Full of God’s Glory!

May 26, 2024 by chaplaineliza

“Full of God’s Glory!”

Isaiah 6:1-8 (6:3) – May 26, 2024

Have you ever visited a really beautiful church? Magnificent, with lovely stained glass windows, carved pews, high, vaulted ceilings? What comes to my mind is the National Cathedral in Washington D.C., or St. Paul’s Church in London, or perhaps one of the great Gothic cathedrals in the Rhine valley in France or Germany. Think of a church like that, only magnify the beauty and wonder of the building ten times. I cannot even imagine a place that spectacular.

Yet that is just what Isaiah is trying to describe for us in our scripture passage today. A church—or, more specifically, a heavenly temple—so magnificent that he can hardly even begin to describe it.

That is only the beginning! What is even more magnificent, more awe-inspiring is what Isaiah sees inside that heavenly temple. The prophet says he “saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. ²Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. ³And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”

Isaiah finds himself in the throne room of heaven in the presence of the Lord of creation. Awe-inspiring, terrifying, humbling, overwhelming. I don’t know about you, but God’s magnificence and glory can knock me off my feet when I least expect it. God can bump me and shake me up. God can turn my self-sufficiency inside out. Has that happened to you, too?

Perhaps you recognize the words from our opening hymn this morning: “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty!” Today is Trinity Sunday, that day in the church year, the week after Pentecost, when we lift up one of the ineffable mysteries of the Church: the holy Trinity itself. I love this passage from Isaiah for several reasons. First, this is Isaiah’s call story, how the Lord God reached out to Isaiah and touched this man with the power of God, and placed him on the road of being a prophet for God.

Such a moving story, and one that resonates with anyone who has been similarly called by the Lord into a God-ordained calling or vocation. (And not necessarily just a “churchy” vocation.) Some people feel very strongly that they have been called to be doctors or nurses, teachers or social workers, farmers or mechanics. God can call people to a variety of positions, all to serve to God’s glory and for the good of humanity.

Yet, this reading today is much more than that. Not only is Isaiah’s experience one of marvel and awe. This reading is one of the sources for our worship service today.

As Dr. Lisa Hancock advises, “The whole encounter begins with Isaiah showing up at the temple. So, consider taking some time to welcome and orient the congregation toward showing up to God’s presence in their midst. Acknowledge all that we bring with us into worship, the burdens and joys and everything in between.” [1] We as a congregation strive to tune into God’s presence with us even as we have come to be present to God and one another. The most amazing part is, we come into God’s presence each time we gather to worship!

Orthodox Christianity confesses the Holy Trinity each time a congregation repeats the Apostles Creed. Confessing belief in the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit – or in more modern language, Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer – is an intellectual, static form of statement of faith. Yet, as we consider the Trinity more deeply, even more theologically, we often are thrust into the midst of relationship! This awe-inspiring, terrifying Presence that Isaiah saw in the heavenly temple is also a vibrant Three-Persons-in-One. Difficult for us to even comprehend, but the idea of a Divine Relationship, companionship, a heavenly Community-in-One is the beginning of our understanding. As complex and mind-blowing as it can be.

Just as those seraphim sang, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts!” and just as we are welcomed into God’s presence each time our congregation enters into worship, so the Holy Trinity is here in this place. The Three Persons of God are in beautiful relationship with one another, and we are invited into that heavenly relationship, too!

We are cautioned, however. God does not only want the people from this particular neighborhood as a part of that heavenly relationship. God does not only belong to this particular church. God also is God of our Catholic friends, and of Holy Name Cathedral in downtown Chicago, and of Trinity UCC and San Lucas United Church of Christ. God is also God of the Quaker meeting in Evanston as well as Chinese Christian Union Church in Chinatown, and our Korean friends Love Sharing Disciple Church in Morton Grove. A whole multitude of different faith traditions, too, from every tribe, every nation under heaven.

As my online friend Rev. Bosco Peters says, “We live in a world that so often fears difference. We bully them, persecute them, will not employ them, do not want to live in their neighbourhood, kill them, go to war with them. Yet the universe…holds wonderful diversity in unity. This beautiful multiplicity held in harmony in our universe is no accident because the source and heart of all reality is the one we call “God” – three in one. To live the Trinity life is to rejoice in diversity and to work towards holding it in unity.” [2]

It does not matter to God – the awe-inspiring, humbling and overwhelming God is above all and over all. Just as the Holy Trinity is in relationship and in heavenly community, Triune Three-in-One, our God wants a relationship with each of us! The Lord desires to develop an intimate relationship with every person, in beautiful diversity, promoting harmony and unity regardless of color, creed, cultural difference, language or nation of origin.

We are encouraged to enter into relationship just as we are encouraged to enter into worship each week! With God, yes! And with every other person in diversity, regardless of color, creed, cultural difference, language or nation of origin. God created each one of us to live the Trinity life! Rejoice in diversity and work towards holding it in unity. That means each and every person, each and every child of God. Including you, including me. Alleluia, amen.

@chaplaineliza

(Suggestion: visit me at my other blogs: matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers. and A Year of Being Kind . Thanks!

[1] https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/worship-planning/ascribe-to-god/trinity-sunday-year-b-lectionary-planning-notes

[2] https://liturgy.co.nz/trinity-sunday-2024?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR30CzSonnCEtgz7V1bvjxP9SYmzEmRrJj2NYa4L3R2dl-dmA1nf3cPFzL4_aem_ATWps3Va7lMKpyFuppPtoxnznrMJ8apyP_Fq3to2Rlo1zOv7fsosZJtrIT-639n4JB33Yo04O1K_sCdt-hhKevdp

The Spirit Intercedes for Us!

May 19, 2024 by chaplaineliza

“The Spirit Intercedes for Us!”

Romans 8:22-27 (8:26) – May 19, 2024

Have you ever been in a building with a power outage? A brown-out? Where something disrupted the electricity? A number of years ago, I was at an evening meeting in a large building here in Evanston, and that is exactly what happened. The electrical power was somehow shut off or interrupted, and everyone had to evacuate the building.

In situations like that, there can be a real feeling of helplessness. What happened? Where did the power go? When can we get it back? What do we do now?

This is the situation at the beginning of Acts, chapter 2. We have a small band of disciples, followers of this Jewish Rabbi Jesus, who was crucified, raised from the dead on the third day after He died, and ascended into heaven several weeks after that. Jesus was not always perfectly clear in His communication or explanations, at least as far as His followers were concerned. Even after His resurrection and ascension, Jesus’ disciples still had problems understanding exactly what they were to do.

So, after His ascension into heaven (complete with some more, rather cryptic, remarks from Jesus, recorded in Acts 1), Jesus’ followers are in possession of this really far-out story; their miracle-worker of a teacher, rabbi and leader, died, buried, resurrected, and ascended to heaven. And, they are still on the run, or at least keeping a very low profile, in the eyes of both the Jewish and Roman authorities.

Let’s turn to one of our Scripture passages for today. Acts Chapter 2. All of a sudden, things have made a surprising turnaround! Listen to verses 1 and 2. “When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.”

Something extraordinary happened. We now know it today as the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Day of Pentecost, the birthday of the Church. But, think of what it must have been like for these few dozen followers of Jesus—something extraordinary had happened!

Let’s fast forward. No matter where people live in this world today, no matter what their situations are, no matter what they do for a living, a common desire among many people is that desire for reassurance, a wish for something to hope in, to believe in. A desire to know exactly where their power is coming from.

Some people—for various reasons—give up on a belief in a Higher Power, and fall back on the vacuum of nothingness, or hopelessness, the concept that life ends at the point of death, and there is nothing whatsoever afterwards—that is all there is. Others raise up the substitution of some man-made idol (like the golden calf). All kinds of things can function in our lives like a golden calf—something else like money, prosperity, position, success, or comfort. Other people cling to the Higher Power of self-sufficiency, the substitution of self for God, the crazy idea that I run the show, I’m all that matters, I can be that Power-Source in everyone’s life.

One huge surprise on that first Pentecost, “was that even though Jesus had died, been raised, and then gone to heaven, his disciples were not alone. The Holy Spirit, the very power of God, was with them giving them the power to be the body of Christ in the world! What was true for them on the day the church was born is also true for us today, [two thousand years later].” [1]

Which brings us to the Scripture we highlight today. Here in Romans, the apostle Paul tells his friends about the Holy Spirit – that same Holy Spirit that was heard and felt like a powerful rushing wind on the day of Pentecost! That same Holy Spirit helps us day by day. And, that same power enables us to do God’s work here on earth.

The apostle Paul gets specific, and lets us know that the blessed Holy Spirit will not leave us alone and forsaken. Instead, the Holy Spirit comes alongside of us, giving us heavenly power when we need it. The Spirit assists us as we journey our way through this day-to-day life.

As Paul says in Romans chapter 8, “the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. ²⁷And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.”

Just as the Holy Spirit empowered those first disciples on that Pentecost morning so long ago, God still intends for followers of Jesus to do powerful things for God! “God gives us power that enables us to do God’s work on earth. God inspires us, gives us gifts (talents), and works through us. God expects us to ‘do something in God’s name.’” [2] Yes, we all can pray, to further God’s work in the world! And yes, our Lord Jesus encourages each of us to touch people’s lives, speak to others in Christ’s name. We are encouraged to do acts and speak words of kindness and Godliness, each and every day. Each person, to their best ability.

Just think of it. On that first Pentecost morning, the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity, the Ruach ha Kodesh came down from heaven! The Spirit blew through these people’s lives, through their hearts, turned them inside out and upside down! The Holy Spirit is still blowing through the lives and hearts of the followers of Jesus today.

Yes, Pentecost happened, two thousand years ago, and Pentecost can happen again, right here and right now. Is the Holy Spirit speaking to you right now? God’s power can be scary, but remember, God will be with us, through whatever comes our way. Thank God for turning on the power in all of our lives, today! Alleluia, amen.

@chaplaineliza

(Suggestion: visit me at my other blogs: matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers. and A Year of Being Kind . Thanks!

[1] http://worshipingwithchildren.blogspot.com/2015/04/year-b-day-of-pentecost-may-24-2015.html

[2] Ibid.

How Shall We Love?

May 12, 2024 by chaplaineliza

“How Shall We Love?”

John 17:6-19 – May 12, 2024

Have you ever heard the saying that “Life is fragile: handle with prayer!” This is so true! Yet, some people might scoff, and say those words are too trite, or too simplistic, or, just don’t work. I feel really sad for people who think this way, because their lives or their circumstances might be sincerely sad or awkward or downright unpleasant.

If we look back at our Lord Jesus, and how He lived, and what His regular habits were, we can see that Jesus practiced regular prayer and meditation. Multiple times in several Gospels we can see our Lord Jesus slipping away to pray, or taking time in the early morning to go away by Himself to pray. He gathered others around Him when He prayed, too. I think Jesus would agree with this saying about prayer, trite though it may seem to be!

Our Gospel reading today comes from John chapter 17, at the end of that Upper Room Discourse, the section of John where Jesus and His disciples gather the night before He was crucified, to eat the Passover dinner. This chapter is an intimate look at prayer, where our Lord Jesus prays to His Heavenly Father. And most striking of all, Jesus prays for His followers. Not only the disciples, but also for us!

I love how straight forward commentator Karoline Lewis is. She says, “That upper room was filled with pain and abandonment. With betrayal and loss. With unsettled hearts and fearful souls. And Jesus ends it all with a prayer for his disciples. The section before this portion of the prayer is Jesus’ prayer for himself. But this segment is for his disciples.” [1]

Jesus has several ideas in these verses, where He talked about trouble and difficulty for His followers. Sadly, this is not new information for us. Plus, these verses contain some of the most powerful concepts about God’s love that are to be found in the whole Bible. Amazingly, Jesus talks about how much God His Heavenly Father loves Jesus, and reminds His followers that they are to love each other in the same way.

The words of Jesus to our God are written down in the whole of chapter 17. How intimate, how meaningful is that? I want to focus especially on verse 9. Jesus says, “I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.”

Jesus prays for His followers. Not just any old prayer, but a significant prayer, at a profound time of Jesus’s life. The night before His crucifixion, when He must have had a thousand and one things on His mind, Jesus takes the time to think of and to pray for His followers; His friends and disciples. How selfless, how thoughtful this is. And, how much like the Jesus we know and love!

One amazing thing about this prayer – this High Priestly Prayer of Jesus, is that Jesus not only prayed about the disciples He had at that time, those friends He loved so dearly. “Jesus is still loving and praying for us today – and so are our parents, grandparents, and church community. We are [all] covered in prayer just like a blanket.” [2]

When one of my children was still very small, he had a special blanket that meant a great deal to him. Being covered with that special blanket made him feel safe and secure. Does that sound comforting and heartening? Doesn’t it make you want to feel God’s love holding you (and me) securely, like a warm, fuzzy blanket? I’ve got great news for you! Jesus promises that to us, right here in John 17!

Today is Mother’s Day. Today is a day to take the time to think of beloved mothers (and, those who have acted as mothers).

In many, many cases throughout this country—and beyond, around the world—many caring, loving and nurturing women have mothered those under their care. In cases of religious nurture, caring mothers, grandmothers, aunties, sisters—and others who have stood in the place of these maternal figures—have prayed for their friends, relatives and loved ones, too.

Whether nearby or far away, prayer makes that intimate connection, that bond between friends, relatives, and loved ones. It does not matter whether the pray-er and the ones prayed for are next door, in the next town, or separated by miles, mountains or oceans. Jesus was making that intimate, loving connection too, through His prayer for us in John 17.

“This [prayer] is not the Lord’s Prayer. This is not Jesus teaching his disciples how to pray. This is not only a personal prayer or privatized piety. After betrayal and predicted denial, after concerned questions and foretold rejection, the disciples do not need another lesson, another miracle, another example. They need exactly what Jesus does, because Jesus knows — for Jesus to pray for them.” [3]

Just as a devout mother or grandma prays for her loved ones, just as Jesus seeks a intimate and loving connection with His friends and followers, so we can seek to have that deep connection with one another.

Dr. David Lose invites all of us to hear these words of Jesus addressed to each of us today. To imagine – really, to know – that Jesus was praying for us all those years ago and continues to care for us, support us, and love and connect with us today. Please take a moment to think about where we need to be more whole. Where do we need to have more peace in our lives? Where do we need more love? And then, imagine that Jesus is actively, intimately praying for each of you. And, indeed, for all of us. [4]

Jesus is caring for us, you know. Jesus loves each of us that much.

Plus, Jesus invites us to love one another that much, too, in this, His most intimate prayer. Take the words of Jesus seriously. Go and love others, just as Jesus loves us. Alleluia, amen.

@chaplaineliza

(Suggestion: visit me at my other blogs: matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers. and A Year of Being Kind . Thanks!

[1] https://www.workingpreacher.org/dear-working-preacher/prayers-needed

[2] https://www.stewardshipoflife.org/2018/05/the-power-of-prayer/

[3] https://www.workingpreacher.org/dear-working-preacher/prayers-needed

[4] http://www.workingpreacher.org/craft.aspx?post=2566 David Lose The Power of Being Prayed For

Who Should We Love?

May 5, 2024 by chaplaineliza

“Who Should We Love?”

John 15:9-17 (15:12) – May 5, 2024

Children are great examples for us all. Children can make friends so easily! Of course, as children get older, their views of friendship and how to be a friend vary and mature with their growing and becoming more understanding of their friends.

A good example: “At five [years old], a friend is someone to play with now. Whoever will play and work with me now is my friend. They will proclaim adamantly to be friends forever, but then move on to other friends without recognizing what they are doing. By the time they are ten these same children have a strong sense of the loyalty due friends, appreciate nuances of friendships, and experience deep pain in making and losing friends. So, at different ages children respond to Jesus’ statements about being his friends differently.” [1]

Here in this Scripture reading today, our Lord Jesus talks about friends. Jesus calls His followers friends! Jesus says, “You are my friends if you do what I command. ¹⁵I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”

I suspect that at times the disciples felt inadequate, even felt like servants from time to time, and perhaps more often than that. After all, their Rabbi Jesus was becoming more and more renowned as time went by. More and more people from all over were coming to see Him, hear Him teach and preach, watch His miracles, and even to become His followers.

Here in John 15, Jesus makes the powerful statement to His disciples that they are not His servants any longer. Servants are seen as less than, they can be subservient, and even denigrated. Instead, Jesus calls them friends!

Let’s take a few steps back. This chapter of John comes from the Upper Room discourse, which happened on that Thursday, the night before Jesus was crucified. Jesus had a Passover dinner with His disciples, and He had a time of intense conversation with them all. He said many really important things at this time, too, like this reading from today.

Jesus starts His command with a few words of preparation: “10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.” The big thing I get from this introduction to our Lord’s command? Jesus tells us to keep His commands. This ought to be a no-brainer. We all need to keep, or follow, Jesus’s commands. Piece of cake, right? Walk in the park! No problem, Jesus.

But, always keeping our Lord’s commands is not quite that easy, is it?

Jesus must have known how much of a problem we all would have with this command. He said, “IF you keep my commands.” I am assuming we are not braggarts and blowhards like some people. No, we really mean to try to keep God’s commands and to love others. So help us, God! But, I will say it again. It is not so easy.

When Jesus announces that His disciples are no longer called servants, that means us, too. As we are followers and disciples of Jesus, we are called friends of Jesus, too! Except, it is He who has chosen us, not we Him. And, the commands of Jesus are a call to obedience. His command to love others is also a call to respond to God’s love! [2]

I want to return to the idea of friends – Jesus calling the disciples – calling us – His friends. Similar to children and their growing idea of friendship, you and I can sometimes respond to Jesus’ way of calling us friends in different ways. And, the best part about that is that our Lord Jesus understands!

Jesus gets us. He understands when we are hungry, angry, lonely or tired. He gets it when we are frustrated or preoccupied. Jesus especially understands when there are mental health issues that come up, for us or for our loved ones. And, Jesus continues to come alongside, and will continue to be right by our sides while we are trying to love as best as we can.

A number of years ago, a commentator I follow was eating pizza with her youth group one Sunday evening. She asked them what it means to be a friend. She wrote down all the definitions, and here are a few, because they are so on the mark. “A friend is someone who is herself when she’s with you.” “A friend cares about you, listens to your problems, and helps you.” “A friend thinks about you before he thinks about himself.” “A friend cares about other people’s opinions and beliefs, and respects them.” [3]

These definitions are better than I could come up with, for sure! The best part is, if you and I follow these definitions (and suggestions) about making and keeping friends, we will be following the commands of Jesus! And, his number one command is “Love one another, as I have loved you.”

A big part of Jesus’ expression of friendship was by sharing His whole life with us. Living as God intended is community life, where we share all of who we are with others. [4] That is exactly what these teens gave as their definitions for true friends, and that is how we are to love one another, as Jesus loves each of us.

Will we be successful all the time? Unfortunately, no. Can we keep striving to love and keep on loving as much as possible? Yes, we can! With God’s help, and with the help of one another in our church community and our family and friends, we can love like Jesus! We all have the opportunity to follow the commands of Jesus. Love one another. Go and love everyone, in Jesus’s name. Alleluia, amen.

@chaplaineliza

(Suggestion: visit me at my other blogs: matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers. and A Year of Being Kind . Thanks!

[1] http://worshipingwithchildren.blogspot.com/2015/03/year-b-sixth-sunday-of-easter-may-10.html

[2] http://gluthermonson.blogspot.com/2015/05/love-one-another.html

[3] https://melissabanesevier.wordpress.com/2015/05/05/friended/

[4] https://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/worship/weekly-worship/monthly/2024-may/sunday-5-may-2024-sixth-sunday-of-easter-year-b