April 27 - The Strength of God's Hand

From the First Lesson for this day, Exodus 13:1-16

When I read today's lesson the first thing I thought was how different the modern mind is from the Biblical mind. Three times God reminded Moses and the Hebrews that their deliverance from Egypt was by "the strength of God's hand."

In their deliverance, they saw God at work in miraculous ways - even things that may have appeared natural otherwise were attributed to the hand of God.

It's easy for people to minimize God's hand in things. Things are attributed to 'natural phenomena' or 'circumstances' or chance. Even when circumstances are given a divine source, we tend to think that God gave us good luck rather than showing us the strength of His Hand.

It seems very appropriate to emphasize God's "direct hand" the days after the Resurrection. The days prior to the Crucifixion and Resurrection were filled with 'circumstances':
- the colt and upper room pre-arranged
- the deal with the Pharisees
- the arrangements to meet Caiaphas and Pilate
- Simon of Cyrene in the right place at the right time
- earthquake, dark sky, unused tomb

All circumstances? Good luck? Not at all. Just as God had delivered the Hebrews from Egpyt, He delivered all mankind by the strength of His Hand.

Thank you God for Your mighty Hand. I am unable to live in my own strength. I rely on Yours. When I don't see Your hand, please give me a reminder that Your hand will deliver me, protect me and guide me. Amen.

Christ is risen! And the blog returns!

Christ is risen from the dead
Overcoming death by His own death
And on those in tombs
Bestowing life!

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
The Lord is risen, indeed! Alleluia!

Like many good things that have a good start, my blog had run its course for a while. When Lent came, I simply needed a break. We have been dealing with Karen's mother's health since January 1 and I've had added responsibilities at home so she could spend time with her mother in NewCastle. In addition, I added a few personal disciplines for Lent that took more time, and left less time for blogging.

In addition to that, the blog "Piety and Devotion" was becoming what I didn't want it to be - a Bible study. I love Bible study, but I want the words of Scripture to speak to me from the Holy Spirit to my heart. I want the blog to be a reflection of that.

So I laid it down (to use an old Quaker term) and I'm ready to pick it up again.

This blog follows the daily readings from the lectionary of the Book of Common Prayer of the Reformed Episcopal Church. This is roughly the lectionary of the 1928 Book of Common Prayer, but not exactly, but it works for me :-)

Thanks for following along!

Sat., Mar. 5 - Fasting with the Heart

From the First Lesson for this day, Jeremiah 7:21-28

I have a love-hate relationship with Lent. As it approaches in a few days, I am again faced with this relationship.

Every year I make overly ambitious vows - no meat, no TV, no Facebook, no this, no that. I've tried fasting Orthodox style - nearly vegan (since I don't like seafood) - to no avail. I've tried fasting Catholic style - no meat, skip a meal once a day, Sundays are a day off, etc., again with no success. I've tried Lenten fasting Protestant style - give up whatever you want (especially chocolate) and don't worry about it if you fudge a little because Lent's a Catholic thing anyhow.

In Lent, I make overly ambitious promises - read extra from my Bible every day, spend more time in prayer each day, take on a service project or cause for extra giving.

Today's reading is a challenge, in a good way. Through Jeremiah, the Lord says, in essence, "If you're not fasting from your heart, keep on eating."

"Put your burnt offerings unto your sacrifices, and eat flesh. For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices: But this thing commanded I them, saying , Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you."

I'd like to think that in all my efforts to give up things and take on things were from the heart. But I confess that they're not.

Most of the time my Lenten fasts - and failed fasts - have been to meet some unrealistic standard of what I think a fast ought to be.

Thing is, when the people wouldn't hearken to Jeremiah's words, there were consequences - matters of the heart: "This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the LORD their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished , and is cut off from their mouth."

Dealing with the Lord and fasting truly is a matter of Truth.

Just like the stomach, a heart without discipline will snack its way to poor health. Without truth little lies find their way in: "it's OK to watch a little TV even if you're not supposed to watch any."

Refusing the Truth happens the same way: accepting some things in God's Word and not all of it; believing that God can forgive yet denying His means of forgiveness; knowing that the Church includes all Christians yet claiming a special corner of Heaven "just for us."

A lack of Truth leads to a lack of real life. Pretending. Imagining. Not coping with the realities of sin, redepemtion, regeneration and forgiveness. Faith becomes a day dream and the Christian life becomes a pollyanna path.

Fasting with the heart turns this around.

Bringing the heart to Christian discipline means that fasting isn't a matter of doing or not doing - pie crust promises (easily made, easily broken). Fasting from the heart is like being in love. It's inexplicable: it's easy to follow the one I love because my heart is in it.

So it is with fasting: it's easy to follow Christ, Whom I love, when my heart is in it.

I pray for a heart-felt Lent this year. A fast in which my heart follows the way of Truth.

Feb. 20 - The Pre-Lenten Season Begins Today

Based on the First Lesson for this day, Joshua 1:1-9

The Pre-Lenten Season begins today. You might not have been thinking about Lent yet (right?). That’s why there’s a “pre-Lenten” season. The sobriety and spiritual reflection of Lent isn’t something to jump into cold. Today through Ash Wednesday, I will be reflecting on the Peoria Church theme for Lent: “The Difference Prayer Makes.” Between now and Ash Wednesday, I need to think about a way or ways my life of prayer might be different for the better. For Lent, then, how might I put that change into action?

The Hebrews didn't enter the Promised Land unprepared. In fact, under Moses' leadership they had 40 years of preparation in the wilderness and desert of Sinai. God was ready for with a leader: Joshua the son of Nun.

Lent isn't a desert nor is it wilderness. Lent is usually the most meaningful time of the Church Year for me. It seems to be my pattern that Lent is the time of year that I take living in God's Promised Land most seriously.

In Lent, I hear God say to me, as He said to Joshua: "as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." I know I will fail in my fasting, I will yield to temptation. My discipline will fall short and every morning my prayer will be the same:
"I have left undone those things which I ought to have done and I have done those things which I ought not to have done." In spite of my failures, God will not fail or forsake me.

Three times in today's lesson God speaks these words to Joshua: "Be strong and of a good courage." In preparing for Lent, these are the by-words. In accepting a discipline for Lent, I know that strength and courage are necessary for completing it well.

It's easy for me to try something that is either way too hard or way too easy. Several years I've tried to completely abstain from television or meat or the internet. In all cases I've failed miserably. And the times I've not taken the Lenten fast seriously, I've lost any meaning because my commitment has been to the season has been tepid.

Lord, help me be strong and courageous as Lent approaches. Help me have an honest evaluation of my spiritual life and guide me in the way I should go to follow Thee in the Promised Land of Thy Son, in Whose Name I pray. Amen.

Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. (Joshua 1:9)

Feb. 18 - No comment on today's reading

From the First Lesson for this day, Proverbs 8:1-21

There are times when there is simply no commentary to be made. Today is one of them:

Proverbs 8

1Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice?

2She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths.

3She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors.

4Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man.

5O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.

6Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things.

7For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

8All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them.

9They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge.

10Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold.

11For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.

12I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions.

13The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

14Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength.

15By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.

16By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.

17I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.

18Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness.

19My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver.

20I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment:

21That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures.

Life's Railway to Heaven - The ToneWay Show, E4

A Change of Pace for today :-)

Feb. 11 - The Other Side of God's Glory

From the First Lesson for this day, Ezekiel 44:4-8

Isaiah 6 is one of my favorite passages. It is an awe-inspiring scene of the glory of God. I have been known to spend long seasons of meditation just musing on that glorious time Isaiah spent in the Holy of Holies with God. In many ways, I wish I had seen what Isaiah saw. It makes me long for that time when I fall asleep in Christ to view the Heavenly glory for myself.

There is a downside of God's glory. It also reveals that which is unholy: "the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD... mark well the entering in of the house, with every going forth of the sanctuary. And thou shalt say to the rebellious... let it suffice you of all your abominations, in that ye have brought into my sanctuary strangers, uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in my sanctuary, to pollute it, even my house, when ye offer my bread, the fat and the blood, and they have broken my covenant because of all your abominations. And ye have not kept the charge of mine holy things: but ye have set keepers of my charge in my sanctuary for yourselves."

In our house, the same light that makes it safe to walk in the kitchen is the same light that shows that the dishes are undone or the clothes remain unfolded.

So it is with God's glory - the same Light that reveals the One True God is the same light that reveals the deceit, violence, and sin of mankind.

O God, let Thy Light so shine in my life that others may see Thy glory and that I may see my sins; draw me into the Presence of He Who is Light of the world. Amen.

Feb. 10 - Remembering Emmanuel

From the First Lesson for this day, Ezekiel 43:1-9

It's only been seven weeks since Christmas and yet it seems like a distant memory. Like most people, I've been re-programmed to look ahead: Valentine's Day is in just a few days, President's Day sales are gearing up and before you know it, Easter will be here - no matter how late in the calendar it really is.

Today's word from Ezekiel calls for a look back at Christmas, more specifically at Emmanuel. Though Ezekiel is his usual gloomy self, he echoes the Incarnation in his prophecy for today: "...the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever, and my holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile... and I will dwell in the midst of them for ever."

The promise of the Incarnation is "presence" - specifically, God's Presence with mankind. In these verses Ezekiel says that God's Presence will be known personally in Israel and that He will dwell with them.

Doesn't this echo John 1:14 pretty clearly: "And the Word became flesh and welt among them." It resounds with Isaiah's words: "Emmanuel - God with us."

Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of all this. It even seems appropriate in the gloomy tone of Ezekiel to know this. It doesn't matter how far anyone has wandered, how evil they have become, how much they've done to ruin the life God gave them - Jesus Christ came to give them new life, to "dwell with them" forever.

People I know who are stuck in their sin (like the Israelites were) don't like to have their sin sugar coated. They don't want plastic promises or unrealistic expectations. They want someone who understands their plight and who will walk along with them, and, eventually, to help them out of it.

Isn't this what the Incarnation is all about? God never sugar coats the sin: He comes along and brings real redemption and salvation for those who "truly repent."

It is good to remember again this wonderful promise: Emmanual - "I will dwell in the midst of them forever."

Feb. 8 - The Spread of the Holy Spirit

From the First Lesson for this day, Ezekiel 39:21-29

I love the way God restores things. He doesn't overlook sin. He doesn't soft-sell it. He doesn't "okay" it. He judges and destroys it.

On the other side of that judgment and destruction is restoration.

In God's restoration of Israel, He promises the Holy Spirit: "Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel."

After the restoration of Israel after the Captivity, there is little or no record of action of the Holy Spirit in Israel. Not in the rebuilding of the Temple. Not in the rebellion of the Maccabees. Not in the rise of the Herodians.

The action of the Holy Spirit is seen again at the Feast of Pentecost in roughly 33 AD, 50 short days after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

St. Peter cites the Prophet Joel ("I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh") in the Acts of the Apostles. But he could have easily cited the words of Ezekiel as well: "I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them..."

To me, this just demonstrates one more time that the fulfillment of the Prophecies is in Christ. The judgment of the world was laid on Him and the restoration of souls comes by the Holy Spirit.

Thank God for His consistent faithfulness to His people and to heathens like me!

Feb. 7 - A Timely Prophecy

From the First Lesson for this day, Ezekiel 38:14-33

One thing that has seemed to ring loud and clear in the recent unrest in Egypt is the fear for the safety of Israel. The history of God's people has been rife with persecution and attack and the news from Egypt bears all the marks of impending antagonism again.

Ezekiel sees the persecution in his day coming from the north, "God." Gog and Magog are generally associated with some area in what is now central Asia and Caucasus region. "...say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it? And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee... And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land... when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes."

In the case of Ezekiel's day, Israel was disobedient and unrepentant. Gog was to be God's instrument of judgment - "I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes."

How has God used non-Christians to judge me and call me to repentance?

I don't know if God is using the situation in Egypt to bring a spiritual awakening in Israel, but I know that God uses secular forces to both tempt me and to call me to repentance.

Today I watched a video on hunger in India and about a Hindu brahmin who feeds, clothes, bathes, and cares for the untouchables. His message is simple: everyone is a person of value and worth, regardless of their station in life. This Hindu, no doubt a good man, was fulfilling the law of Christ in ways I never have.

A promise comes through the prophecy as well: Though trials and judgment come, God remains faithful to His people - even when they are unfaithful to Him. "...it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel... in my jealousy [for Israel] and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel... and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD."

Like a parent who tells their child, "This is going to hurt me a lot more than it's going to hurt you," so is God's judgment on me.

Help me accept Thy judgments, Lord. Call me to repentance! Help me to turn from my own short comings to see Thy will and serve Thy people.

Feb. 5 - A Missed Day

I'm sorry to have missed today. I was too tired last night and today Alex and I went to go see Karen's Mom in the hospital. She's not doing well.

On the way home tonight, as Alex was sleeping, I was able to have a good time of prayer, remembering some of my favorite prayers and then also praying for those who came to mind as the Lord gave direction. It was nice and quiet.

I'll write more tomorrow - :-)

Feb. 4 - Ezekiel Prefigures the Resurrection

From the First Lesson for this day, Ezekiel 37:1-14

I feel bad for our fruit trees. They stand bare in the cold of winter, leafless, fruitless, and the wind speeds through the branches. It has been plain cold this winter and the trees have no protection from the temperatures.

When I read Ezekiel's familiar prophecy of the dry bones, my mind went right to the fruit trees. His vision of the Valley of Dry Bones is remarkably familiar: bare in the arid valley, lifeless, faithless, and exposed to the elements. They have no protection from the desert heat.

Soon however, the winds will change. The snow will turn to rain, the ground will soften and out of sight, roots will begin to drink. Sap will begin to flow, buds will appear and new twigs will spring from pruned branches. And before I know it, there will be fruit on the trees.

A bit more ordinary than the "foot bone connected to the ankle bone," but just as miraculous, I think.

This rejuvenation of the Valley of Dry Bones is a perfect foreshadowing of the Resurrection:

"Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves... And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD."

The Resurrection of Christ came at a time when the Jews were in a spiritual Valley of Dry Bones. And when a person meets Christ, the valley of life is dry as well.

The promise of the Resurrection is that our grave is not an end, but a beginning: as St. Paul avers, sin stings no longer, death has no victory.

When the grave of sin has been opened, we live again by the power of the Holy Ghost. God's Spirit guides and directs our lives, like the wind blowing and connecting bones and sinews in the Valley of the Dry Bones, like the warm winds of Spring, renewing the life of my dormant and fruitless trees.

God, please let the wind of the Holy Ghost blow through the dead bones of my life. Renew my faith, restore my soul, as Thou didst connect the bones of the valley seen by Ezekiel. And, Lord, may I again share the life and vision of the Risen One, in Whose glorious Name I pray. Amen.

Morning Prayer

Here are some of the prayers from the Order for Daily Morning Prayer. This is just a core of prayers - not the entire service:

THE LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him. Habakkuk 2:20
I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD. Psalm 122:1
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14

Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God.
A General Confession
¶ To be said kneeling.
ALMIGHTY and most merciful Father, We have erred, and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against thy holy laws. We have left undone
those things which we ought to have done; And we have done those things which we ought not to have done; And there is no health in us. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare thou those, O God, who
confess their faults. Restore thou those who are penitent; According to thy promises declared unto mankind In Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake; That we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, To the glory of thy holy Name. Amen.

GRANT, we beseech thee, merciful Lord, to thy faithful people pardon and peace, that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and serve thee with a quiet mind; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

OUR Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass
against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

O Lord, open thou our lips and our mouth shall show forth thy praise.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

O COME, let us sing unto the LORD;
* let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving;
* and show ourselves glad in him with psalms.
For the LORD is a great God;
* and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are all the corners of the earth;
* and the strength of the hills is his also.
The sea is his, and he made it;
* and his hands prepared the dry land.
O come, let us worship and fall down,
* and kneel before the LORD our Maker.
For he is the Lord our God;
* and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.
O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness;
* let the whole earth stand in awe of him.
For he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth;
* and with righteousness to judge the world, and the peoples with
his truth.

¶ Then shall follow a portion of the Psalms...The Psalm from the Lectionary is read. and at the end of the whole portion or selection from the Psalter, shall be sung or said the Gloria Patri:
GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Then the First Lesson is read.

There are several good canticles to be sung at this point, but my favorite is this one:

Te Deum laudamus
WE praise thee, O God; we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.
All the earth doth worship thee, the Father everlasting.
To thee all Angels cry aloud; the Heavens, and all the Powers therein;
To thee Cherubim and Seraphim continually do cry,
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabaoth;
Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of thy glory.
The glorious company of the Apostles praise thee.
The goodly fellowship of the Prophets praise thee.
The noble army of Martyrs praise thee.
The holy Church throughout all the world doth acknowledge thee;
The Father: of an infinite Majesty;
Thine adorable, true, and only Son;
Also the Holy Ghost, the Comforter.

THOU art the King of Glory, O Christ.
Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.
When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man,
Thou didst humble thyself to be born of a Virgin.
When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death,
Thou didst open the kingdom of Heaven to all believers.
Thou sittest at the right hand of God, in the glory of the Father.
We believe that thou shalt come to be our Judge.
We therefore pray thee, help thy servants,
Whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.
Make them to be numbered with thy Saints, in glory everlasting.

O LORD, save thy people, and bless thine heritage.
Govern them, and lift them up for ever.
Day by day we magnify thee;
And we worship thy Name ever, world without end.
Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this day without sin.
O Lord, have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us.
O Lord, let thy mercy be upon us, as our trust is in thee.
O Lord, in thee have I trusted; let me never be confounded.

Then the Second Lesson is read.

Then another canticle is sung. This one is also a personal favorite:
Jubilate Deo. Psalm 100

O BE joyful in the LORD, all ye lands:
* serve the LORD with gladness, and come before his presence with a song.
Be ye sure that the LORD he is God; it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves;
* we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
O go your way into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise;
* be thankful unto him, and speak good of his Name.
For the LORD is gracious, his mercy is everlasting;
* and his truth endureth from generation to generation.

The Creed

I BELIEVE in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, And of all things visible and invisible:
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, Begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of very God, Begotten, not made, Being of one substance with the Father, By whom all things were made: Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, And was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, And was made man, And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, And the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, And ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand
of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead; Whose kingdom shall have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Ghost, The Lord, and Giver of life, Who proceedeth from the Father, Who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, Who spake by the Prophets. And I believe one holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins. And I look for the Resurrection of the dead, And the Life of the world to come. Amen.

O Lord, show thy mercy upon us.
And grant us thy salvation.
O God, make clean our hearts within us.
And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.

A Collect for Peace
O GOD, who art the author of peace and lover of concord, in knowledge of whom standeth our eternal life, whose service is perfect freedom; Defend us thy humble servants in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in thy defence, may not fear the power of any adversaries,
through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Collect for Grace
O LORD, our heavenly Father, Almighty and everlasting God, who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day; Defend us in the same with thy mighty power; and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into
any kind of danger; but that all our doings, being ordered by thy governance, may be righteous in thy sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Any other personal prayers or concerns can be added here.

Feb, 2 - Redeeming Wickedness

From the First Lesson for this day, Ezekiel 36:1-15:

In 1987 Mom developed lung cancer from smoking. It was a devastating time for my brothers and sister and me. She was only 50, and the doctors didn't give her much hope for surviving.

After two years of chemo and radiation, we had a miracle: She survived. Against the odds, after getting down to 90 lbs, after spending weeks and months exhausted and limp, she survived.

For the next ten years, Mom worked with those who were trying to quit smoking in support groups and instructional sessions. She had redeemed the wickedness of smoking be seeking ways to give life to others addicted.

Ezekiel's prophecy in Chapter 34 is a story of redemption for wickedness. The Idumeans - or Edomites - were perennial foes of Israel and Judah. Their mountains and high places were strongholds of paganism, wickedness, and people opposed to God and His people.

God's judgment was waiting for Idumea: "Surely in the fire of my jealousy have I spoken against the residue of the heathen, and against all Idumea, which have appointed my land into their possession with the joy of all their heart, with despiteful minds, to cast it out for a prey... ye have borne the shame of the heathen..."

God isn't content for wickedness to be judged. God wants wickedness to be redeemed. More than making lemonade from lemons, God doesn't make wickedness bearable: He redeems it completely.

"...ye shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people of Israel; for they are at hand to come... I am for you, and I will turn unto you, and ye shall be tilled and sown... I will multiply men upon you... the cities shall be inhabited, and the wastes shall be builded... I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bring fruit... and will do better unto you than at your beginnings: and ye shall know that I am the LORD."

Thanks be to God for His mercy in times when I've wandered into wickedness. And thanks be to God for the redemption of those times, the "making of all things new" in Christ.

Jan. 31 - Feb. 1 - How Not To Be A Pastor

From the First Lessons for Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 which comprise the entire chapter of Ezekiel 34

There's a recurring theme in some movies and TV shows in which an aspiring writer or musician or actor has their talent discovered by a great agent or celebrity. They get all excited about anticipating fame and fortune only to discover that their work, which is great in their own eyes, is being used by the agent or celebrity as a lesson: Don't let this happen to you.

Neither the humor nor the irony of this lesson is lost on me as I consider my call to be a pastor ("shepherd") in God's Church. I can't tell the number of times I've left Church or a meeting or a visit or a counseling situation to feeling like a complete failure. In many ways, I have felt that my ministry has been a perfect example of that lesson: Don't let this happen to you.

Ezekiel directly cites the failures of the "shepherds" of Israel:
"Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them."

In other words: Don't let this happen to you! Feed yourself while the flock starves. Don't spend time with the wounded sheep, only with the A List sheep. Forget about the lost sheep - nothing's going to save them anyways. Don't be afraid to lean on them a little; they need it. And by all means, if the Church across town builds a gym or a coffee shop or a food pantry or a day care center or a youth center, you'd better get on the ball to keep up, or you'll lose people to them.

There are consequences to this behavior by pastors:
Verse 8 - The flock becomes prey and meat to every beast of the field...
Verse 10a - [The Lord is] against the shepherds. He will require His flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock
Verse 10b - The shepherds [won't] feed themselves any more

The trouble is, many pastors won't listen. Ezekiel puts it this way: "[God will] judge between cattle and cattle, between the rams and the he goats. Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? and to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet? ...as for my flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet; and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet... I will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle. Because ye have thrust with side and with shoulder, and pushed all the diseased with your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad..."

God will deliver His flock from the so-called "shepherds."

He will send a Good Shepherd to His flock, His Divine Son Jesus Christ (John 10:11-18). Ezekiel gives a pattern for good shepherds, which he foretold of the Good Shepherd Jesus Christ. Ezekiels' list:

Verse 11 - God Himself "will both search my sheep and seek them out."

Verse 12 - God Himself "will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day."

Verse 13 - God Himself "will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them"

Verse 14 - God Himself "will feed them in a good pasture [where] they shall lie in a good fold and in a fat pasture"

Verse 16 - God Himself "will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away and will bind up that which was broken and will strengthen that which was sick"

Verse 23 - God Himself "will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd."

The job of the shepherd becomes clear:

1) Feed the flock first. I know and hear of pastors who spend so much time in their own "spiritual feed bag" that they don't get around to feeding the Church. They rationalize: "I can't feed the flock if I don't take care of my own spiritual needs." Balderdash. They are so focused on their education, their professionalism, their church-politicking, their need to be in control, they neglect the sheep. A shepherd who feeds the flock well will be well taken care of in return - not by men, but by God.

2) Feed the flock good food. There are pastors who barely use their Bible in preaching. Some sermons sound more like a plug for a book deal or a plea for money than nourishment to souls. "Good spiritual food" comes from the Word of God, from pastors who spend time in the presence of God, from those who pray for the flock.

3) Souls are healed. God is faithful to His flock if the shepherd is willing to work. Tending broken sheep isn't pretty. When we had sheep (years ago), I learned that they would sooner step on you than let you help them; but without help, they would get infected and worse. Sheep are dirty, smelly, and lack foresight. If the shepherd isn't getting dirty or smelly, he's not doing his job.

4) The wanderer is welcomed back. I know from experience that the Church is much better at getting rid of people than it is in restoring them. It is much easier to keep the Church looking 'churchy' than to bring in those beat up by life. I know wanderers... they don't look or act churchy. But Church is where they need to be.

5) Go after the lost. Where are people who don't know God? The obvious places are in dens of sin, places that flout God and morality. However, I suspect more people are lost in their own place, lonely men and women who find themselves in unhappy relationships, in cold homes and lacking meaning and purpose in life. That is where the real lost are.

6) Shepherds lead with grace, not force. I work with a woman who belonged to a very strict Church. When she and her husband broke the rules, was she taken care of with grace? No. I've seen the excommunication letter: she was whacked with a stick of words that made me nauseous. Most Churches aren't that flagrant, but there are plenty of ways that the cruelty of gossip and the force of social status have done as much harm.

7) Shepherds seek unity with other Christians. Ezekiel describes the flock as "scattered." As long as pastors act like shop keepers competing for business, the flock will remain scattered. Are members of various Churches encouraged to serve together, to worship together, to break bread together? None did search or seek after them. As long Christians are denied Communion with one another, expected to profess loyalty to men, and burdened by denominational hierarchy, they can't truly seek unity with their brothers and sisters in Christ.

With Jesus Christ the Good Shepherd, and good shepherds as pastors of God's flock, there are promises to be fulfilled.

A Covenant of Peace (v. 25). God will give evil to cease and the flock will dwell in safety and sleep in peace.

Blessing (v. 26). Because they will be in God's Presence, they will be blessed by Him. As the old hymn says, "there shall be showers of blessing."

Provision and Protection (v. 27). The showers of blessing will yield fruit. Protection comes just in knowing God is Lord and that He has
"broken the bands of the yoke."

Truth (v. 28). Ezekiel says "they shall no more be a prey to the heathen." The way to fend off heathenism, with its fables and fantasies, is Truth.

Lord, I have failed Thee in so many ways as a pastor. Please lead me to the Good Shepherd, and may I follow Him, that I may be a better pastor of Thy flock. Amen.

Readings for February

Here is the list of Bible readings for Morning Prayer for February (all readings, not just the First Lesson).

Taken from the Lectionary of the Book of Common Prayer (Morning Prayer) of the Reformed Episcopal Church

Date - Observance - Psalm - First Lesson - Second Lesson
Feb. 1 - 57, 58 - Ezek. 34:17-end - Matt. 27:11-26
Feb. 2 - Candlemas -61, 62 - Ezek. 36:1-15 - Matt. 27:27-44
Feb. 3 - 65, 66 - Ezek. 36:16-36 - Matt. 27:45-56
Feb. 4 - 69:1-21 - Ezek. 37:1-14 - Matt. 27:57-end
Feb. 5 - 71, 76 - Ezek. 37:15-end - Matt. 28
Feb. 6 - Epiphany V - 15, 85 - Ruth 1:1-17 - Col. 3:5-11
112, 113 - Hab. 1:12-2:4, 9-14 - Luke 12:35-48
34:1-10 - Zech. 8:1-17 - Acts 15:1-31
Exod. 19:10-25 - Heb. 12:14-end
Feb. 7 - 72:1-end - Ezek. 38:14-end - Rev. 1:12-end
Feb. 8 - 74:1-end - Ezek. 39:21-end - Rev. 2:1-11
Feb. 9 - 78:1-30 - Ezek. 40:1-4 - Rev. 2:12-end
Feb. 10 - 78:55-end; 79 - Ezek. 43:1-9 - Rev. 3:1-6
Feb. 11 - 83; 84 - Ezek. 44:4-8 - Rev. 3:7-13
Feb. 12 - 87; 88 - Ezek. 47:1-12 - Rev. 3:14-end
Feb. 13 - Epiphany VI - 138 - Isa. 2:6-19 - Matt. 25:14-29
93, 98 - Isa. 66:1-2, 10-24 - 2 Thes. 1
127; 128 - Isa. 5:1-7 (-16) - John 15:1-11
Feb. 14 - 82; 89:1-18 - Exod. 16:9-15 - John 6:25-35
Feb. 15 - 90:1-end - Isa. 60:13-20 - John 8:12-19
Feb. 16 - 94:1-end - Ezek. 34:1-16 - John 10:7-16
Feb. 17 - 102:1-11 - Dan. 12:1-4 - John 11:17-27
Feb. 18 - 104:1-14 - Prov. 8:1-21 - John 14:1-6
Feb. 19 - 105:1-22 - Isa. 5:1-7 - John 15:1-8
Feb. 20 - Septuagesima - 20, 121 - Josh. 1:1-9 - 2 Tim. 2:1-13
1 & 18:21-35 - Ezek. 3:4-11 - Matt. 5:1-16
1 & 125 - Deut. 5:1-21 - Luke 13:22-end
71 - Prov. 3:1-8 - Mark 4:1-20
Feb. 21 - 72:1-11 - Hos. 1:2-2:1 - 2 Cor. 1:1-14
Feb. 22 - 74:1-11 - Hos. 2:2-17 - 2 Cor. 1:15-2:4
Feb. 23 - 78:1-16 - Hos. 2:18-3:end - 2 Cor. 2:5-end
Feb. 24 - 78:56-end; 79 - Hos. 4:1-14 - 2 Cor. 3
Feb. 25 - 83; 84 - Hos. 4:15-5:7 - 2 Cor. 4
Feb. 26 - 87; 88 - Hos. 5:8-6:6 - 2 Cor. 5
Feb. 27 - Sexagesima - 33 - Isa. 50:4-10 - 2 Cor. 12:1-12
Isa. 30:8-21 - Mark 4:26-34
73:1-end - 2 Ki. 4:8-37 - Mark 1:21-end
2 Ki. 5:1-14 - Mark 7:24-end
Feb. 28 - 82; 89:1-18 - Hos. 8 - 2 Cor. 6:1-13

Septuagesima and Sexagesima (with Quinquagesima on Mar. 6) are the Pre-Lenten season.

Jan. 29 - God's Promise in Spite of Rejection

From the First Lesson for this day, Ezekiel 33:21-33

"...the people living in those ruins in the land of Israel are saying, ‘Abraham was only one man, yet he possessed the land. But we are many; surely the land has been given to us as our possession.’ Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Since you eat meat with the blood still in it and look to your idols and shed blood, should you then possess the land? You rely on your sword, you do detestable things, and each of you defiles his neighbor’s wife. Should you then possess the land?’"

Ezekiel is right on the money. How often do I expect God's promises to be fulfilled on His part and yet I don't do a thing about my part?

At the same time, Ezekiel missed the blessing of the New Testament - God upholds His end of the covenant through thick and thin.

Under the Old Testament, punishment was swift for disobedience:
- those who are left in the ruins will fall by the sword
- those out in the country I will give to the wild animals to be devoured
- those in strongholds and caves will die of a plague
- I will make the land a desolate waste
- her proud strength will come to an end
- the mountains of Israel will become desolate so that no one will cross them.

The grace of God in the New Testament is this: Jesus Christ has borne the punishment that I deserve.

The terms of the Old Testament still stand for the people of His Covenant. The land, the promises, the terms, all are still standing. St. Paul reaffirms this in Romans.

But for me and the Church, grace prevails. God's promise was made before I knew Him. "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

Jan. 28 - Boromir, Rohan, and The Trumpet

From the First Lesson for this day, Ezekiel 33:1-20

In J.R.R. Tolkein's Lord of the Rings, a character named Boromir faces and fails a significant temptation. Upon learning of his error (too late), Boromir finds himself surrounded by mortal enemies. As he begins a futile battle against impossible odds, he sounds the "Horn of Gondor," beckoning whatever friends to his aid.

Unfortunately, the friends arrive too late. Boromir is slain and the enemy moves on its sinister plot.

Later in the saga, the city of Minas Tirith is under seige, again by an impossibly fierce and unrelenting enemy. Hope for the beleaguered residents is nearly gone. Assistance from former allies seems to be for naught. Then suddenly, as the enemy has breached the walls of the city and soldier and civilian fall into despair, a horn - and horns - pierce the air.

The armies of Rohan have arrived on horseback: the battle is turned and the enemy is defeated.

In today's lesson, I can't help but think of those two episodes when the Lord calls Ezekiel to be a watchman on the walls: "set him for their watchman: If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people..."

The Lord's advice is pretty straightforward. If they hear the trumpet and don't listen, destruction will come. If they hear the trumpet and listen, they will live.

But God takes the lesson even one step further, by placing the onus on the watchman to sound the trumpet. It's not enough to be faced with an enemy and to grit your teeth to fight. The watchman's role is to give the warning ahead of time.

What is the warning? For the righteous, the warning is to be aware and wary of the snares of the wicked. All of their righteousness will mean nothing if they succumb to the ways of evildoers: "The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth."

The warning for the wicked is also clear: turn from wickedness and live. "When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right; If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die."

The warning of the trumpets is neutral - what I do with the warnings makes all the difference.

I suspect if Boromir had sounded the trumpet when facing temptation rather than after giving in to it, the battle that followed may have gone differently, and he may have lived.

Likewise, Minas Tirith heard the sound of the trumpet and it was a rallying cry for them. All was not lost and vistory would be theirs.

When I hear God's warnings in my own life, they are rarely as clear as a trumpet. They're more like a pleading of the Holy Spirit from within. "Watch what you say." "Be careful with what you're spending." "Check your attitude."

Heavenly Father, sound the trumpet in my life. And where it's necessary, let me be your watchman, your trumpeteer, for others who need to hear. Amen.

Jan. 27 - Not Living Up to Potential

From the First Lesson for this day, Ezekiel 28:11-19

I have heard that there were parents who used to tell their kids, "One day when you grow up you can be ________."

They see that potential in their children. I saw it my children. Allison was born at a time when girls were coming into their own - women in the 1970's forged the way and girls of the 1980's are filled with the talents to be anything they want. Alex was musical from the get go, with a talent for rhythm that I never had and a sense for sound and expression that would lead him anywhere.

Then comes sin. It's the same for all children, including me. We are filled with potential and the life of sin takes its toll. I know a bright young man who finished over three years of college, only to drop out because of malaise. I know a state champion level wrestler who would have gone to college on a scholarship had he not dropped out six weeks before graduation because of his drug habit.

This is what the Lord is lamenting in this passage, relating to the King of Tyre: "Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God... the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created... thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee."

I look at my own life. While I have successfully dodged the "big sins" and their ruinous effects, I have plenty of times committed "little sins." I have harbored unforgiveness. I have thought ill of my neighbor. I haven't been as generous as I could be. I have yielded to "iniquity" in many small ways over my life time. The result of these little sins is no less dramatic.

- Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty
- Thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness
- Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities

The King of Tyre is not so much different than me, I guess. May I get past my sins to live the life God has called me to live.

Jan. 26 - Pride and Destruction

From the First Lesson for this day, Ezekiel 28:1-10

A little self-confidence goes a long way. I need to be able to think I can do something in order to muster the ambition to do it. If I don't know how to get something accomplished, I can find out how and then give it a try.

There needs to be a check though. How often in my efforts do I use personal pronouns? How often do I confuse my will with God's: "thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God: Behold, thou art wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from thee:

It seems to me that Tyre (Tyrus) had gotten caught up in the whole business of self-confidence. In Bible Study about a year ago we were studying Ezekiel and I recall this chapter on Tyre as being tragic. People had put forth great effort to buid a city and culture that influenced the whole Mediterranean. Yet, in their pride they only built destruction.

It wasn't their army that was weak or their civic institutions that were wrong-headed. It wasn't for a lack of industry or effort.

It was for their lack of God.

Efforts that are done without God are doomed to fail. Whenever God is actively or passively left out of my work, I know it. I sense a lack of direction. I experience confusion and mixed messages. I lack direction and I see the results of this: not "destruction" in the same manner that Tyre did, but more like a car spinning its wheels in the mud - a sloppy, futile, worthless mess.

God, please help me battle against pride in my daily living. When I am arrogant, remind me of my limitations. When I am selfish, please bring someone to me whom I may serve. When I forget Thee, please provide a place for me to stop and remember. Thou art truly and wholly God, whom I need and adore. Amen.

Jan. 25 - The Conversion of St. Paul

Today (Jan. 25) commemorates the Conversion of St. Paul. Today's reading is from the Second Lesson for this day, II Corinthians 12:1-9.

People look at those who have conversion experiences with skepticism.

The drunk who quits drinking... can he stay dry?
The liar who discovers the Truth... can he really be believed?
The bigot who starts to love his neighbor... aren't we waiting for the next racial joke?
The one who cheats on his wife... what do we think when he's late from work?

St. Paul's Conversion is no exception. His reputation as a Christ-persecuting zealot, a legalist of the legalistic Pharisees, and a holier-than-thou schemer was well-founded. So it was only natural that when he had his conversion experience on the Damascus Road, Christians everywhere feared his arrival. His missionary trips in new territory met with great success, but when he approached areas where there were already Christians fear and dread was de rigeur.

Paul describes his conversion in II Corinthians 12. He used the third person to describe it. Maybe he chose a more abstract manner to tell his story in order to allay fears about whether or not his conversion was real.

I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago... caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man... How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities.

By avoiding telling the story about himself, Paul helps us to look at the glory of the One Who saved him.

It's not that Paul didn't want his conversion story to be about him: "For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool." Whenever we make 'being saved' or 'converted' or 'born again' about ourselves, we miss the whole point of salvation. God saves because that is His Essence to save us. It was never His desire that we should be lost.

God gives us means to remain humble. For Adam, it was the forbidden fruit. For Noah, it was the ark. For Moses, it was his stammering tongue. For David, it was his wandering eye.

And for Paul it was his "thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure."

This is the whole point of conversion. Not to see a bright light on a country road. Not to be knocked from a horse in fear. Not to hear the voice of God from Heaven.

Instead, in the process of conversion, it should be my prayer to hear the voice of the Lord saying "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness."

And with the Apostle, I will say to any who will hear: "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

Jan. 24 - Trying God's Patience

From the First Lesson for this day, Ezekiel 20:1-20

I often wish I could take back all the times I've honked at someone in slow traffic, or glared at someone as I sped past them going 45 in a 55. I wish I could take back every instance of impatience I've demonstrated in grocery lines or waiting for restaurants or lamenting poor service or otherwise flouting my personal agenda at the expense of others.

Since the creation of the world, God has been infinitely patient with mankind. His mercy withheld His judgment on the whole world, with the exception of the Flood.

He has provided abundantly from the fruits of the earth... all for humanity that has rejected Him.

He has given men and women brilliant minds to write and create art and to discover scientific wisdom... all for a humanity that doesn't believe in Him.

He has given us relationships with spouses, friends, children, neighbors - all people of the world - so that we might know love... all for a race that doesn't return His love.

In Ezekiel 20, God's patience is definitely tested. He uses Israel's own history to demonstrate that it is not God Who has left Israel, but Israel has left God:
"[Ezekiel], cause them to know the abominations of their fathers... Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day when I chose Israel, and lifted up mine hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known unto them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up mine hand unto them, saying, I am the LORD your God... I lifted up mine hand unto them, to bring them forth of the land of Egypt into a land that I had espied for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands... said I unto them, Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto me: they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt: then I said, I will pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt."

And so Ezekiel continues, with God's words railing against the impertinence of Israel in the face of God's gracious patience.

If God were behind me in line at the grocery, would He hem and haw and tap His foot?

Would God lay on the horn behind me in traffic?

Probably not.

But God has infinite patience with me - enough that He sent His Only-begotten Son into the world to demonstrate His love and patience with me.

The difference between Ezekiel's day and our own is that God's patience has been tried and the earth has been judged - not with destruction but at the Cross. God's patience was at an end with sin, so to resolve it, He conquered sin and death through His Son in the Resurrection. God's patience with cruel men was at an end, so like a the loving father in the parable, He opens His arms to the prodigal sinner.

Thank God for His patience with me!

Jan. 23 - The Promise of Being Chosen

From the First Lesson for this day, the Third Sunday of Epiphanytide,
Isaiah 41:8-10 and 41:17-20
(I am sorry for the delay on this: we have had internet connection problems.)

I was the kid who was always chosen last for dodge ball in gym class. I was the kid who was chosen for my height - not my ability - in basketball. I was the one chosen to be in the chorus in school plays because they needed more boys, never a main part, which I wanted.

The things I was chosen for are not things I wanted to be chosen for. I was chosen to be in the first family in our Church to get a divorce. I was chosen to witness the violence of my parents' marriage. I was chosen to be one of those kids who works from the time they're thirteen.

Yet God has blessed me greatly in the things He has chosen for me.

In Romans and other places in the New Testament, St. Paul calls the Church the "new Israel." Indirectly, then, he is also saying that I, too, am part of God's Chosen People, not by the will of the flesh, but by the choosing of God.

This leads to all sorts of theological issues for minds greater than mine to argue: predestination, Arminianism, etc. But for me, today, this acceptance into God's new Israel is full of promise, as Isaiah states:

"But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend."

In God's grace, through Christ, He calls me His servant, like Jacob, I have been chosen by God, not born of the seed of Jacob, but of the seed of Grace through the Virgin Mary. By grace, I am one whom the Prophet foretold, "whom I have taken from the ends of the earth... I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away." (Is there a more diverse group on earth than the Church?)

I don't mean to be proud in writing this. All who know God through faith in Jesus Christ are "chosen."

Isaiah's voice tells of God's grace to His chosen ones:
"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness... When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none... I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them... That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it."

Not only did God choose me, as He chose the people of Israel and as He continues to choose those who are in His Church, He provides for His people. He promises to be with me through thick and thin. He promises to hear my plea for the basics of life. He promises that I can "see, know, consider, and understand" the will of God through the circumstances of life.

There are people who want more out of life than this. They want material things. They want answers to problems (now!). They want to avoid pain, to elude suffering, to miss being dependent on others.

And there are people who want to know God.

My prayer is that I will know God through the suffering of this life, because He has chosen me to be His own.

Jan. 21 - A Living Example

From the First Lesson for this day, Ezekiel 14:12-end

One of the examples of hope in the Bible is the "remnant" that Ezekiel and the other prophets refer to. When times get their bleakest, sin get its heaviest, days are their darkest, there is always a remnant of faithful men and women. Their devotion to God is an example to those around them. They see that God remains true and faithful to those who trust in Him.

In the second half of Ezekiel 14 there are some of the grimmest prophecies in the Old Testament. Even the land is seen cursing the faithless of Israel.

But God promises a remnant. The remnant's role is simple:
"...they shall comfort you, when ye see their ways and their doings: and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it..."

When it comes to suffering under the yoke of sin, what better do sinners need than comfort?

When there are questions for how to get our of the snares of a wayward life, what better than to have someone demonstrate God's "ways and doings."

What better key to understanding than to be able to see God's reasoning for what has happened in life.

Thanks Lord for Thy Remnant.




I never want to presume to be in the "remnant." I am far too faithless for that. It is far more likely that I'll be with those marching off to captivity in chains, or worse yet, left in the dry and barren desolation of Jerusalem.

Jan. 20 - A Change of Pace

Today's entry is the sermon I shared in Chapel at Timbercrest this morning. It is rooted in the readings from Ezekiel thus far.

Message – Jan. 20, 2011

I write a daily blog called “Piety and Devotion.” It’s based on the old lectionary from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer, which is the lectionary we use at our Church. Since Epiphany, the Old Testament Lessons have been in Ezekiel. Every day I’ve been reading and writing down my thoughts about Ezekiel’s prophecies and preaching.

To be honest, Ezekiel is getting to me. It’s not his messages… I really enjoyed the first chapter or two in which Ezekiel saw the glory of God, the six-winged cherubim, the amber fires and the glorious rainbow. Who of us isn’t familiar with the “wheel in a wheel way up in the middle of the air”?

It’s not even Ezekiel’s negativity. Ezekiel was dealing with heavy sins that needed significant repentance. The people had been violent, idolatrous, abusive, oppressive, immoral, and nearly every other violation of God’s commandments and general human decency. I understand that sin can become entrenched and there are times when you can no longer mince words.

I think what is getting to me about Ezekiel is the realization that he is preaching and preaching and no one is apparently listening.

That may be the message of this morning, for me and our community today.

I’ve been preaching for over thirty years. In college, I went with ministry teams around to various Churches in the Anderson area. Usually there were a couple who sang, someone else was worship leader and I was usually the preacher. Out of college, I preached in a different format, through Youth for Christ, with junior high kids. I’ve preached in Quaker churches of every kind and I’ve filled the pulpit in several different denominations.

The thing is, when I look through my files of sermons and re-read bulletins that I’ve kept over the years, I can hardly recall the things I’ve said.

I’ve preached and preached and I’ve wondered if I’ve even been listening to myself. I begin to find the ruts and preach where things are comfortable. Peace with God through Jesus Christ, deepening prayer life, living at peace with your family and neighbors, the holidays, and so forth.

Maybe you’ve felt the same way. Some of us here in the Chapel have been in Church and listening to sermons for many, many years. It’s likely that you have been where I’ve been. You like sermons about certain topics, you have expectations of what to hear and what not to hear, and when you hear certain passages, you already have formed ideas about what it means.

In many respects, this is Ezekiel’s message to the people of Israel: “You have stopped listening to God.”

When you or I stop listening to God, the consequences are almost immediate.

When we stop listening to God, we begin worshiping other things. This is the idolatry that Ezekiel preaches about. The actions of worship can become mundane and routine and the idea of God and what God has to say to us can become background noise. We don’t really hear because we’re not really listening.

When we stop listening to God, we turn to our own devices. This is the violence and pride that Ezekiel preaches about. Without God’s voice telling us to love our neighbors, we are left to our own devices. We are selfish, putting ourselves, our needs, our wants, and our priorities above those of others. Without God’s voice telling us what justice is, justice becomes a case of situational ethics, and what works in one place may not be just in another. What is right to me may not be right for you, and vice versa.

In Ezekiel’s day, religion had become the avocation of the “professionally religious,” the Temple keepers. The common man kept the Sabbath, circumcised his sons, made sure his boys were Bar Mitzvah, and kept the dietary laws, but little else. And the professionally religious had become corrupt through and through. Ezekiel gives a grim vision of their secret idolatry and creeping things and abominable beasts in Chapter 8.

In addition, the Israelites made unholy pacts with their neighbors. These treaties were good for the moment, but they depended on unrealiable neighbors to take care of the deficiencies of Israel’s character. The resulting compromises led to petty jealousies and broken trade agreements, skirmishes and border wars that epitomize Ezekiel’s words in Chapter 13 – “peace when there is no peace.”

This brings me back to my blog.

Toward the end of last year, I was feeling as if I had read and read, and preached and preached, but I was, in a sense, no longer listening to God. Most of the Bible reading I was doing was sermon preparation or Bible study preparation. Especially over the holidays, I had to devise ways to retell the story of Christ’s birth in a way, using Scriptures, that might make the time-honored account vital again. I knew that this would happen again, as we made our way through yet another cycle of the Church Year.

It dawned on me that it wasn’t the Bible that was in a rut – it was me.

Because I love to write, I decided a blog would be a good way to be accountable. A blog is simply like a journal that is on the internet. To one degree or another, others can read what’s in the blog, or it can be your own journal.

In order to shape the blog, I needed structure. The lectionary we have used at Peoria Church seemed a natural one. I’ve primarily used it for Sunday services, but there are daily readings for morning and evening, selections from the Psalms, and other holidays and special occasions.

The blog also provides me with accountability. I can’t write anything there if I don’t read anything.

Ezekiel and the other prophets were God’s method of giving accountability to His people. If they refused to listen to the prophets, they were refusing to listen to God Himself.

This brings me back to the realization of my own spiritual needs and the example set by many of you at Timbercrest.

I am motivated by the likes of Byron Miller, whose daily devotions and the use of the hymnal to guide his prayer life have led him to a deep and close walk with God.

I am challenged by the desire to teach, like Olden Mitchell, who affectionately and with truth talks about Timbercrest as a “graduate school” preparing the resident community for Heaven.

I am inspired by the joyful enthusiasm of Marie Willoughby who sees the bright side of everyone and the joy of the moment, even when things get tough.

I see the diligent works of faith of Don and Mary Ritchey and their quiet efforts simply to be brother and sister in Christ to each person they meet.

These are only a few examples. I could go on about most of the people who live at Timbercrest. But the point is this: the Christian life is and can be vital, dynamic, and life changing, even after many, many years of preaching.

In a way, I hope my blog does the same thing for others, what you have provided for me. I hope it helps others find a deeper, closer walk with God. I hope it teaches others in their pathway to Heaven. I hope it helps others see the bright side of life and encourages readers to be brother and sister in Christ to their fellow man.

And, selfishly, I hope that the blog will help keep me out of the rut that Ezekiel was preaching about, if I stay in a position to listen.

Jan. 19 - Truth in Preaching

From the First Lesson for this day, Ezekiel 13:1-16

I have a pastor friend of mine who once told me he's only good in any given Church for about three years. He said that's all the sermons he has. He can't think of anything else to preach on.

He was serious.

I don't write this to gloat. I just don't understand it. To preach God's word is such a privilege. I think there's a sermon on every page.

It's not enough to preach the Bible. I am called to preach the Bible but I am called to preach the Truth. The Bible shouldn't be used to deceive, manipulate or cajole. The Bible should be preached in love - which is the real proof of preaching the Truth.

Ezekiel's ministry was one of the Truth. It was hard Truth for people in very deep sin. But it was the Truth.
* Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!
* Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the LORD.
* They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The LORD saith
* Because ye have spoken vanity, and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, saith the Lord GOD.

Wow. God forgive me if I have preached in vanity. Give me the strength the preach Thy Truth.

Ezekiel doesn't mince words with preachers/prophets:
"...mine hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity, and that divine lies: they shall not be in the assembly of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD. Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there was no peace..."

I am convicted by this responsibility. There can be no greater punishment than to be forbidden from 'the assembly of the people', no not have my name wirtten in the house of God's people. I would be ashamed to have my only experience of knowing God from outside His Promised Land.

The most shameless seduction away from the Truth seems to be in the an area that is very dear to me, the area of peace. I am a pacifist and have held that conviction since I was very young. But I understand what God is saying - without Him there can be no real peace, either between peoples or in the human soul.

Yet many things are out there - many things are preached - to bring peace that can bring no peace.

Between nations, we are deceived that military might will bring peace; we are told that economic stability will bring peace; we believe that economic justice will bring true justice and peace for all. Nothing could be further from the Truth. Military might brings peace only through the subjection of those who are weaker. Economic stability is a man-made fallacy - "the poor you shall with you always" says the Lord. (It is how we treat the poor that determines our real love and Truth.)

Worse yet are the deceptions that are supposed to bring personal peace. Physical fitness will make you well. Depending on medicine and physicians will give you peace of mind. Intellectual knowledge can temper the desires of the soul.

While physical fitness promotes wellness, the body is only a temporary vessel. Wellness for me at 25 is an entirely different thing for me at 52. Medicine and physicians are good, but medicine cannot reach the inner man.

Lord, let me preach Thy Truth so that people may know Thy peace and, in finding peace, may they also know Jesus Christ, Who is the Truth. Amen.

Jan. 18 - God's Word Shall Be Done

From the First Lesson for this day, Ezekiel 12:17-28

It's a shame that most of Ezekiel's words seems to be negative. But he was dealing with major sins with people who were significantly unrepentant.

I want to take a more positive approach. The Word of the Lord has been accomplished in God's Son Jesus Christ. This makes matters particularly urgent.

When Ezekiel says, "the people of the land (Judah and Israel)... her land may be desolate from all that is therein, because of the violence of all them that dwell therein,"he is foretelling the words of St. Paul in Romans when he says, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." There is nothing more desolate than a sinful life.

When Ezekiel says, "ye shall know that I am the LORD," he is affirming what St. John would know in his Gospel centuries later: "as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name." We know the Lord whenwe know His Only-begotten Son.

Ezekiel says, "I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel... For I am the LORD: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged." This reminds me of that glorious Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit infused all who believed with God's power and God's word. The "proverb ceased" because the One Who gives the proverb is alive in the Christian soul.

Finally, Ezekiel proclaims that "There shall none of my words be prolonged any more, but the word which I have spoken shall be done." I can't help hear St. Paul preaching to the Corinthians: "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." Salvation happened at Calvary and every day since has been God's Day of Salvation.

Lord, let me watch for the fulfillment of Thy Word. Amen.

Jan. 17 - God is Faithful

From the First Lesson for this day, Ezekiel 11:14-25

It is sometimes difficult to remember that God has promises for our good when you're in the middle of difficulty. His Word today is a reminder of just that fact.

In Ezekiel's time, many of the Jews were captivity and growing comfortable in Babylon. And the ones who remained in what was left of Judah were growing comfortable without those who had been taken away. It is likely true that by the end of the 70 years of captivity, both groups might just as well forget God's promises and keep to themselves.

But God has a different idea. To those who stayed back, God reminded them that Palestine was their land AND the land of those taken captive. The naysayers would have to learn this again.

Not only that, those taken captive would learn again that the Promised Land was not for their privilege, but it was for God's purpose and they were part of that purpose.

The mentality of those who stayed back reminds me so much of many Christians. We get comfortable with our salvation and think it's only for us. There are Churches who won't take communion with one another. There are some Christians who still won't worship with one another. There are some Christians who acknowledge that there are other Christians, but they are "less Christian" than they are because they don't dress like them or talk like them or believe exactly the same on everything.

It is easy to forget that "God so loved the world." Not just a little enclave of saints worshiping here or there. He loves sinners. He loves the poor, the homeless, the ill, the imprisoned. He loves the soul that is lost in addiction, the soul beaten down by life, the soul adrift in depression and anxiety.

God so loved the world that He gave His Only-begotten Son.

The promise was not just for those who stayed back in Palestine, but also for those in captivity. They had a role to play in God's salvation of the world. They were His people. They were heirs of His promise.

A lot happened during the captivity that would shape the world into which Jesus Christ would be born. It was in Babylon that the synnagogue system would develop, so that the Jews would have a means of worship other than the Temple in Jerusalem. In Babylon, the party of the Pharisees would rise up. It is likely that Jesus' Sabbath school teachers would have been Pharisees. In Babylon, it is likely that the wise men's predecessors would have first been exposed to Judaism and would have first learned of "Bethlehem in Judea."

God is indeed faithful, whether I like it or not. That's because His will is bigger than me: it encompasses the world beyond my little corner of Roann, Indiana. There is a lot that goes on relating to the salvation of souls that I can't even imagine: missionaries at work in countries I'll never see, evangelists reaching crowds who don't speak my language, and co-workers and neighbors sharing the Gospel one-on-one with people I won't meet until we meet in Heaven.

Thank God for His long-term faithfulness to His promises, in spite of the short-sightedness of His children!

Jan. 16 - Presence and Promise

From the First Lesson for this day, Zechariah 8:1-8, 20-23

Today's First Lesson takes a departure from the somewhat negative tone of Ezekiel by switching to Zechariah. I'm glad. In this cold, cloudy weather, I can use a break from the gloom. The Sunday readings in the Lectionary are usually out of sequence with the weekday readings.

I don't usually see that what God has in mind for me is for my good. I know this in my head, but I tend to doubt it in my heart. How can disagreements in my staff be for my good? How can financial struggles be God's blessing? When I get short-tempered or harbor stress or worry about my family, my vision gets clouded to the fact that what God has in mind my good.

The Lord says through Zechariah: "I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy... I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain."

In other words, God looks out fiercely for my best interests. Like a parent seeking the best for his children... Like a husband protecting his wife from harm... And God's words are backed up by His Presence.

I remember when Allison was in high school and we allowed her to go to a school dance after a basketball game. She had been fairly sassy prior to the game, so we told her that because of that she had to leave the dance at 11 p.m., not a minute later. At 11:01, she wasn't out yet, so I went into the dance to get her. I did nothing to embarass her, however, as soon as she knew I was present, she knew is was time to go.

Presence adds strength to promise.

God's Presence with the people gives them great strength:
* Old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age.
* The streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing.
* If it is marvellous in the eyes of God's people it will be marvellous in God's eyes
* God will save His people from their enemies
* They shall be God's people, and He will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.

The wonder of God's promises to His people is that the blessings for them are for the whole world: for me!

See what His Word to Zechariah is:
"It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people... Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts... many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD... In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you."

All these things God has accomplished for me and for the world in Christ. He gives new life to the elderly - and to those aged by sin. He loves the joyful life of children and calls me to have their faith. He marvels in what I do that pleases Him and forgives me when I displease Him.

Each day I see God's Presence in my life. May He help me see His promises as well.

Jan 15. - Empty House

From the First Lesson for this day, Ezekiel 10:1-19

I am alone while I write this. Karen is at her mother's and Alex is at a concert. Buddy is in the other room snoozing on the couch.

The house is otherwise empty. Yet, I'm comfortable. The familiar sounds of the fridge and the heat are all around. There is the nagging hum of the flourescent lights in the kitchen. I'm wrapped in a blanket a friend made me from yarn that was left after my Mom died, for some purpose Mom intended, completed for me as a reminder of her.

There is one thing. I have this legendary fear of the dark. When it comes time to go to bed, I'll be up and down the stairs at least twice, making sure there are lights on up before I turn them all off down.

It's not the empty house that scares me. It's the empty house without light that kindles my fear.

This may be the sense that Ezekiel had at the end of today's reading:
"Then the glory of the LORD departed from off the threshold of the house..."

What would it be like if the glory of God left my life? If the glory of God left the Church I serve? Why would God withdraw His glory? Is that even possible?

I don't know what I'd do if God would leave me. I've been close to Him for as long as I can remember. Even before I made a conscious decision to be a Christian in college, I've always felt Him to be close by. When I was a boy, it was as if God were a companion. In junior high and high school, when my parents' marriage fell apart, God seemed to be reliably stable. Ever since college, God has been a faithful companion.

I think if God were to leave me, I think it would be a loneliness beyond description. It would be an agony I don't know if I could bear. When loved ones I know have died, there has always been the promise of seeing them again. I think if God left me, I would feel as if that hope would be gone as well.

If God's glory left the Church I would feel responsible. Maybe Ezekiel felt responsible for the glory leaving the Temple. I think it would be my own negligence of God's Word and power that would have brought it about.

I've been in Churches where there is no "glory." Nice buildings. Great music. Beautiful settings. But like the rulers of the Temple from yesterday's reading, these Churches have idols and 'creeping things' in them. Toleration of sin and violence. Idolatry expressed in the love of money and form. Loyalty to social trends and disloyalty to God's morals.

They are like an empty house with no lights.

Why would God withdraw His glory? Is that even possible? I don't think God pulls away His glory as much as His glory is asked to leave by my actions or by the actions of the Church. In the case of the people in Ezekiels' day, God has been very tolerant of many things. His grace was boundless. Yet, through their own efforts again and again, the glory of God was dismissed.

God won't judge, they said.
We are God's people, they felt.
God judges others, not us, they opined.

And when they gave God cause for judgment, He meted it out by simply departing from them. They were left to the consequences of being without Him: lawlessness, violence, wickedness, immorality, idolatry, sin, and every other vice.

These aren't the familiar sounds of an empty house. They are the fearful things found in the dark.

May God's glory continue to provide comfort and light.

Jan. 14 - What happens in ... stays in ... ?

From the First Lesson for this day, Ezekiel 8:1-18

When I was young, I loved superheroes. Beyond their super powers, I think what enthralled me were their secret lives.

Did Lois Lane really not recognize Superman as Clark Kent just because he wore glasses?

Was Mary Jane really clueless when Peter Parker developed the skills and physique of the Spiderman?

How was it possible for Batman to drive so fast into the Bat Cave?

The thing about secret lives is that they almost always get found out. They rely on secret-keepers. Superman's family hid is secret. Alfred kept mum as he ironed the Bat Capes.

For superheroes, secret lives are pretty tame. The superheroes are fiction anyhow and their fantastic powers are mere fantasy.

Real people with secret lives are a different matter altogether. This is the issue Ezekiel is speaking to in this chapter: "I beheld, and lo a likeness as the appearance of fire... And he put forth the form of an hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem... the glory of the God of Israel was there..."

To glorify something is to draw attention to its attributes and when God appeared to Ezekiel in fire and amber, He was glorified in His attributes merely by His Presence. God's Presence is glory.

In short, God has no secret life. He is Who He is.

What a contrast to the scenes God's glory revealed to Ezekiel. Wickedness in Jerusalem, wickedness in the Temple, evil in the Holy of Holies.
* "Behold northward at the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry... seest thou what they do? even the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here..."
* "Behold a hole in the wall... Then said He unto me, Son of man, dig now in the wall: and when I had digged in the wall, behold a door... Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here. So I went in and saw; and behold every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, pourtrayed upon the wall round about."
* "There stood before them seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel... with every man his censer in his hand; and a thick cloud of incense went up... for they say, the LORD seeth us not; the LORD hath forsaken the earth."
* "Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do... behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz."
* Behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD... were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east."
* "They have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose."

In short, Israel had a secret life. A secret life that was no secret to God.
* The image of jealousy - provoking God to anger
* Idols and creeping things (demons) - in God's Temple
* Weeping for Tammuz, a Middle Eastern god of death and dying
* Worshiping the sun - these were the clergy doing this!
* Inciting violence and anger, flouting God's Will

Ezekiel's judgment wasn't on sinners. It wasn't on people who hadn't heard. It wasn't on the outside-looking-in. God's judgment was on "the house of Israel." It was on their secret life.

How to prevent a secret life? The Lord gives us a few directions:
1) Walk in the Light as He is in the Light. There are secrets in life but we are not to live in the secrets.
2) He is the Truth. Knowing Him, we know the Truth and there are no secrets in the Truth.
3) Glorify Him. Seeing God in His Glory, as Ezekiel saw Him, extols His attributes. He has no secret attributes.
4) Understand that God's Temple is in my heart. Is there a secret hole? A secret door? Idols and creeping things? Those things can't abide where the glory of God dwells.

A practical thing: Don't go where you secret life may rear its head. If alcohol is a problem, don't drink. If sexual temptation is a secret life, don't go to strip clubs. If anger simmers in secret, learn ways to cope. If lying covers secret stories, tell the Truth and the secret life will vanish.

Christians are not superheroes. Our secret lives are not part of some grand fantasy. Our secret lives are an abomination. Allow the glory of God back into the Temple of my heart and the secrets will pass away.

Jan. 13 - The Heaviness of Ministry

From the First Lesson for this day, Ezekiel 3:12-21

There is a cartoon I once saw of a Church building at the edge of a cliff. The Church was just above the pathway and on the pathway were crowds of people walking straight for the cliff, with no apparent warning of the dangers ahead.

In this cartoon, the Church was shuttered and the artist had drawn a few "z-z-z's" to indicate that the Church was asleep as people walking be her were falling to their deaths.

It's an image that has always haunted me.

In today's lesson, I see that image all over again. Ezekiel is put in the position of that Church on the cliff. The Lord tells him: "Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me."

Part of my responsibility as a pastor is to be that "watchman" for the congregation I serve. It is one they have clearly defined for me in my position description - the first item in fact - to "preach the Bible."

The problem is that not everyone likes what the Bible has to say. There are topics that we don't like to really discuss... or we like to discuss them as long as they apply to others and not us.

Here is Ezekiel's commission:
"When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand."

"Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul."

"Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling-block before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand."

"Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul."

Simply put: If you don't preach to the wicked and they perish it's Ezekiel's problem. If you preach to them and they don't repent, then Ezekiel's job is done. If a righteous man is sinning and you don't warn him, it's on Ezekiel; if he does repent, then you've done your job.

I am a preacher. God, help me to preach Thy word, not mine. No one will repent because of what I say - they will repent or not at what Thy Word has to say. Lord, let me preach Thy Word.

Jan. 12 - Ezekiel Came for Me

From the First Lesson for this day - Ezekiel 2:3-3:11

One of the ways we know that the Bible is certainly and entirely true is that its words are living words and as spiritually vital now as they were when they were written.

Amazing. Over 600 years before Christ, God called Ezekiel to send a message to me in 2011 AD. He sent Ezekiel to the rebellious children of Israel... He still speaks to His rebellious child in Roann.

Here is what he's telling me:
- "They and their fathers have transgressed against me." Don't I know it. It seems that at every turn I see a sign directing me God's way and I, intentionally, turn the other way.

- "thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD." It is so easy for me to argue with God. Do you really mean this, Lord? This is surely for someone else? You don't understand what I'm going through, God. None of this provides escape from God's clear "this saith the Lord." When I'm under conviction, I "know that there hath been a prophet among them."

Like me, Ezekiel was a preacher. He was given God's word and told to preach it. "Behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein; And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe."

God gave Ezekiel an unusual command - to "eat" the scroll presented to him. It is not far-fetched to understand that God wanted the scroll to be entirely consumed by the Prophet. By 'eating' the scroll (which I believe Ezekiel did literally), God was representing to Ezekiel that he must be consumed with God's message.

How far short of this I fall. I try to be faithful to the Bible and what it says. I try not to fudge on items that are clear. I try to be prophetic with God's Word while being kind and gracious at the same time. It is a very strong temptation to move away from being 'consumed' by God's Word and to preach that which will "tickle itching ears" (II Tim. 4:3).

With the scroll in his belly, Ezekiel is given God's command: "Go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them. For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard language, but to the house of Israel; Not to many people of a strange speech and of an hard language, whose words thou canst not understand... But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee..."

God hasn't called me to a foreign mission or different culture. He has called me to preach His Word to people who aren't a whole lot different than I am. I don't know how hard-hearted they are, but I know how hard-hearted I can be. I don't need strange speech or eloquence to get to my heart - I need a direct, incisive application of the Holy Spirit speaking through the Bible.

Finally, God tells Ezekiel that He will "shall speak unto thee" and that Ezekiel was to "receive in [his] heart, and hear with [his] ears."

For all the training I have, for all the books I've read, for all the conferences, seminars, camps and workshops I've attended, I can only really preach what God spoken unto me, what I have received from God in my heart, what I have heard from Him with my ears. Anything less than that is really only interesting lecture material or engaging social commentary. That's not what I'm called to do.

Like Ezekiel, I'm called to give a message to God's people at Peoria. Lord, help me to consume Thy Word that I may speak it to the people of our congregation. Please. Amen.

Jan. 11 - The Wheel in a Wheel

From the First Lesson for this day - Ezekiel 1:15-2:2

One of my favorite spirituals is "Ezekiel Saw De Wheel." I have an old LP with the Tuskegee Institute Choir singing this spiritual in a manner that is so vital that I get wrapped up in the interlocking harmonies - almost as if being wrapped up in a "wheel in a wheel."

I've always wondered what the point of this was. As I wrote yesterday, there has been too much analysis of Ezekiel and his visions rather than taking them for what they are.

At the same time, I've been honestly curious about what the wheels mean.

The answer is akin to so many other passages in Scripture. After the grand and glorious appearing of God in His majesty, the revelation comes as it came to Ezekiel:
"the Spirit entered into me when He spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard Him that spake unto me" (2:2)

As comfortable and at ease I feel in my relationship with God, He still has to get my attention. It's like home. I'm at ease and comfortable at home, but in my ease it can be easy not to hear the needs of Karen or my family. Sometimes it takes a call or a noise or a sense of urgency to shake me out of my comfort zone to respond.

On a spiritual level, I can get comfortable with the ways God wants to work, with the ways I expect Him to work. I love the glories of His Creation, but I don't love the things that confront my sins. I am in awe of the peaceful presence of God on a quiet morning, but I shy away from the needs of the world that God calls me to serve.

Considering the magnitute of Ezekiel's ministry, the glorious vision of God given to him in Chapter 1 are the perfect prologue to those simple words:
"the Spirit entered into me when He spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard Him that spake unto me"

In baptism, by faith, the Spirit has entered my life. In so many ways over the last 35 years, the Spirit has spoken to me. I can't describe the number of times He has set me back on my feet after I've fallen.

May I hear Him when He speaks to me.