Week beginning March 24

Genesis 12

Abraham obeyed God and sought to honour God where ever he went (setting up altars). A famine caused Abraham to leave the land God gave him. Circumstances can overtake the plans we have. Abram, without consult with God, went to Egypt – where he both prospered and deceived – a real mix of ethics and outcomes. Always God’s faithfulness shines through – but we still face the consequences of our choices/actions.

Psalm 12

God’s pure words are in stark and obvious contrast to the words of the wicked. God’s word ‘heals the ache of the heart of the wretched’. This is good news.

Luke 7

Who are you? The disciples of John come to Jesus and ask ‘Who are you?’ Jesus asks the crowd, ‘Who is John the Baptiser’ and then asks the crowd ‘Who are you…what kind of person are you?’ Then Jesus gets invited to Simon’s place (a Pharisee) and a woman comes and worships Jesus. Simon says, ‘Doesn’t Jesus know who that woman is?’ Jesus says ‘Who are you?’ to Simon. The answer to this question depends on how people are seen – through the eyes of love and forgiveness or through the eyes of judgement and condemnation. Who am I? Through the eyes of Jesus I am loved and forgiven – the least I can do is see everyone else in the same way.

Week beginning March 17

Genesis 11

Verse 7b says, “…soon they will be able to do anything they want…” What’s wrong with this? What’s wrong with being able to do anything we want – explore the universe – duplicate life – live longer – have no pain – choose our own death???? What’s wrong with this is that all these things blind us of our need for God and blind us from the truth that God’s way is better than our way. Now I’m not saying that advancement in the sciences (social and physical) is a bad thing – they potentially are a foolish thing if we choose to say that we don’t need God as the One who has given us life and who calls us to eternal living. Without God we as creatures deny our creator – and this isn’t about power, as if God’s jealous of us – it is about living the blessed life – God as God is good for us because for all of our own boasting and prowess we will never reach the heights of life that only God can give  us – that’s why buiding the Tower of Babel was a dumb idea – it was humanity’s attempt to live without God. I recognise how much I try and construct my own tower by saying to God ‘I’ve got it covered – I’ll do life my way’ – this is just as dumb!

Psalm 11

The first two lines grabbed me – “…The LORD is my fortress. Don’t say to me, ‘Escape like a bird to the mountains’…” As I live in God’s life I don’t have to be afraid and hide anywhere…no need to run! Yes I will be tested (because God loves me) but as I do right I will see God’s face. How good is God! Please LORD help me to do right!

Week beginning March 10

Genesis 10

The story of God comes through relationships. The primary relationship we have is family. In this reading we see the blessing that comes through families as God’s faithfulness is shared from one generation to another. The good news is that any of us can participate in this blessing as we live according to the way Jesus showed us – to love God and to love people.  I know that there is grief in many families as they wonder where the blessing of God has gone as they reflect on their own families. Again even here there is good news. Sin is overcome through repentence (humble turning) and forgiveness restores relationship. This is not an easy path to follow but it is a good one. I pray that I would know God’s grace to enable me to repent and forgive, and again know the blessing of God’s faithfulness through relationship.

Psalm 10 – A Prayer for help

vs 12…Do something LORD God, an duse your powerful arm to help those in need. The wicked don’t respect you. In their hearts they say, “God won’t punish us!” But you see the trouble and distress, and you will do something. The poor can count on you, and so can orphans…

I love the psalms – they are honest about our experiences and full of faith in the experience of God. There tell the story and sing the song of a wrestling that continues throughout life. A mix of tragedy and joy – what seems to be a never-ending story of injustice for so many but also a hope and a will to see peace and justice restored. Trouble does come, but thanks to God it doesn’t last forever. I guess that is the ultimate hope and relief that God does bring – that one day there will be no tears (the promise for those who die in Christ). The focus on this psalm is to pray/advocate for others – this seems to me to be the place I see the journey of Faith draws us to – a movement from self-focused hope to other-focused hope.

This psalm is a good reminder to me to keep growing in God and to do this through the realities of life. This allows me to join in with the psalmist and say ‘Do something God’ because I believe God is active in this world and in people’s lives.

Week beginning March 3

Genesis 9

Here is another early story of God’s covenant. This is God’s remembering humanity according to who God is. God is love and justice and God acts by who God is. God makes a covenant with Noah to never destroy the earth again. This passage reminds me of God’s covenant of love and of Jesus’ promise to always be with us to the ends of the age. Everytime there is a baptism we remember Jesus promise – the fulfillment of God’s covenant. I love this promise and the remembering of God’s covenant is good news for me. This also makes me consider my own participation in God’s covenant through obedience. (Again remembering that it is Jesus who qualifies me so that I can participate).

I puzzled over the end of Chapter 9 where Noah cursed Canaan for covering his nakedness and telling his brothers. You might have thought that Canaan was doing Noah a favour but it didn’t seem so in the end. Now there might be some cultural nuances that I don’t understand here, but my thinking is that Noah cursed Canaan because he assumed it was his role to judge his Father’s behaviours where as it is only God who can truly judge each of us. This was a reminder to me to be careful in judging others and in particular in the taking of actions without conversation and communication with the person involved. Maybe Canaan should have left his Father in his state and then later go and talk to him about it (just a pondering?) This did remind me that God alone is the judge of people and that God’s ways are not mine/ours.

Psalm 9

This is a great Psalm about who God is for the poor and oppressed and how enemies of God will try there foolish ways, in the end their efforts will be in vain because God’s plans will not be frustrated by anyone or anything. I found particular encouragement in this as I feel that enemies of God (not people) are trying to confuse and isolate people in our community. But God is at the centre of everything and I believe God is is working to draw me into greater trust and obedience. This does make me sing praises to God!

Luke 1 & 2

I thank God for Luke. What a great job he did in carefully researching all of the events around Jesus’ life. He was obviously a person who studied life events politically, socially and spiritually. This was a good reminder of the importance of living out my faith in the real world, conscious that politics and society are as much the field of God’s work as is church and religion.

Everytime I read Luke 1 I am challenged by the difference between Zechariah’s and Mary’s response to God’s message via the angel Gabriel – Zechariah doubted and Mary trusted. Mary is an inspiration in her trust of God – I pray that I would always share her words, “I am the Lord’s servant! Let it happen as you have said.” God’s purposes will never be frustrated by our responses but joy and peace comes to us as we obey. Mary was told that suffering lay ahead of her but that even this would bring revelation to people about how we really are and who God really is.

Luke has opened the door to the greatest story ever told – a story that continues today…