Tag Archives: friendship

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Whose Calling? God’s Calling!

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“Whose Calling? God’s Calling!”

Ephesians 4:1-6, 13-16 (4:1-3) – August 4, 2024

            I love the Olympics! Yes, the Winter Olympics are wonderful! No doubt about it. However, I have always had a warm place in my heart for the Summer Olympics. Watching such marvelous athletes can be excellent for both the head as well as the heart.

Watching the nations of the world come together in friendship and friendly competition is wonderful, too. Sports and friendly competition can transcend national rivalry, ethnic differences and even bring about an end to conflict and wars – as temporary as the peace and truce every four years at the time of the Olympics is.

            Sadly, in Paul’s time, regions and countries were in regular conflict and war, one with another. The apostle Paul is quite deliberate here at the beginning of Ephesians chapter 4. He does entreat, in all seriousness! Paul knows how difficult it is for individuals to get along with each other, much less countries. It sounds much like today!  

            The letter to the Ephesian church is divided into two parts. Paul ended the first section with Ephesians 3, with a prayer for an outpouring of Christ’s love. Paul wished the Lord might grant strength and power to the Ephesian believers, prayed they might experience the full-ness of God, and closed with a spontaneous doxology to the immeasurable praise and glory of God. Here at the beginning of the second section of his letter, Paul gets practical.

I would like to read again these words from the apostle Paul. “live a life that measures up to the standard God set when he called you. 2 Be always humble, gentle, and patient. Show your love by being tolerant with one another. 3 Do your best to preserve the unity which the Spirit gives by means of the peace that binds you together. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as there is one hope to which God has called you.”  

            When you think of someone who is humble, gentle, and patient, who comes to mind? Let me tell you who comes to mind for me. Mister Rogers. Yes, Fred Rogers from Mister Rogers Neighborhood is for me a star at being humble, gentle, and patient. Yet, look at our culture here in the United States.  These three attributes are not seen to be highly regarded or sought after. Look at television commercials, which deliver a hard no to humble, gentle, and patient.

            Especially as – and I am going to venture into the political realm for a moment, which I usually do not do – we consider the general tenor and divisive attitude of the whole nation, with our national election only three months away. Who among our political leaders and those running for office wants to showcase themselves as humble, gentle and patient? Yet, that is exactly what the apostle Paul tells us to be, as believers in Christ.

            Paul moves to the idea of being worthy of “the calling you have received.” That is, each of us is called. God has chosen us, as the Bible says in multiple places, to be God’s beloved children. The Lord has chosen each of us to be a part of God’s Church Universal. And, each in our congregation is a part of our local church here. St. Luke’s Christian Community Church.

            In the Olympic competition every four years, we can watch many, many different teams playing a variety of sports, from all over the world. I was very much struck by the USA women’s rugby team, who actually medalled, winning bronze. The first time a USA team has won a medal in rugby, since 1924. I heard Illona Maher, the earnest, sincere captain of the team interviewed, and several of her teammates also commented. They are so grateful they had the opportunity to practice and to compete together. There is a special bond between these women that will last a lifetime. May the bonds between each of us as fellow Christians lead us to such togetherness.

            Now, WHY should there be such togetherness? As Paul is urging believers in Ephesus to live lives worthy of this Godly calling, he also urges each of us to do the same. “Nothing we do can ever make us truly worthy of the gift of God’s grace, but God’s grace should make us want to live lives that align with who God has called us to be.” [1] Isn’t grace the whole point of living our lives as believers in Christ? Talk about being counter-cultural! This is it, right here.

 God not only freely gives each of us grace – which none of us has done anything to earn! – but we, the church, have been given unity! I know it doesn’t seem like we are unified some of the time. Even, most of the time, depending on which groups of people you and I are looking at! Paul reminds us: “Do your best to preserve the unity which the Spirit gives by means of the peace that binds you together.”

As we look at the spirit and goal of the Olympics, we can see another expression of unity. Unity in sport, in friendly competition. This year, athletes from more than 200 countries are living together under one roof, and are unified as ambassadors of peace, for these two weeks at least. What a marvelous expression, and how similar is this unity that the apostle Paul talks about here in our reading today! What better way to express this unity, as Paul says, than by stewarding this unity through you and me striving to be humble, gentle, patient and loving.

            I know sometimes there are fierce rivalries between sports teams, and between their devoted fans. But, not here! Not in God’s gifting. Just as on a sports team there are different gifts displayed by the various team members, so there is in every local church different people performing different functions. Even equipped with different but equal talents! “It is notable that God, desiring unity, didn’t make us all the same, but instead has given us the opportunity to encounter people who differ from us. Our goal as a Church is to learn to love all peoples ‘until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God.’” [2]

            So, God is again doing the unexpected: giving us grace! And, calling us with the rich calling that is even more amazing than we could possibly ask for. Plus, the hallmarks of our calling as believers come as we all strive to be humble, gentle, patient and loving – to everyone! All people, from everywhere. Just like the Olympics. Just like the Church, all over the world.

Listen to Paul – be peacemakers to all people, and be unified. As God has gifted us to be. 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.churchofscotland.org.uk/worship/weekly-worship/monthly/2024-august/sunday-4-august-2024-eleventh-sunday-after-pentecost-year-b

[2] Ibid.

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Who Should We Love?

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“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. 15 I 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

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Written on Our Hearts!

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“Written on Our Hearts!”

Jeremiah 31:31-34 (31:33) – March 17, 2024

            Relationships are foundational to life. Positive, negative, distant, close.  Both of my parents are gone now, but I had a loving relationship with both of them. My sisters and brothers—again, I have relationships with them. Members of my extended family, too, are included in my list of relationships. Also my friends, acquaintances, colleagues, even my enemies. All of these people have relationships with me.

Think about yourself. You have relationships with many, many people, too. Most of your relatives and acquaintances I just mentioned, if not all of them. Positive or negative, distant or close. We all have relationships—or friendships—with many people.

            But what about God? What kind of relationship do you and I have with God? Is that relationship good? Even wonderful? Is it close? Or distant? Bumpy at times? Our Scripture reading for today talks about this relationship. The prophet is talking about it from God’s perspective. God’s view of the relationship, or the friendship, if you will.

            If we think about the nation of Israel in the time of Jeremiah, the nation was devastated, and destroyed by the conquering nation of Babylon. The nation of Israel was probably not thinking about keeping up their relationship with God at all – with so much chaos and destruction surrounding each individual, each family, across the whole country.

            Centuries before the time of Jeremiah, God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses, and the whole law code of Moses in the years after that. This law code or rule book was meant to be a structure for the nation of Israel to follow, to live their lives, on a daily basis. And, this structure was a way for them to have a relationship with their God, their helper and deliverer – if they chose to follow God and God’s ways.

            Isn’t that the main problem? The nation of Israel had continuing problems following God’s rule book, God’s law code. Isn’t it exactly the same thing today, that you and I have the same problems following God, too?

            We’re not talking about a distant God, a God Who wound up the universe like a watch, put it on some shelf, and then walked away and promptly forgot all about it. No! The Lord wants to be in a relationship – with us!

            If we look at this reading, we see that God did have a relationship—a friendship, we could say—with the nation of Israel. God was the one Who started it. See what verse 32 says? God took the nation of Israel by the hand when God led them out of Egypt. God wanted the friendship. Israel did not start the relationship.

            We can compare that friendship to God’s relationship with us. God wants us as friends, too!  Just as with the nation of Israel, God goes out of God’s way to make friends with us. You and me. Each and every one of us. God approaches us.

            But something happened. Something awful! The nation of Israel was not a faithful friend to God. The relationship was disrupted, broken. But, God didn’t break it. No! Israel did. Remember the many, many times  in the Hebrew Scriptures that Israel ran away from God? Or forgot about God? Or just plain ignored God? Time after time, we can read about how the nation stumbled, resisted, or was unfaithful to their friendship. Their relationship.

            We can see the number one reason the people of Israel were taken out of the land and sent into exile: because the people broke their Covenant and God’s rule book time after time after time again. That’s the big reason for the nation of Israel’s exile to Babylon.

            What about us? What about you and me, in our relationship with God? Isn’t it a lot the same? Don’t we stumble, or fall? Haven’t we forgotten about God, or even broken God’s rules? I’m thinking of sin. Putting other things in God’s place. Making other things or other people in our lives more important to us than God. 

            Our relationship with God is broken! Disrupted. Sometimes we grow so used to sinning, to being apart from God, that you and I cannot choose to do anything else. What a predicament! Our relationship with God—under the Old Covenant—is gone. Destroyed. We are sunk, there is not a chance for you and for me.

            What about the nation of Israel? What did God do for them? Rev. Sharon Blezzard said, “God does not abandon the people, even when their hearts have turned from God’s divine love and life-giving law. God is faithful and promises to be known – not just in word and in teaching, but in the very DNA of the people.” [1]

            The Lord does not leave us abandoned, either! God still wants to be in relationship with us! With you, and with me. God’s nature is not punishing or arbitrary, but instead loving and forgiving. This forgiveness is heart language, from God. And, God will write this new covenant, this new relationship upon our hearts.

            The foundation of this forgiveness comes from our new knowledge of God, written on our hearts. And what is our response to God’s love? God’s forgiveness? God’s reconciling embrace? You and I have the opportunity to live changed lives, as changed people—from the inside out. God is not willing that anyone should be strangers, but instead that all would have the opportunity to be friends with God. Best friends.

God will be our God. We will be God’s people. And that’s a promise. That’s forgiveness. That’s the opportunity that each of us has to be with God, forever. Amen, and 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.stewardshipoflife.org/2015/03/language-of-the-heart/

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Compassion with Our Welcome

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“Compassion with Our Welcome”

Deut 10-19 words

Deuteronomy 10:18-19 – August 20, 2017

The world today is a divided place, even here in the United States. There are so any divisions in society happening recently. Arguments, inflamed rhetoric, serious disagreements—and this is just between family members and acquaintances. Then, to escalate matters even further, many people of sincere beliefs and good conscience are finding themselves on opposite sides of serious matters, like immigration, the movement of people groups, and the safe passage of refugees and migrants.

What are we to make of such things?  More importantly, what does the Lord tell us in the Bible that we are to do about immigrants, refugees and migrants? More on this important topic, a little later in the sermon.

I also want to tell you all about the Family Peace Fest yesterday outside of the Civic Center. Frankly, I was nervous and anxious about this event. Or, more specifically, about the potential weather on the day of the Family Peace Fest.

However, God took care of all of my fears and anxiety. Yesterday was a gorgeous day, the weather couldn’t have been better, and this turned out to be a wonderful event at the Civic Center at Harrer Park on Dempster! We not only raised up peace, hope and harmony in Morton Grove and the surrounding neighborhoods, but we showed everyone who attended that our multi-ethnic, multi-cultural community could gather together, laugh, learn, and enjoy each other’s company. We also showed the Chicago area and the world that this diverse community lifts up peace as one of our most prized values.

We continue with our summer sermon series on compassion. This week, we are considering a reading from Deuteronomy, the fifth book of the Hebrew scriptures. Here we are looking closely at some words of Moses to the large number of Jewish people, at the end of forty years of wandering in the Sinai desert and wilderness.

Moses also said a great many things that make a great deal of sense, especially from our Hebrew scripture reading today. From Deuteronomy 10: “Hey, people, what is it God wants from you? Just this: your reverence, your faithfulness, your love, your dedication, and for you to obey the commandments. They’re for your own good.”

Moses gave the Jewish tribes a whole lot of instructions, rules, and commands. Let’s take a close look at his commands for this people. They had strict duties and responsibilities to God and to other people. What was it Moses said again? Just this: God wants our reverence, our faithfulness, our love, our dedication, and for us to obey the commandments.

Right here is a summary statement of all of the laws, rules and commands Moses gave in Deuteronomy, the second giving of the Law. We’ve talked a few months ago about summary statements Jesus gave in the Gospels for what God wants from us, above all. Well, here is a brief summary from Moses about the exact same thing. What God wants, above all.

Going on, in our Scripture: “All the sky and all the stars belong to God, the earth and everything in it, and listen: God chose you—your people, your ancestors and your children—you! Do not cut yourself off from God; soften your heart. God is above all, but concerned for those who have nothing, caring for those who are stranded and alone, providing for them.”

What is this? Moses is now departing from a simple summary statement of what God wants from us into specific waters: Moses says God is concerned for “those who have nothing, caring for those who are stranded and alone, providing for them.”

Can you imagine some of the situations that may cause people to leave their homeland and go to a new place? We can just imagine some of the positive things. Economic opportunities, or better living conditions. Then, there are negative situations. Wars and conflict, perhaps famine or drought, earthquakes, fires, and other catastrophic events. These situations might come out of nowhere and knock people off their feet and destroy their homes.

Sometimes little is left except to migrate, to become refugees or immigrants, sometimes traveling a long, long way.

I saw a meme on the computer a few days ago. It said: “Your car is German, your vodka is Russian, your pizza is Italian. Your kebab is Turkish, your democracy is Greek, your coffee is Brazilian. Your tea is Tamil, your shirt is Indian, your oil is from Saudi Arabia. Your electronics are Chinese, your numbers are Arabic, your letters are Latin. And you complain that your neighbor is an immigrant?” [1]

As many memes do, this one uses ironic statements to get the point across. My blogging friend (and Registered Nurse) Marilyn Gardiner wrote a post just a few days ago about this very thing. Let’s hear what she has to say about this meme in her own words.

“While the meme is about things, I began to think about all the people in my life who are immigrants. As I made the list, I started to laugh. It’s unlikely I could function without them.

My doctor is from Jamaica, my surgeon is from Greece, my hairdresser is from Albania.

“I occasionally get my nails done by a woman from Vietnam; I buy fruit from a man from Albania. The advisory board members on a project that I am responsible for at work are from Syria, Iran, Algeria, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Iraq, and the Azores. A consultant who also works with the project is from Somalia. “My colleagues are from Portugal, the Azores, Brazil, Haiti, and Malawi – and that’s only a few of them.

“Daily I say hello to hotel employees from Guatemala, Haiti, and Egypt. The restaurant next to my work that sells excellent falafel and shwarma is owned by Iraqis. My friends at church are from Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Lebanon. Other regular friends in my life are from Pakistan, Israel, and Iran.

“What’s more, my maternal grandfather who died many years ago is from Poland….

“Every one of these people contribute positively to their communities and to the workforce, a fact that validates what studies have shown – that immigration has a positive effect on both economic growth and productivity.” [2]

Marilyn was a missionary kid, now living in Boston. She grew up in Pakistan, going to boarding school for years in the mountains away from her parents. So, she knows well the feelings of displacement, of not being home (wherever “home” is).

Turning back to our Scripture for the morning: “God is above all, but concerned for those who have nothing, caring for those who are stranded and alone, providing for them. You, too, remember when you were immigrants, strangers in Egypt—let that memory stir compassion in you for the strangers among you.”

All of us (even Native Americans, way far back) come from somewhere else. Even if you or I were born locally, our parents, grandparents, or ancestors further back hailed from somewhere else. At some point, we or our parents or our ancestors were alone, lonely, stranded, displaced, and missing “home,” wherever their “home” was.

Here in Deuteronomy, God gives a direct command: love the immigrant, the stranger, the migrant, the refugee. Have compassion for them. Love them. Care for them. (We were once immigrants, too.) Can it be any more direct?

Let us finish this reading: “Worship only God; hang on tightly to God; praise God; know that everything wonderful you have seen, God has done.”

What wonderful words from our God. Everything wonderful that we see every day? God is the author of it. God deserves our worship and praise, every day. We are urged here to hang on tightly to God!

God hangs on tightly to all people God has created. What is more, we know the Lord cares deeply for people who are the least powerful—especially women, children, and immigrants, as our Bible reading says. Can you imagine some reasons God shows extra care for them? Who are some immigrants and refugees you know of today? People in your life, or people you’ve heard of? What are some ways we can show compassion to immigrants in our lives and our community? What comes to your mind?

We showed love, caring and compassion for all people in our community yesterday, raising up peace at Harrer Park outside of the Civic Center, at the Family Peace Fest.

How can we show compassion? Be creative! Take an action step. One genuine smile, one kind word, one loving action. These actions, taken together, can change the world, one smile at a time.

Our friendship and compassion to immigrants, strangers, refugees and migrants is such a gift. Best of all? We will be doing what God commands. Hear what God is saying to the church.

[1] https://communicatingacrossboundariesblog.com/2017/08/07/who-are-the-immigrants-in-your-life/

[2] https://communicatingacrossboundariesblog.com/2017/08/07/who-are-the-immigrants-in-your-life/

(A heartfelt thank you to Marilyn Gardiner and her wonderful blog “Communicating Across the Boundaries of Faith & Culture.” Thanks for your permission to make an extended quote from your blog in this week’s sermon.

Another heartfelt thank you to An Illustrated Compassion: Learning to Love Like God. Many of these sermon ideas and thoughts came directly from this series.  I appreciate this intergenerational curriculum, which is the basis for my summer sermon series on compassion. This curriculum comes from Illustrated Children’s Ministry. Thanks so much for such great ideas!)

@chaplaineliza

(Suggestion: visit me at my regular blog for 2017: matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers. #PursuePEACE – and my other blog,  A Year of Being Kind . Thanks!)