Today's Meditation

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Feb 03, 2012 at 1:26 am

Written by Jennifer,

The child is right.
Our discipline of our children (and yes I have some) should not be "in the form of corporal punishment" either.

Children do need discipline, but they do not need to be hit to "enforce" it. We can do better than that.

St. Benedict

Feb 03, 2012 at 6:18 am

Written by Linda,

This past year I learned more about St. Benedict and the Benedictine Promise of growing closer to the Lord and "conversion of life" through stability and obedience. It requires discipline, from within but also submitting to the discipline of God. There is a steadiness about it for me that makes sense of the struggles of life as they join in and contribute to a journey of faith. If St. Benedict was in this year's Lent Madness bracket I would support him... Steady progress, like the tortoise over the hare, wins the race!

maybe it's just me

Feb 03, 2012 at 6:40 am

Written by michael foster,

But I don't feel that God disciplines me at all. In most instances, when I do stupid or selfish things ("evil", if you will), the consequences follow naturally. In that case, prayer helps me extract myself or restore what I broke, but I don't have this sense that God has to punish me--

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Feb 03, 2012 at 7:52 am

Written by mindful,

Solomon, son of David inspired by God, gave us Proverbs. We are instructed to seek and find the knowledge and understanding of God. The law past down from one generation to the next is of mercy and truth. Solomon instructs us to trust in the Lord. The Lord chastens, chastening is translated from the Greek word, paideia which means nurture, instruction. As parents, we are first to seek the knowledge and understanding of God and nurture and instruction our children. This is not limited to our blood lineage but expanded to all as Christ commanded us.

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Feb 03, 2012 at 8:21 am

Written by Gail J in N.C.,

The Message version of the Bible sheds a different light on Hebrews 12:3-11

3 When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! 4 In this all-out match against sin, others have suffered far worse than you, to say nothing of what Jesus went through - all that bloodshed! 5 So don't feel sorry for yourselves. Or have you forgotten how good parents treat children, and that God regards you as his children? My dear child, don't shrug off God's discipline, but don't be crushed by it either. 6 It's the child he loves that he disciplines; the child he embraces, he also corrects. 7 God is educating you; that's why you must never drop out. He's treating you as dear children. This trouble you're in isn't punishment; it's training, 8 the normal experience of children. Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves. Would you prefer an irresponsible God? 9 We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God's training so we can truly live? 10 While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them. But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God's holy best. 11 At the time, discipline isn't much fun. It always feels like it's going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it's the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God.

Faith alone, that the Messiah loves me and will help me

Feb 03, 2012 at 8:56 am

Written by Steve Doutt,

I'm listening to a teaching series by R.C. Sproul on reformed theology ( www.ligonier.org ). I love him. Some useful quotes from the lecture that apply to today's discussion:
"I can't do anything to justify myself" , "those who are justified are at the same time 'just' and 'sinners' (paraphrasing Martin Luther) , "the reason why God counts us as righteous is because of the work of Christ in our behalf" , "the only grounds by which God will view me as righteous is the grounds of somebody else's righteousness, the righteousness of Christ"

I take all this to mean that there is an important difference between believing 'in' Christ, and believing that Christ will help me. I can't earn the trust of God. I must trust God.

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Feb 03, 2012 at 10:15 am

Written by Andrea,

"Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbour as yourself.'" (Matthew 22:37-39)

"If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing." (1 Corinthians 13:1-3)

I do not think God wants to mold us to be children who obey, but rather children who love.

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Feb 03, 2012 at 12:12 pm

Written by E. Linda Cushner,

All of the comments are so profound and so moving. I also do not believe that God punishes us. I believe that this reading goes back to the old testament when the Jewish Tribes believed that God punished or God rewarded.
Sometimes when I face difficult problems or suffer the consequences of poor decisions, I tend to dispaire and ask God, "Why"? Then I can only turn to the scriptures, I turn to prayer and even praise the Lord for what is happening because I know that nothing can remove me from the love of God. Slowly, ever so slowly, the tide begins to turn and the circumstances begin to change. Things get far better than they were before and I have a stronger faith than I did before. So a lesson has been learned through God's caring and nurturing love.

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THURSDAY, February 2 The Presentation of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Temple

Luke 2:22-40. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple...[and] took him in his arms and praised God.

Simeon had waited a long time for this moment. He knew that the Spirit had led him here. He took the child in his arms and spoke from the core of his being: “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace.” He was now free to die in peace, having seen the child of the promise, the Messiah, the one who would deliver Israel.

What must have gone through the mind of Mary? She later pondered all these things in her heart. And Joseph, what about him? Scripture does not tell us much about him. Yet his responsibility would be to protect the mother and child from any danger.

Would we be as calm and collected as Mary and Joseph appeared to be when Simeon spoke of the child’s future? Were these the words of a crazy old man, or were they true? It would take thirty years for the truth to come full circle.

PRAY for the Diocese of Antananarivo (Indian Ocean)

Ps 84 or 24:7-10; Malachi 3:1-4; Hebrews 2:14-18

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Feb 02, 2012 at 7:26 am

Written by Gail J in N.C.,

Amazing things take place in the lives of people who walk closely with God.

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Feb 02, 2012 at 7:57 am

Written by mindful,

I wonder if we can hear, see, read, God's Word without asking what we would have done or could have done as one of the characters in a setting--and instead move forward in what we will do, must do, are instructed by God to do.
It is not for me to "read the mind of Mary", only to know what God wants me to know, which is that she pondered all these things in her heart.

Joseph

Feb 02, 2012 at 10:28 am

Written by P,

Where is Joseph the rest of the gospel? Was Jesus living the majority of his life in a single parent household?

Questions & Maybe Answers?

Feb 02, 2012 at 10:50 am

Written by Ally,

P,

Interesting coment--Until recently, weren't most "married" couples in a one-parent household? Each person had their role, for men it was monetary, for women it was taking care of the house and kids. Nowadays, it's called a relationship with equality--let's hope it lasts.

"And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ"
This raises so many questions for me...
Can I really hope that all people will be like Simeon and see this?

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Feb 02, 2012 at 11:47 am

Written by E. Linda Cushner,

Simeon was a very faithful Jewish man;always worshiping in the temple. I am sure that he saw and heard many wonderous things, But Simeon knew the scriptures and was waiting. Waiting for the Messiah. What do we do with our time as we wait for the Messiah? Do we follow the ten commandments? Do we love our neighbor as ourselves?
Do we love God above all else? Yes these commandments are sometimes hard to follow, especially during difficult circumstances. This life here on earth is a journey and I may not be on this earth when the Lord comes, however I know that I will be waiting. Are You waiting?

I too am curious about the life of Joseph.

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Feb 02, 2012 at 12:38 pm

Written by Barbara Summers,

I don't see how Mary and Joseph could have regarded Simeon as a "crazy old man"; he was a respected elder, and didn't the angel Gabriel already tell Mary the importance and the role of the child she was carrying?

walking with God

Feb 02, 2012 at 12:47 pm

Written by mary hearn,

Amazing and sometimes painful, sometimes very painful things happen!

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Feb 02, 2012 at 3:49 pm

Written by Susanna K.,

I like that at the end of his life, Simeon saw the beginning of a glorious new hope for his people. It makes me think of working all night, then going to sleep just as the sun is rising. (I wanted to link to a picture I made based on this idea, but the forum thinks it's spam. Oh well!)

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Feb 02, 2012 at 7:01 pm

Written by mindful,

Simeon was waiting for the Messiah. The Holy Spirit was upon him. The Holy Spirit was not upon many men in those days or in the days of the Old Testament. Not until after Jesus's ascension did the Holy Spirit come. The Holy Spirit provided Simeon a revelation that he would see God's annointed one, the Messiah, before his death. Luke documented this event, inspired by God, as additional evidence of the fullfillment of God's promise in Jesus. We are no longer commanded to wait....we are instructed to go and make disciples of all nations. The waiting is over. Thankfully, God's love is not dependent on whether we keep His commandments for the grand announcement of the Gospel is that Jesus is everything: Confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. We have the gift of not having to wait for the second resurrection to know we are saved!
As for Joseph, he is family and we are all the adopted children of God. Specific details of the life of Joseph if they were important would be known, they are not important in the story of everlasting life and the story of God's Heaven.

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TUESDAY, January 31

Hebrews 11:13-22. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.

We all long for a homeland. Ideally, home is a place where we can be ourselves, where we are safe. The author of the Letter to the Hebrews is still speaking here about our ancestors in faith, saying that they died as strangers and foreigners, still seeking a homeland.

This is a theme throughout the Bible. God’s people are often on the move, away from home: they are enslaved in Egypt; they wander in the desert. After a few hundred years rooted in one place during the monarchy, they are exiled to Babylon. Jesus himself was always on the move.

Some would say that, as Christians, we are by nature an exiled people. We live as citizens of the kingdom of God, made manifest in Jesus, but not yet fully come. We are in this world but not of this world. If we sometimes feel a little uncomfortable or left out, it is probably a sign that we are living as we should be.

Writer Nellie Morton said, “The journey is home.” Although we are on a journey, sometimes feeling like strangers in a strange land, we are at home when we are with God.

PRAY for the Diocese of the Anglican Parishes of the Central Interior (British Columbia and the Yukon, Canada)

Ps 61, 62 * 68: 1-20(21-23)24-36; Genesis 21:1-21; John 6:41-51

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Looking for a city

Jan 31, 2012 at 7:10 am

Written by Gail J in N.C.,

It is comforting to know that we’ve got a future with God. After Paul became a Christian on the road to Damascus, he traveled more than he was home and had the confidence to write :
“Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.“
2 Corinthians 5:1 New International Version (©1984)

We start planting this idea in children as they memorize the 23rd Psalm, and trust they will “dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

The Southern Gospel lively song “Looking for a City” is sung with smiles, gusto, a bright tempo, and confident hope :

1. Here among the shadows in a lonely land,
We're a band of pilgrims on the move;
Burdened down with sorrows, shunned on every hand,
Looking for a city built above.
Refrain:
Looking for a city, where we'll never die,
There the sainted millions, never say good-bye,
There we'll meet our Savior, and our loved ones too,
Come O Holy Spirit, all our hopes renew!

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Jan 31, 2012 at 7:26 am

Written by mindful,

Home and land. Home: a word which speaks of relationships. Land: a word which speaks of secure foundation. There is the perfect homeland and it is there for those who seek. Seek and you shall find.

Passage for 31 Jan

Jan 31, 2012 at 8:54 am

Written by Cheryl,

This passage speaks to me today. As I have felt lately I am "not of this world" in terms of seeing how the world is functioning - caught up in commercialism, crime, selfish attitudes. I have had to reach out to God and help with the Holy Spirit more than I ever have in my life due to some difficulties I've experiences. the passage reminds us that we are at home with God.

Doug

Jan 31, 2012 at 9:47 am

Written by Doug,

Most of us have or had a place where we were safe and allowed to be ourselves. The writer of Hebrews, in 11:15-16 talks of those who did not have that and thought only of Heaven as that home where they might someday experience that safety. That's a pretty lonely prospect. It reminds me of Switchfoot's song, "This is Home". That concept of home is what drove the 'heroes of faith' in Hebrews. It should drive us too.

Home

Jan 31, 2012 at 9:01 pm

Written by Rick,

We may change churches,or the physical place we call home, but we are always Home when we are with Jesus.

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WEDNESDAY, February 1

Genesis 22:1-18. Abraham! Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you.

Abraham took Isaac to prepare the altar of sacrifice. The boy silently wondered and then asked, “Where is the lamb for the sacrifice?” Abraham responded, “God will provide the lamb.”

Obediently, Isaac allowed his father to lay him on the altar. In faith and obedience, Isaac waited quietly, without resisting his father. Abraham, in obedience to God’s command, raised the knife to do as the Lord had commanded him to do. There was apparently no hesitation in Abraham’s mind as to what he had to do. Then the angel of the Lord suddenly called out to stop Abraham from sacrificing his son to God.

So also the Lord will search our hearts to strengthen our faith for the challenges that may confront us. Such trials may not compare to those that tested Abraham and Isaac, but there will be times when we will be called to respond to God’s work in our lives by recalling the obedience with which Abraham and Isaac answered the Lord in faith.

PRAY for the Missionary Diocese of Angola (Southern Africa)

Ps 72 * 119:73-96; Hebrews 11:23-31; John 6:52-59

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Human sacrifices

Jan 31, 2012 at 11:37 pm

Written by Steve Doutt,

I know that human sacrifices were common in the ancient civilizations. Does anybody know the sequence of events that led to their decline?

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Feb 01, 2012 at 6:16 am

Written by Captain,

Help me to hear your voice, Oh Lord.

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Feb 01, 2012 at 6:48 am

Written by A,

Faith and sacrifice, yes. Yet I can only imagine the joy, relief and gratitude felt by Abraham when God relieved him of his burden.

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Feb 01, 2012 at 7:14 am

Written by Gail J in N.C.,

Isaac was the “son of promise” for Abraham and Sarah – he was his parents' treasure.
What do we treasure most?
Could we offer it as a sacrifice?
God knows how that feels. He gave up the most precious treasure – his son – too.

The story of Abraham and Isaac helps me be grateful for God’s huge, sacrificial, atoning love for us.

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Feb 01, 2012 at 7:43 am

Written by mindful,

In the foretelling of sacrifice, Abraham, a mere man, and Isaac a mere boy, obeyed the will of God. Like Jesus, they prayed to God for an alternative plan. In the story of Abraham and Isaac, we as God's people see that nothing is impossible, even sacrificing the life of a son. But God took this final sacrifice onto Himself, once and for all, it was not imperfect Isaac, but perfect Jesus, who was the last sacrifice, the final atonement, the perfector: now we can all be clothed in white and enter into our heavenly home.

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Feb 01, 2012 at 9:18 am

Written by Andrea,

I think we tend to romanticize this story, since we know the ending - that God intervened and Isaac was not sacrificed. But what kind of God would ask a parent to do that? What kind of God create a situation where a child has to lie down to be sacrificed without a word of protest? Do we really believe this is the nature of God? Would you really slit your child's throat if you thought you were being obedient to God's will? Really? I think we need to think more about this story - why it was told, what it said to the people for whom it was told... and what it says to and about us.

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Feb 01, 2012 at 9:27 am

Written by Kennisha,

Abraham obeyed the command or request from God to Sacrifice his only son, God did the same John 3.16 says it best. As Christian of today do we obey God's request to us, do we make sacrifices for our fellow brothers & sisters. Sacrifice is to give your all are we doing this to the Lord by giving our all. I pray that God will strengthen us as we continue to heed his word & that we will obey his call to us

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Feb 01, 2012 at 11:13 am

Written by Sarah ,

Andrea, maybe this story is told for the exact point you make. We CANNOT/COULD NOT/WOULD NOT sacrifice our children's lives for faith. Our children are our gifts from God. God knows that and made the sacrifice for us. It reminds me not to hold my children before God or to make them gods.

Hummm..

Feb 01, 2012 at 6:45 pm

Written by Frederick Wright,

I think the concept of sacrificing a child for humanity when one knows the sacrifice is going to the Kingdom of Heaven then one would have joy and excitement, if one believes in this everlasting life. Truly God did not ask Abrahama any more then he has done for His Son, Jesus, but again God knowns how it will trun out in death, but in Glory for all of Humanity. Abrahama needed to believe more in God's love and way for the works ahead where he and Isacc set the stage for ,me, you and your children everlasting life.. not a bad trade off. People of faith still see things in a worldly demention and self center thinking and again God asurrance us that His Love is more advanced than a mother's love or childs, but we are getting more understanding each day, thanks be to God.

Sacrifice

Feb 01, 2012 at 8:21 pm

Written by Rick,

God would not ask us, mere mortals to ever sacrifice our children like he asked Abraham. But, he does ask us to make a goodly sacrifice of our time, talents and treasures to give to the good of his Kingdom. To this request, we had better not refuse.

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MONDAY, January 30

Hebrews 11:1-12. Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

The author of the Letter to the Hebrews gives this classic definition of faith. He then goes on to speak of the faith of Abel, Noah, Abraham, and Sarah. By faith Abel offered his sacrifice. By faith Noah built the ark, and Abraham and Sarah set out from their homeland. They didn’t see the end of the story, but trusted that God was acting through their lives.

Vincent Van Gogh said, “Painting is faith.” I am not a painter, but I can imagine what he meant: a painter picks up a brush and begins to spread colors on a canvas, trusting that something will emerge. Michelangelo said, “Every block of stone has a statue inside it, and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.” Artists seem to have faith, the “conviction of things not seen.”

Faith is not simply personal belief, but the ability—like an artist’s—to imagine new possibilities for ourselves and the world, and to trust that God is at work. Jesus proclaimed the kingdom of God. As people of faith, we are called to imagine, to hope, and to work for this new world that Jesus proclaimed. We can’t see it yet: a world with no hunger, no war, no injustice. Only by faith.

PRAY for the Diocese of Andaman and Car Nicobar Islands (North India)

Ps 56, 57, [58] * 64, 65; Genesis 19:1-17(18-23)24-29; John 6:27-40

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Faith

Jan 30, 2012 at 6:42 am

Written by A,

In the course of deep reflection of things past, efforts to understand one's sins, past and present and to rectify the willing and damaging actions of another with whom one shared a vow of love and faith, I readily admit my human failing. struggling to let go, to accept, to imagine a place of forgiveness, to trust again, I seek the faith of Noah, the Apostles, Mary and Joseph, Sarah and Abraham. It is only through true and deep faith that such is possible. Yet I struggle to release my stubborn self will, pride and hurts.
These daily meditations, the reflections of this community and dogged perseverance ......along with secular readings and professional assistance will slowly unlock that door. I have faith in that, all the while wishing I had the ability to push the time table! But, that is of God's choosing not mine. I simply pray to be open and as accepting as my human failings allow. May we all grow in faith and know the peace of that full surrender and faith. For now, I thank the author and my fellow readers and commentators for your lights along the path.

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Jan 30, 2012 at 6:52 am

Written by Gail J in N.C.,

What is faith?
It's worth pondering this question : what is the opposite of faith?
Doubt? Fear?
Or perhaps the opposite of faith is
Certainty? Reason?

I pray for faith, mustard-seed-size faith and mountain-size faith, for myself and for all of us.

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Jan 30, 2012 at 7:55 am

Written by mindful,

Our beliefs we hold to be true. (false beliefs are called delusions: de-lus-ions: de meaning without and lus meaning light) Our beliefs are the substance of our minds. The manifestation of belief is thoughts expressed in words. Our thoughts are statements. They can be either true or false. To believe in the Lord Jesus is more than a statement. Beliefs are incorporated into our very essence. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ...incorporate Him into your being. Like the bread we eat becomes incorporated into our being. Faith follows belief. Faith is "the assurance".

a world with no hunger, no war, no injustice

Jan 30, 2012 at 8:26 am

Written by Steve Doutt,

There are lots of opinions about why there is hunger, war, and injustice; but, it might not matter. Christ taught us to not be concerned about "why" we are defiled. He taught us that it is what comes out of us that defiles us, not what went into us.

We have power . . . we decide . . moment by moment.
Yes, I am painting a picture, I am sculpting the next moment.

Thank you for this motivating meditation!

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Jan 30, 2012 at 10:32 am

Written by Mark L. in Baltimore,

Note that many of the most compelling stories in scripture center around acts of faith. Sometimes almost unthinkable acts of faith.

Faith

Jan 30, 2012 at 11:43 am

Written by Bonnie ,

Faith is fear that has said its prayers.

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