I think God would like for us to strive to resemble Him...
Just how I see things now through my own lens of faith.
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Daily reflections
- Thread starter Deidre
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Just how I see things now through my own lens of faith.
Today's reading and reflection...I particularly like this one, today.
John 19, 39 – 41
Something to read
Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews. Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid.
New Revised Standard Version
Something to think about
Here is another secret admirer. Again, we cannot know the deep regret that Nicodemus, like Joseph of Arimathea, might have felt at being able to approach Jesus only after his death.
How many opportunities had he missed earlier? And yet, he is privileged to minister to Christ’s body in this practical way, producing gifts that recall the gifts brought by the magi at the other end of Jesus’s life.
We cannot know, but we can hope for his sake, that he was among those who encountered Jesus after his resurrection. It is good to think of him at last standing openly, in the daylight, among Christ’s new church.
Something to do
God is so merciful, that it is sometimes easy to forget how important timing can be. Most of the time it isn’t: our lives are spongy and fluid, and usually something not done today can be done tomorrow.
But every so often, there is a critical moment that we cannot afford to miss — a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to say the one thing a person needs to hear, make the one gesture, join the right campaign, that will make a difference to our world.
And there’s always the chance that we might be looking the other way, and blow it.
So today task is not an action, but a resolution, framed in the following prayer:
Something to pray
Please forgive us, Lord, for those occasions when we have failed to produce the right word, done the right thing, when it was necessary. Make us alert to those moments in the future when we’re called to make a difference. Build in us the habit of loveliness, so that we naturally do the right thing, at the right time. Amen
John 19, 39 – 41
Something to read
Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews. Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid.
New Revised Standard Version
Something to think about
Here is another secret admirer. Again, we cannot know the deep regret that Nicodemus, like Joseph of Arimathea, might have felt at being able to approach Jesus only after his death.
How many opportunities had he missed earlier? And yet, he is privileged to minister to Christ’s body in this practical way, producing gifts that recall the gifts brought by the magi at the other end of Jesus’s life.
We cannot know, but we can hope for his sake, that he was among those who encountered Jesus after his resurrection. It is good to think of him at last standing openly, in the daylight, among Christ’s new church.
Something to do
God is so merciful, that it is sometimes easy to forget how important timing can be. Most of the time it isn’t: our lives are spongy and fluid, and usually something not done today can be done tomorrow.
But every so often, there is a critical moment that we cannot afford to miss — a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to say the one thing a person needs to hear, make the one gesture, join the right campaign, that will make a difference to our world.
And there’s always the chance that we might be looking the other way, and blow it.
So today task is not an action, but a resolution, framed in the following prayer:
Something to pray
Please forgive us, Lord, for those occasions when we have failed to produce the right word, done the right thing, when it was necessary. Make us alert to those moments in the future when we’re called to make a difference. Build in us the habit of loveliness, so that we naturally do the right thing, at the right time. Amen
Today's reading and reflection from Christian Aid, that website I've been posting about, here.
March 13
Luke 4, 9 – 13
Today's contributor is Nicholas King, a Jesuit priest, scholar and author who teaches the New Testament at Oxford University. For the Bible passages, he used NRSV for the Old Testment and his own translation for the New Testament readings. To read passages from the King James Version, click here.
Something to read
And he brought him to Jerusalem, and put him on the pinnacle of the Temple, and said to him, 'If you are the Son of God, fling yourself down from here. For it is written, "He will command his angels about you, to protect you", and "On their hands they will lift you up, lest you stub your toe on a stone".'
But Jesus answered and said to him, 'It has been spoken: "You shall not put the Lord your God to the test".'
And when the Slanderer had finished every temptation, he departed from him – until the right moment.
Something to think about
Today we come to the climax of Jesus' temptations, and it is the urge, one that we have all known, to do the spectacular thing to bring about good ends.
When we give in to the temptation to be theatrical or eye-catching, we perhaps mutter to ourselves, 'But I am doing it for the very best of reasons'. We do not know what the 'pinnacle' of the Temple was (the word simply means 'little wing'), but clearly Jesus was being tempted to try flying, on the grounds that God would look after him.
What would this achieve? Most probably, he would end up dead, before his time. But suppose he had succeeded, and found himself actually flying? It would not have helped to build the Father's Kingdom; it would have brought about the Jesus Fan Club. But 'Jesus the Flying Guru' is not what it was all about for him, and nor is it for us. Jesus' task, and our task, is to point all the time, not to himself (not to ourselves) but to the Father.
Something to do
You have often seen people performing spectacular, eye-catching gestures, and you have complained about how they were showing off, or waited for them to fail, so that you could say 'I told you so!' Today, try having a look at your own life; do you think that you have ever gone in for something like that, and convinced yourself that it was all right? Does this suggest something that you might change in the way you live?
Something to pray
Dear Jesus, St Luke tells us that after the Devil had tried to tempt you, he departed 'until the right moment', and we understand that the 'right moment' was the time of your suffering and death. As we journey through Lent towards that moment, help us to be aware of the temptations that beset us, and to which we give in, all too often. Give us the grace to build your Father's Kingdom just as you did, unselfishly, lovingly, and always focused on God. Amen.
March 13
Luke 4, 9 – 13
Today's contributor is Nicholas King, a Jesuit priest, scholar and author who teaches the New Testament at Oxford University. For the Bible passages, he used NRSV for the Old Testment and his own translation for the New Testament readings. To read passages from the King James Version, click here.
Something to read
And he brought him to Jerusalem, and put him on the pinnacle of the Temple, and said to him, 'If you are the Son of God, fling yourself down from here. For it is written, "He will command his angels about you, to protect you", and "On their hands they will lift you up, lest you stub your toe on a stone".'
But Jesus answered and said to him, 'It has been spoken: "You shall not put the Lord your God to the test".'
And when the Slanderer had finished every temptation, he departed from him – until the right moment.
Something to think about
Today we come to the climax of Jesus' temptations, and it is the urge, one that we have all known, to do the spectacular thing to bring about good ends.
When we give in to the temptation to be theatrical or eye-catching, we perhaps mutter to ourselves, 'But I am doing it for the very best of reasons'. We do not know what the 'pinnacle' of the Temple was (the word simply means 'little wing'), but clearly Jesus was being tempted to try flying, on the grounds that God would look after him.
What would this achieve? Most probably, he would end up dead, before his time. But suppose he had succeeded, and found himself actually flying? It would not have helped to build the Father's Kingdom; it would have brought about the Jesus Fan Club. But 'Jesus the Flying Guru' is not what it was all about for him, and nor is it for us. Jesus' task, and our task, is to point all the time, not to himself (not to ourselves) but to the Father.
Something to do
You have often seen people performing spectacular, eye-catching gestures, and you have complained about how they were showing off, or waited for them to fail, so that you could say 'I told you so!' Today, try having a look at your own life; do you think that you have ever gone in for something like that, and convinced yourself that it was all right? Does this suggest something that you might change in the way you live?
Something to pray
Dear Jesus, St Luke tells us that after the Devil had tried to tempt you, he departed 'until the right moment', and we understand that the 'right moment' was the time of your suffering and death. As we journey through Lent towards that moment, help us to be aware of the temptations that beset us, and to which we give in, all too often. Give us the grace to build your Father's Kingdom just as you did, unselfishly, lovingly, and always focused on God. Amen.
We all have the capacity to be like this, how can we help to stop this in our midst, do you think?
Thief
Rogue Theologian
do unto others as we would have them do unto ourselves
we've never needed more or anything else
Yes, as was Jesus' main point...'love your neighbor as yourself.' In the state of the world as we see it, don't think many follow that 'command.'
Thief
Rogue Theologian
I often post the golden rule as a rule of conduct.....and....
fair warning
I believe it will be done unto us as we did unto others
I have experienced that already, good and bad.
Thief
Rogue Theologian
and I've had some items dealt unto me.....without warrant or warning...
I suspect...
the angelic will mirror the deed.... personally.
take occasions when someone would walk up to me and shove a fist in my eye....
as if to knock me down.
I stood my ground and offered the other cheek on each occasion
and my adversary would simply turn and leave.
and I really do suspect.......the angelic will do so, unto each one of them
as they did unto me.
as many times are there are angelics!!!
Thief
Rogue Theologian
oh...btw...allow me to qualify that last post.....
not for vengeance and not for my sake.
I might not stand well before heaven ...for all I really know....
the return of deed is dealt as the perpetrator was inclined to do.
if a man deems it fair to deal harshly with a stranger.....
the angelic will do so in return
it's not like heaven already regards me as brother and fellow servant....
my hour is not yet upon me
how would I know?
not for vengeance and not for my sake.
I might not stand well before heaven ...for all I really know....
the return of deed is dealt as the perpetrator was inclined to do.
if a man deems it fair to deal harshly with a stranger.....
the angelic will do so in return
it's not like heaven already regards me as brother and fellow servant....
my hour is not yet upon me
how would I know?
And as I meant my comment in response to yours...is that there are times, when I have not done well by people. Not purposeful, but as people have hurt me at times, I'm certain I've offended them. I strive to do better, and following Christ does help in this regard, but it isn't easy to always 'turn the other cheek' ...
This is an especially poignant reading and reflection, as I come across a few Christians lately, who chastise people more than they show the kindness of Jesus to them.
Matthew 23, 27-28
Something to read
'Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful, but inside they are full of the bones of the dead and of all kinds of filth. So you also on the outside look righteous to others, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.'
New Revised Standard Version
Something to think about
This illustration of hypocrisy in outward appearances is a daring one. The purpose of whitewashing tombs was not to make them look nice, but to make them stand out, so that people did not brush against them and unwittingly make themselves unclean.
Although they did indeed look better than tombs that have got dirty and have been left to the mercy of the weather, there's no escaping the fact that what's inside is unpleasant and ritually unclean.
Contrast this obsession with avoiding touching things – or people – that are considered to be unclean with Jesus' own ministry. He deliberately reached out to the sick and to women; he healed people, most notably lepers, by touching them.
Jesus' continuing criticism of the Pharisees is that their preoccupation with details of ritual cleanliness covered a multitude of sins. And there will be few of us who are not aware of a certain disconnect between our outer appearance and the reality inside us. Simply recognising that is a good first step to putting things right.
Something to do
Look around your home or your church for cupboards or drawers that hide chaos. As you tidy them up, think about something less tangible in your life that also needs to be put in order.
Something to pray
Lord God, you know all the secrets of our hearts. May your Holy Spirit so cleanse us that we may worship you with pure hearts and dirty hands that come from serving you in your world.
Matthew 23, 27-28
Something to read
'Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful, but inside they are full of the bones of the dead and of all kinds of filth. So you also on the outside look righteous to others, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.'
New Revised Standard Version
Something to think about
This illustration of hypocrisy in outward appearances is a daring one. The purpose of whitewashing tombs was not to make them look nice, but to make them stand out, so that people did not brush against them and unwittingly make themselves unclean.
Although they did indeed look better than tombs that have got dirty and have been left to the mercy of the weather, there's no escaping the fact that what's inside is unpleasant and ritually unclean.
Contrast this obsession with avoiding touching things – or people – that are considered to be unclean with Jesus' own ministry. He deliberately reached out to the sick and to women; he healed people, most notably lepers, by touching them.
Jesus' continuing criticism of the Pharisees is that their preoccupation with details of ritual cleanliness covered a multitude of sins. And there will be few of us who are not aware of a certain disconnect between our outer appearance and the reality inside us. Simply recognising that is a good first step to putting things right.
Something to do
Look around your home or your church for cupboards or drawers that hide chaos. As you tidy them up, think about something less tangible in your life that also needs to be put in order.
Something to pray
Lord God, you know all the secrets of our hearts. May your Holy Spirit so cleanse us that we may worship you with pure hearts and dirty hands that come from serving you in your world.
Thief
Rogue Theologian
I just came away from a thread about Genesis.....
and once more I see a different viewpoint from my own.
I have rationalized our lives and living as a means to produce a unique spirit
on each occasion of generation
we are made to be different....one from the other....
but sooooo many seem to think life is all about breathing
all the while knowing someday.....we don't.
I think the garden event happened.
Adam was an experiment....literally.
he was given his twin sister for a bride....literally.
Eve was not born of women...no navel
Eve is a clone.
the tree of knowledge held nothing special within it.
it was just a tree.
the premise presented to the couple was a test.
did they have within them the curiosity the would take them beyond their breath?
with death as consequence....did they still want to? .....know...
they did
and once more I see a different viewpoint from my own.
I have rationalized our lives and living as a means to produce a unique spirit
on each occasion of generation
we are made to be different....one from the other....
but sooooo many seem to think life is all about breathing
all the while knowing someday.....we don't.
I think the garden event happened.
Adam was an experiment....literally.
he was given his twin sister for a bride....literally.
Eve was not born of women...no navel
Eve is a clone.
the tree of knowledge held nothing special within it.
it was just a tree.
the premise presented to the couple was a test.
did they have within them the curiosity the would take them beyond their breath?
with death as consequence....did they still want to? .....know...
they did
Thief
Rogue Theologian
as I read scripture.....healing is a bit of a trick
and the Carpenter was not always in control
on some occasions He would touch
on some occasions a spoken word
on some occasion a muddy massage to heal the item
and one at least one occasion.....distance was kept....
and the healing dealt as a matter of displayed faith
and again an outstanding item....He did not know who touched Him
there is also notation that some communities were not favoring...
and not much was done for them
perhaps a lack of faith is a barrier?
and the Carpenter was not always in control
on some occasions He would touch
on some occasions a spoken word
on some occasion a muddy massage to heal the item
and one at least one occasion.....distance was kept....
and the healing dealt as a matter of displayed faith
and again an outstanding item....He did not know who touched Him
there is also notation that some communities were not favoring...
and not much was done for them
perhaps a lack of faith is a barrier?