you say that people will have confidence in what you say- that you’re telling the truth or that you’ll do what you say you’ll do.’ That doesn’t mean you have to be deadly serious and can’t joke around with language- with body language, a twinkle in your eye and all that goes into it. Or that circumstances can change so that you can’t keep a promise- and you might have to ask for or give forgiveness and grace. Truth-telling is seen to be an important part of First and Second People Reconciliation in Australia which we’ve been talking about a bit lately. There’s a good business principle to ‘Under-promise and Over-deliver.’ But what do you think? There’s another common saying ‘It’s better to be kind than right.’ While the principle is be truthful, when might it be the really loving thing to either- withhold the truth or tell a lie? What about these case studies: Husband is looking in the mirror and asks: ‘Does my bald spot look like it’s getting bigger?’ Partner after dinner asks: ‘How did you like my new recipe?’ Storm-trooper demands: ‘Where are your children?’ Police drug squad member asks ‘Have you noticed an unusual number of cars coming and going to that house next door?’ Prayers of the people Dear God, we continue to pray for the world with this Covid-19. We pray for all who have the disease, those at risk from their work or from poverty, those working in research and policy-making, those with difficult decisions to make, those who have been left without work, the bereaved, the lonely and those for whom this has set off mental health issues. Give goodwill and wisdom to all leaders. We pray for an end to racism and for better treatment of our Aboriginal people, including those for whom dispossession and disadvantage has led to crime and anti-social behaviour. We pray for refugees and asylum seekers. Give goodwill and wisdom to our leaders. We pray for a better response to climate change and a deeper love for the earth. We pray for the gospel to be heard and understood and received by more and more people. Lead us all into the remade world of your ‘Kingdom’ and help us hear your individual call to us. We pray for the needs of our loved ones . . . . and ourselves . . . Thanks for listening. We will look for your answers. In Jesus’ name. Amen. Blessing May you be blessed with love and tact and courage to tell the truth. May you be given the strength to say no to things that ask too much. May you be blessed with ability to do all that you need to do. And may you be so caught up in the Spirit of love that all this isn’t hard work, but your natural, joyful disposition. In the name of Christ. Amen |