Lent 2010 #30 - The Parable of the Trees

Judges 9:7-15

7 When it was told to Jotham, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, and cried aloud and said to them, 'Listen to me, you lords of Shechem, so that God may listen to you.
⁸The trees once went out
   to anoint a king over themselves.
So they said to the olive tree,
   "Reign over us."
⁹The olive tree answered them,
   "Shall I stop producing my rich oil
     by which gods and mortals are honored,
     and go to sway over the trees?"
¹⁰Then the trees said to the fig tree,
   "You come and reign over us."
¹¹But the fig tree answered them,
   "Shall I stop producing my sweetness
     and my delicious fruit,
     and go to sway over the trees?"
¹²Then the trees said to the vine,
   "You come and reign over us."
¹³But the vine said to them,
   "Shall I stop producing my wine
     that cheers gods and mortals,
     and go to sway over the trees?"
¹⁴So all the trees said to the bramble,
   "You come and reign over us."
¹⁵And the bramble said to the trees,
   "If in good faith you are anointing me king over you,
     then come and take refuge in my shade;
   but if not, let fire come out of the bramble
     and devour the cedars of Lebanon."

THOUGHTS:

So I wasn't sure what to make of this passage after reading it a first time.  I needed to open up my annotated Bible to get a little context for this passage.  From what I read, Jotham was the only son of seventy to survive the slaughter by a man who wanted to be king.  That is an over simplification of the story, but run with it for now.

This is an interesting parable when you look at it.  The way I read it, is that the other trees were too busy doing other things.  They were all doing things that were too important to them not to devote all their time to that task.  So the trees literally ask everyone, including the lowly bramble, the least of all the trees.  His response is basically, if you really want me to be king, good.  Come hang out and let me rule you.  If not, you will pay and I will destroy the greatest among you (the cedars were highly regarded as trees). 

Now, you might ask what the lesson is.  I think it is to be honest in all your pursuits, and never doubt the ability of the lowly to be great and do more than you think they can.

PRAYER: 

Heavenly Father, thank you for the continual grace we receive from these devotions this Lenten season.  Allow us to gather the meaning of parable and always remember the bramble. Amen.

--

Thoughts by Christopher Bergtholdt, a Senior at George Mason University involved with LCM-GMU

--

These devotions for young adults are provided by:

Lutheran Campus Ministry at George Mason University http://www.gmu.edu/org/lutheran

Lutheran Student Association at the University of Maryland http://terpconnect.umd.edu/~lutheran/lsa/

DC Young Adults http://www.dcyoungadults.org/

--

***Feel free to share them with your friends!***

View or subscribe to these devotions by RSS or email from http://lentendevotions.blogspot.com

Also available on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=7958874287

Lent 2010 #14

Daniel 3:19-30 (NRSV)

¹⁹Then Nebuchadnezzar was so filled with rage against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face was distorted. He ordered the furnace heated up seven times more than was customary, ²⁰and ordered some of the strongest guards in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and to throw them into the furnace of blazing fire. ²¹So the men were bound, still wearing their tunics, their trousers, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the furnace of blazing fire. ²²Because the king's command was urgent and the furnace was so overheated, the raging flames killed the men who lifted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. ²³But the three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down, bound, into the furnace of blazing fire. 

²⁴Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up quickly. He said to his counselors, "Was it not three men that we threw bound into the fire?" They answered the king, "True, O king." ²⁵He replied, "But I see four men unbound, walking in the middle of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the fourth has the appearance of a god." ²⁶Nebuchadnezzar then approached the door of the furnace of blazing fire and said, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!" So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. ²⁷And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king's counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men; the hair of their heads was not singed, their tunics were not harmed, and not even the smell of fire came from them.

²⁸Nebuchadnezzar said, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants who trusted in him. They disobeyed the king's command and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. ²⁹Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that utters blasphemy against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins; for there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way." ³⁰Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

THOUGHTS:

This is an amazing story.  King Nebuchadnezzar wants everyone in his kingdom to worship and serve the gods.  But these three guys Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse.  They tell the King, go ahead throw us into the fire.  God will protect us.  I have to admit I don't know if I could have done that.  I don't know if my faith is strong enough.  The point is not to worry about how strong our faith is, but rather to place our trust in God.  And maybe, just maybe our trust in God will bring others to faith just like

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego trust in God brought King Nebuchadnezzar to believe in God.

PRAYER:      

O Lord strengthen my faith so I can trust you like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did.  Use me in whatever way is appropriate to witness to your love and care of all people.  Amen.

--
Thoughts by Rev. Tom Knoll
Pastor First Trinity Lutheran, Washington D.C.

--

These devotions for young adults are provided by:
Lutheran Campus Ministry at George Mason University http://www.gmu.edu/org/lutheran
Lutheran Student Association at the University of Maryland http://terpconnect.umd.edu/~lutheran/lsa/
DC Young Adults http://www.dcyoungadults.org/
--
Feel free to share them with your friends!
View or subscribe to these devotions by RSS or email fromhttp://lentendevotions.blogspot.com

Also available on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=7958874287 

Lent 2010 #9 - Faith and Doubt

Psalm 27 (NRSV)

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When evildoers assail me to devour my flesh— my adversaries and foes— they shall stumble and fall.
3 Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise up against me, yet I will be confident.

4 One thing I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.
5 For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will set me high on a rock.
6 Now my head is lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me!
8 "Come," my heart says, "seek his face!" Your face, Lord, do I seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me. Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help. Do not cast me off, do not forsake me, O God of my salvation!

10 If my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will take me up.
11 Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.
12 Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen against me, and they are breathing out violence.

13 I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

THOUGHTS:

The psalmist begins with such confidence:  I won't fear when my enemies come to eat my flesh! (verses 1-3)

Yet, it is the pleading that catches my attention today: the cry for graciousness and for an answer (verse 7) and the request to not be forsaken (verse 9).

One of the things I value about the Bible is that it affirms us even in our questions.  We see that even great people of faith like King David, to whom this psalm is attributed, can bounce between assuredness and doubt in the flicker of an instant. People sometimes call this type of moment a crisis-of-faith, but I think these times help to form our faith.  

This summer, it was pointed out to me that we can only have faith when we doubt.  Certainty doesn't require faith.  Doubt does.  In the words of my friend, Pastor Jay Gamelin: 

"Faith is the ants in the pants of your doubt."

So the next time you find yourself wrestling with faith and doubt, remember that they work together, and remember the goodness of God.  As you journey though life, "be strong and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!" (verse 14)

PRAYER:

Almighty God, our light and salvation, dispel our fears and comfort us when the world seems to be consuming us.  Allow us to sit at your feet, and to learn your ways.  In the name of Jesus the Christ we pray. AMEN.

--

Thoughts by Ben Buss, Lutheran Campus Minister at George Mason University

--

These devotions for young adults are provided by:

Lutheran Campus Ministry at George Mason University http://www.gmu.edu/org/lutheran

Lutheran Student Association at the University of Maryland http://terpconnect.umd.edu/~lutheran/lsa/

DC Young Adults http://www.dcyoungadults.org/

--

Feel free to share them with your friends!

View or subscribe to these devotions by RSS or email from http://lentendevotions.blogspot.com

Also available on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=7958874287

Lent 2010 #5 - True faith

Matthew 15:21-28 (NRSV)

Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon." But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, "Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us." He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me." He answered, "It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." Then Jesus answered her, "Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed instantly.


THOUGHTS:

"Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed instantly. (verse 28)

Often we are afraid to ask for help. We fear that we are undeserving or that the help will not be delivered. Yet the woman in this story is a striking example of how powerful our pleas to God can be. Despite not being an Israelite, one of God's chosen people, she had faith that even the "crumbs" of God's grace would be sufficient to cure her daughter.

PRAYER:

Awesome God, may be too have the faith to intently and expectantly make our pleas to you. Amen.

--
Thoughts by participants in the Lutheran Student Association at the University of Maryland

--

These devotions for young adults are provided by:
Lutheran Campus Ministry at George Mason University http://www.gmu.edu/org/lutheran
Lutheran Student Association at the University of Maryland http://terpconnect.umd.edu/~lutheran/lsa/
DC Young Adults http://www.dcyoungadults.org/
--
Feel free to share them with your friends!

View or subscribe to these devotions by RSS or email from http://lentendevotions.blogspot.com
Also available on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=7958874287

Lent 2009 #12

Hebrews 11:1-3,17-19  1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. 3By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible. 

17 By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac. He who had received the promises was ready to offer up his only son, 18 of whom he had been told, "It is through Isaac that descendants shall be named for you." 19 He considered the fact that God is able even to raise someone from the dead—and figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.

THOUGHTS:

Hebrews is in interesting book in the Bible.  Scholars can't agree on when it was written or who the author is.  It was probably originally a sermon rather than a letter.  The main image developed in this sermon to a mixture of Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians is of Jesus the Christ as the eternal high priest who fulfills and completes the Jewish system of sacrifice.

In the passage above, we see Abraham's faith that God could raise Isaac from the dead if he went through with the sacrifice.  (If you don't know this story, see: http://lentendevotions.blogspot.com/search/label/Isaac ).  

The writer here is almost like saying "Abraham knew God could resurrect someone before it has been done, and now it has been done..."  Abraham's faith in God is so great, that he is the bedrock character of faith for Jews, Christians, and Muslims.  Many of us read the story of Abraham in Genesis 12-25, and seeing Abraham's faith, we are blown away.  The amount of trust he places in God seems utterly crazy!  

Yet, we too are called to place our trust in God.  Most of tend to want to call the shots ourselves.  (I know I do sometimes.)  Take some time to think about how you can more completely trust in God.  Think about how your faith is your conviction in things that cannot be seen.

 

PRAYER:

God, sometimes we think we already have all the answers, and we want to take control of our world.  Thank you for reminding us in scripture an din our lives that everything belongs to you.  Help us to trust you more, and to follow where you lead us.  In Jesus name we pray, AMEN.

---

These devotions are provided by Lutheran Campus Ministry at George Mason University .  Feel free to share them with your friends!  For more information on our ministry and events, see http://gmu.edu/org/lutheran  

You can subscribe to these devotions by RSS or email from http://lentendevotions.blogspot.com

Lent 2009 #9

Genesis 16:1-6 

1 Now Sarai, Abram's wife, bore him no children. She had an Egyptian slave-girl whose name was Hagar, 2 and Sarai said to Abram, "You see that the Lord has prevented me from bearing children; go in to my slave-girl; it may be that I shall obtain children by her." And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. 3 So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her slave-girl, and gave her to her husband Abram as a wife. 4 He went in to Hagar, and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress. 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, "May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my slave-girl to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the Lord judge between you and me!" 6 But Abram said to Sarai, "Your slave-girl is in your power; do to her as you please." Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she ran away from her. 

THOUGHTS:

Um...whoa.  This is one of those stories that I don't get at first.  Let's start with some quick background info:

1. Back in Genesis 12 , God basically told Abram at age 75: "Trust me.  Leave your family and the only home you've ever known behind and follow me, I'll tell you when you reach your destination, and you'll have more descendants than you can possibly imagine or count."

2. Abram followed, and he and Sarai have now been in Canaan for 10 years.  He's now 85 and he and Sarai are pretty old to be having kids.  

My Bible commentaries also tell me:

3. In the ancient middle east, it was an acceptable practice for a wife who could not conceive to give her slave-girl to her husband as a concubine.  Any offspring of this union were legally children of the wife.  In this case, that means that the child that Hagar bears will belong to Sarai after birth.  

4. Motherhood is highly respected at the time.

     So looking back to the passage above, we see that Sarai got impatient waiting for God to deliver on the promises that caused them to uproot and leave everything behind.  Sarai takes their destiny into her own hands and has her husband sleep with Hagar.  Her plan works, but it somehow backfires, too.  Hagar's loses respect for Sarai (because Sarai couldn't conceive) and this led to the slave-girl usurping the rightful place of the wife.  To combat this role reversal, Sarai complains to Abram that her slave-girl is getting uppity.  Abram effectively responds: "Not my problem, this was all your idea."  

     Phew, that's a lot of back story to explain that this brief passage may be saying: Trust God.  Don't try to take destiny into your own hands.  This doesn't mean to be complacent or apathetic: God works through people like you.  I think it means that we should always be listening for God's direction before we act.  It's OK if you never feel like you hear any direction, just keep doing what you think is right.  I think God communicates subtly and we don't always know when we are hearing.  It's when we stop listening that we tend to wander into traps of our own making...  

 

PRAYER:

God, thank you for your subtle whispers, and for your spirit moving in our community as we journey together.  Keep our hearts and minds firmly focused on you, and guide us in humble service of all those that we meet.  Use us in ways that we might not even notice to do your will on earth.  For the sake of Christ Jesus, AMEN.

---

These devotions are provided by Lutheran Campus Ministry at George Mason University.  Feel free to share them with your friends!  For more information on our ministry and events, see http://gmu.edu/org/lutheran  

You can subscribe to these devotions by RSS or email from http://lentendevotions.blogspot.com

Lent 2009 #7

Psalm 77 

1 I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, that he may hear me.
2 In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted.
3 I think of God, and I moan; I meditate, and my spirit faints. Selah

4 You keep my eyelids from closing; I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5 I consider the days of old, and remember the years of long ago.
6 I commune with my heart in the night; I meditate and search my spirit:
7 "Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable?
8 Has his steadfast love ceased forever? Are his promises at an end for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?" Selah

10 And I say, "It is my grief that the right hand of the Most High has changed."
11 I will call to mind the deeds of the Lord; I will remember your wonders of old.
12 I will meditate on all your work, and muse on your mighty deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is holy. What god is so great as our God?
14 You are the God who works wonders; you have displayed your might among the peoples.

15 With your strong arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Selah

16 When the waters saw you, O God, when the waters saw you, they were afraid; the very deep trembled.

17 The clouds poured out water; the skies thundered; your arrows flashed on every side.
18 The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind; your lightnings lit up the world; the earth trembled and shook.
19 Your way was through the sea, your path, through the mighty waters; yet your footprints were unseen.
20 You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

THOUGHTS:

What is the place of doubt in our faith?  Some see doubt as a lack of faith, but I think God sometimes meets us in our doubts.  Sometimes, times of skepticism are when we are most open to sensing God's presence.

Here, the psalmist laments how far away God seems.  The questions in verses 7-9 are heartbreaking as they mourns how a feeling of being abandoned by God.  Yet the psalm continues by remembering the wonders God did years before, how God redeemed his ancestors from slavery.  The psalmist proceeds here from doubt to faith, remembering that God uses human hands to lead and care for God's people.

Together, we share our doubts and faith with each other, and sometimes our questions are more helpful than the answers.  

What makes God seem far away from you?

What makes you feel like God is close?

What are your questions?    

PRAYER:

O Lord, thank you for our existence and for all the blessings in our lives.  Help us to draw close to you, and to find a way to live in the tension of our questions.  We seek to follow Jesus together.  Help us. AMEN.

---

TODAY: faith discussion group meets at 4:30pm in SUB 1 Patriot's Lounge.  Join us for worship at 7:47pm in the JC Bistro.

Last call: There are still TWO open spaces for our spring break mission trip to Jacksonville, Florida.  For info/application: http://gmu747.org/spbr09.php

---

These devotions are provided by Lutheran Campus Ministry at George Mason University.  Feel free to share them with your friends!  For more information on our ministry and events, see http://gmu.edu/org/lutheran  

You can subscribe to these devotions by RSS or email from http://lentendevotions.blogspot.com

Lent 2009 #5

Ephesians 2:1-10
     1 You were dead through the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. 3 All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us 5 even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— 9 not the result of works, so that no one may boast.10 For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

THOUGHTS:

Let me repeat verse 8: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God." Our salvation is not based on what we do, say, think, or set out to do in life. Our salvation is solely a gift of God. To put it simply, it comes for FREE, merely because God wants us to have it.

     To put it another way:  "And if by grace [that God is motivated], then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. Because if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work" (Romans 11:6).  In other words, if you try to combine grace and works, then grace is lost in the process.  Put simply, if you have to "do something" to acquire salvation, then salvation isn't through grace.

     Back to Ephesians, verse 10: "For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life." Good works aren't about earning salvation. We were made for good works to be our way of life.

     Write this down someplace you'll see it numerous times in the next few days: "I was made for good works to be my way of life."  Spend some time thinking and praying about what this simple statement might mean in your daily life.

PRAYER:

Lord God, you have been so gracious to us.  We frequently try to make everything about ourselves, and have trouble understanding our salvation is for your sake.  Help us to live the way of life that you have prepared for us, to do good in the world as a way of life.  In Christ Jesus we pray, AMEN.

---

PS:  If you want to discuss theology -- to talk about questions you have reading the above -- in a safe, open environment, then join us at Brion's Grille on Tues 3/3 at 5:15pm .  Contact lutheran@gmu.edu for details/rides. 

---

These devotions are provided by Lutheran Campus Ministry at George Mason University.  Feel free to share them with your friends!  For more information on our ministry and events, see http://gmu.edu/org/lutheran  

You can subscribe to these devotions by RSS or email from http://lentendevotions.blogspot.com

Lent Day #36

James 2:14-18 (NET)
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can this kind of faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacks daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, keep warm and eat well," but you do not give them what the body needs, what good is it? 17 So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself. 18 But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith without works and I will show you faith by my works.

THOUGHTS:
Martin Luther didn't like James, dismissing it as "an epistle of straw" at odds with the "good news" found in the Pauline doctrine of justification by grace through faith. Compare the verses above to Ephesians 2:8-9 (CEV):

8 You were saved by faith in God, who treats us much better than we deserve. This is God's gift to you, and not anything you have done on your own. 9 It isn't something you have earned, so there is nothing you can brag about.

James pulls from Hebrew history and the teachings of Jesus to make the point that faith is active. It isn't merely a profession from our mind and lips. It isn't just a feeling resting in our hearts. Faith manifests itself in how we live our lives.

I admit that I am sometimes intoxicated with God's grace. My faith finds a home in this message of grace that comes out of the Gospels and Paul's letters. I struggle with judgement that isn't coated with grace. Yet I value James as an important reminder that our faith is lived out. If you have an extra half-hour this week, read all of James (it's quite short).

Remember that we cannot earn salvation with our works, but also pray about how your actions represent your faith. Is our faith alive -- moving us to act, or is it just a collection of inanimate thoughts? Jesus says those who believe do his work (AKA "God's will"). See John 14:12, (ESV):

"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father."

Do you live like you believe?


PRAYER:
Oh God, we know that our actions fall short, and we praise you for loving and accepting us anyway. Fill us with your love for all people, so that our faith bubbles out of us into our actions -- so that we live our faith. May we always do your will. In Jesus name we pray. AMEN.