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.

Jan. 10 - Too Much Analysis

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

Ezekiel's amazing vision of the heavenly creatures described in this passage is one of my favorites (the whole chapter brings about a sense of awe).

Thing is, many modern minds - even theologians - try to analyze Ezekiel and his visions. He must have been demented. He was bi-polar. He had delusions caused by his severe personal disciplines. He was lonely. He was subject to hallucinations. He spent too much time in the desert and the sun fried his brain.

This is too much analysis. Is it naive to understand this passage for what it is? It is straightforwardly a vision given to Ezekiel of four living creatures bearing the Spirit and message of God... "the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God (v. 1)."

Ezekiel wasn't crazy or out of it. He gave the date, time, place, and the circumstances of his vision.

"The word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest." God was speaking to Ezekiel 'expressly', in a manner designed to speak to Ezekiel in a manner he would understand and in a tone that would get his attention.

I think God does this for everyone: He speaks to us expressly. To me God speaks in quiet wonder and through the beauty of Creation. When God wants me to understand, He draws me to gaze at the Heavens at night with a sky full of stars or at sunrise when the dew is heavy in the garden. When God uses a tone I will understand He usually removes all tone - silence - and in the silence, I hear Him.

What Ezekiel saw was amazing: "a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire... the likeness of four living creatures."

The vision continues: "They had the likeness of a man... every one had four faces [and] four wings... their feet were straight... they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass... they had the hands of a man under their wings... Their wings were joined one to another... every one straight forward... they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle."

Wow. I have never seen this. But Ezekiel did. I haven't been called to the mission Ezekiel was. Ezekiel's sober calling was to transform the nation by calling them to repentance. Sin was deep, the people were arrogant and satisfied with their error. Idolatry was rampant, even in the Temple and among the priests. The only cure was repentance and the bearer of the healing message was Ezekiel. The bold vision was made for a bold calling.

"And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went..." The work of these creatures was directed by the Holy Spirit and purposeful. It was Ezekiel's unique place to see what most people - especially me - don't get to see or understand: the ways of the Holy Spirit. God doesn't reveal this to everyone - especially me - because most people - especially me - wouldn't be able to handle seeing it all.

But God's mission and message were for Ezekiel, for his age and, in a way, for today.

This passage reminds me of the second verse of one of my favorite hymns, Spirit of God Descend Upon My Heart:

I ask no dream, no prophet ecstasies,
No sudden rending of the veil of clay,
No angel visitant, no opening skies;
But take the dimness of my soul away.

Lord, please forgive me for the times I've tried to analyze Thy Word rather than understanding it as Thy message to me. As the hymn-writer has said, please take the dimness of my soul away. Amen.

Jan. 9 - God's Joyful Light

From the First Lesson for this day - Isaiah 60:1-9

On these dreary winter days, who doesn't like to see the sun peeking out through the clouds. I love the snow, I like the cold, and I don't mind the deep shivers that can come in winter.

But I do miss the sun.

Into the mid-winter overcast world come the wonderful words of the Prophet Isaiah:
Arise, shine; for thy light is come!
The glory of the LORD is risen upon thee!
The LORD shall arise upon thee!
His glory shall be seen upon thee!
The Gentiles shall come to thy light!
Kings shall come to the brightness of thy rising!
Lift up thine eyes round about, and see!

The exclamation points are mine, but I think that's what Isaiah meant. There is place and reason to rejoice in the Light of God. These exclamations are transforming.

The thing about light is that it doesn't have to try to shine. It just shines. You know when the faintest light is in a dark room. A candle simply burns. A light bulb just glows. Stars twinkle with ease.

Shining isn't a matter of effort: it is a matter burning the fuel that is within. When the fuel is gone there is no light. The fuel of my life needs to be the glory of the Lord. The shine is His joy.

Am I looking for guidance? "Thy light is come."
Am I feeling blue? "The glory of the Lord is risen upon me."
Does life seem hopeless? "The Lord shall arise upon me."
Where is God at work? "Lift up my eyes round about and see."

The joy of God's like isn't meant to be kept. It is meant to be shared, it is meant to be seen. As the Lord says in the Sermon on the Mount, "You are the light of the world... people [don't] light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

What happens when I experience God's joyful glory? God brings to Himself those who have left Him - or who have never known Him in the first place:
Thy sons shall come from far.
Thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.
The abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee.
The forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.
Midian, Ephah, Sheba, Kedar, Nebaioth, Tarshish, and the far isles will glorify the house of God's glory.

God, help me to let Thy light shine in me. Forgive me when I've tried to contrive a way or to rely on my own personality or persuasions. Amen.

Jan. 8 - God's Mercy

From the First Lesson for this day - Isaiah 16

I don't deserve God's mercy, but I take advantage of it every day.

In today's lesson, Isaiah is talking with a similar group of people, the Moabites.

The Moabites were related to the Israelites through Abraham and Lot and Joseph the Patriarch. They were sometime friends and sometime enemies of the Israelites. Ruth, whose book is one of the most beautiful in the Old Testament, was a Moabitess and she finds herself in the Lord's genealogy.

The Moabites were polytheistic pagans who flouted the One True God of Israel. They traded with Judah and Israel and they traded with their enemies. The Moabites harbored King David's parents in his struggle against King Saul and they helped lead the way home from Babylon after the captivity. However, they were proud and haughty and turned on their neighbors as often as they shook their hands.

If there ever were a group of people who needed God's mercy, it was the Moabites.

How often I am like the Moabites. I am unreliable in my discipline. I make alliances with those who are to my advantage and not necessarily those who are good or Godly. I'm not polytheistic, or am I? Money, things, books, my computer, the TV, my VW, my self-interests... aren't these idols? How often do I bow at these altars without having spent a minute before God's throne!

In Isaiah 16, God promises mercy on those wandering Moabites, even though it will be small and feeble. May God have enough mercy on a sinner like me to allow me to be part of that small, feeble,remnant.

Jan. 7 - Acknowledging Need

From the First Lesson for this day - Isaiah 15

A prayer:
Lord, help me to acknowledge my blessings before you.
I spend so much time wallowing in my needs.
In the midst of prosperity, I dwell in a wasteland of need.
In the midst of joy, I find sorrow and grief.
In times of happiness, I wail and complain.
I don't realize my blessings until they are gone.
I'm not so unlike the Moabites, Lord.
Thou art God of all and all things. Let me love the blessings I have and forgive me from being jealous of the things I don't have.
Amen.

Jan. 6 - Epiphany

From the First Lesson for this day - Isaiah 42:1-9

The Prophet Isaiah is known for his descriptions of Jesus Christ hundreds of years before His birth. The most vivid is the image of the Suffering Servant, in which Isaiah describes Christ's passion with foreknown accuracy.

In the 42nd chapter what a beautiful picture of Christ is painted by Isaiah. It mirrors the vision of Christ in the washing River Jordan, baptized by St. John the Baptist on that first Epiphany. It echoes the glory of His Transfiguration.

This is what God showed Isaiah:
"Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street... he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth..."

My limited eyes see the Lord Jesus Christ in the narrow visions of my mind. I see the icons of Him both humbled and glorified. I see Salman's "Head of Christ" in serenity and prayer. I see Him in my mind's eye, fashioned as I would have Him, in hopes that this is how He is.

Do I see the servant?
Do I see the Elect One?
Do I see the Judge of the Gentiles?

Not only does Isaiah give us a description of the Lord, he gives us the reasons God called Him:
"I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house."

Jesus Christ came in righteousness to be a covenant for me and God. For the whole world of God. For the ones who don't deserve it, "Gentiles" so to speak. From the blindness of my heart, the prison of my soul, Jesus Christ has come to let me see, set me free.

Finally, Isaiah speaks of God's Servant's divinity:
"I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images... new things do I declare..."

New things can only come from living things. Stone, metal, wood - none of these produce life. This is why God abhors graven images. Life comes from God. He is the Living God. "New things" He declares because He is always new.

Jan. 5 - Our Salvation in the Time of Trouble

From the First Lesson for this day, Isaiah 33:1-16

Today's reading is perfect for today. My mother in law is very ill, the mother of a good friend in Church has died unexpectedly, two of our residents at Timbercrest have lost children to cancer in the past two weeks, and another woman at Church has discovered that she has breast cancer and is facing a mastectomy.

Verses 2-6:
2 O LORD, be gracious to us; we wait for you.
Be our arm every morning,
our salvation in the time of trouble.
3 At the tumultuous noise peoples flee;
when you lift yourself up, nations are scattered,
4 and your spoil is gathered as the caterpillar gathers;
as locusts leap, it is leapt upon.
5 The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high;
he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness,
6 and he will be the stability of your times,
abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge;
the fear of the LORD is Zion’s treasure.

Wow. God has such wonderful promises. These verses are amazing and encouraging.

But - and it's a big one - the rest of the verses belie the optimism of these promises. There are times when life has to get very low before we can be prepared for God's promises. In the case of the Israelites, they were brought low by their own devices.

But our own devices aren't the only things that will humble us. Often these circumstances are just part of life: death, illness, cancer, loneliness, depression, etc. Sometimes these things are none of our doing: persecution, crime, violence, injustice.

The principle is still the same - in order to look up, sometimes we go to the bottom. It's not what I want to hear from God. I want to hear that God will prevent all this stuff. I want to hear that God will overlook my sins and bless me anyhow. I want to let the bad stuff happen to others.

That's not life. The promises of Isaiah are still true. When trouble arises, God is our salvation in the time of trouble.

Lord, please help me look for you in the struggles of life. Be gracious to us; we wait for you. Amen.

Jan. 4 - God's Defense is Sure

From the First Lesson for this day, Isaiah 31

I wonder what it would be like to have a conversation with Isaiah. He is so passionate. I think I would like him until he convicted me of my sins and called me to repent.

But Isaiah has spiritual eyes. They see into my heart, not so much "thus saith the Lord" as "thus seeth the Lord" (so to speak). Through Isaiah, God seems to know just what is going through my mind:

Verse One "Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help...stay on horses, and trust in chariots... and in horsemen, because they are very strong..."
As I worry about having enough money for retirement (and having enough to get by month to month) I am tempted to "go down to Egypt for help." I lose track of the ministry and work the Lord has called me to. I wonder if I need to gat a master's degree or change fields in order to make more money. Other fields make more money and "they are very strong" indeed.

Verse Three "Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit..."
Egypt so often represents the powers that oppose God. Egypt is in company with Babylon and Rome as far as embodying the world and its errors. It is easy to be deceived by the Egyptians because it feels like they have power. But in fact, they are no different than me and they are definitely not God.

Verse four "Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so shall the LORD of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof."
Isaiah compares the strength of God to the strength of a lion, unafraid of those who try come against Him. He will truly "defend Jerusalem" (v. 6).

Verses six and nine Turn ye unto him from whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted.... saith the LORD, whose fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem."
Gods's defense is sure. It is a matter of my truning unto Him and seeking His defense.

Jan. 3 - Weep No More

From the First Lesson of this day, Isaiah 30:19-33

2010 was a rough year. It was much more like the first half of Isaiah 30, filled with woes, hardships, and trials.

Today's reading gives me hope. What beautiful words the Lord speaks:
- You will weep no more
- How gracious he will be when you cry for help!
- As soon as he hears, he will answer you.
- Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”
- He will send you rain for the seed you sow
- Food will be rich and plentiful
- The LORD binds up the bruises of his people and heals the wounds he inflicted.
- You will sing as on the night you celebrate a holy festival;
- Your hearts will rejoice

This passage reminds me that in the weeping of the year, there were also plenty of times of rejoicing. God helped us through an awful lot. Not everything went the way I wanted it to go, but it went God's way. And, true to His promises, when I didn't know what to do or where to turn, I sensed God telling me "This is the way, walk in it."

Lord, help me to rely on You more in 2011. Please forgive me for the many ways I tried to create my own way. Help me to heal from the bruises of the past and let me rejoice in You with all my heart. Amen.