Daily Lesson for February 9, 2016

Today's Daily Lesson comes from Philippians chapter 3 verses 3 through 9:

"[P]ut no confidence in the flesh—4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him."

In the end the good news is that nothing can save us except God. But the good news is also disturbing news because it forces us to accept the passing away of all that which is not God.

Tribe passes, along with all political parties and sectarian divides. Religion is swallowed up. Pride of nation is drowned in a vast sea of love. Javert's zeal finds peace in surrendering to the mercy found in Bishop Myriel. Righteous pretense is proved impure in the purifying light which exposes all things great and small. Heaven and earth pass away.

And all else save the gain of God and Christ are found to be rubbish, worthless, fool's gold.

It's good news for those who believe; but it's disturbing news to the present order and import of all things here and now.

In the end nothing will save us except God; all else must then die and be mourned.

Daily Lesson for February 8, 2016

Today's Daily Lesson comes from Proverbs chapter 27 verse 5:

          "Better is open rebuke
than hidden love."

and John chapter 18 verses 15 through 18:

15 Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, 16 but Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door, and brought Peter in. 17 The servant girl at the door said to Peter, “You also are not one of this man's disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” 18 Now the servants and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves. Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself.

Most of the betrayal in life is not of the willful and active sort, but rather of the passive and silent kind. To betray is to "prove false"; and we can be proven false either by action or inaction, words or silence. Most of us are not Judas; but we are all Peter.

In a speech in the last year of his life, Dr. King said, "In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends."  This was the same sentiment written in Book of Proverbs two millennia before: "Better is open rebuke than hidden love."

Last week at school my daughter Gabrielle was on the playground when she was confronted with a group of her classmates belittling another kind of classmate for something that was deemed disgraceful.  Would she speak up or keep quiet?

We're not on the playground anymore but the same choice remains; and it doesn't get any easier.

Daily Lesson for February 5, 2016

Today's Daily Lesson comes from Hebrews chapter 12 verses 5 through 10:


“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him.
6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”
7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.

Yesterday I wanted very much to be somewhere with some people I care deeply about. Alas, one of my son's case of Strep Throat thwarted my plans. I was deeply disappointed. Then later in the day after we came home from the doctor's office with the official diagnosis, I look up and see the boys have decided to share the sucker the doctor was so kind to give us. Shared sucker. Shared strep.  I nearly blew a gasket. I was angry at the boys, resentful of having to miss something important, and wondering if there was a hotline to call and report the doctor for violating her Hippocratic Oath to do no harm.

Today I see my own sin -- my own impatience, resentfulness, and tendency to blame. Today I can see more clearly what I do when life is beyond my control.

I don't like seeing all this in myself. I don't like seeing the sin. I don't like being stung with its truth. In short, I don't like being disciplined the way God disciplined me yesterday.

Yet like my one, and probably now two sons I have to take my medicine. I don't like the way it tastes, but I know it's good for me. I know it's God's way of making me well, making me whole, making me holy.

Anger and blame are besetting sins which come out when I can't control things. That's a serious diagnosis. And yesterday I had to take a strong dose of acceptance.  I winced when I swallowed it.

And I didn't even get a sucker afterward.

Daily Lesson for February 4, 2016

Today's Daily Lesson comes from Psalm 74 verse 16a:

"Yours is the day, yours also the night."

The psalmist who penned these words was writing from the ashes of the destroyed sanctuary. National calamity had befallen the nation.  Everything had been torn down, profaned, and burned. Everyone was wondering if God had forgotten them, if the LORD had cast them off forever (verse 1).

It is into this time of desolation and grief that the psalmist's words defiantly speak: "Yours is the day, yours also the night."

It may be whistling in the dark; but it's more than that also. This is what true faith looks like.

Last night in a class at our church we finished watching the film "The Mission", staring Jeremy Irons and Robert DeNiro as two 18th century Jesuit priests serving a mission to the native peoples in South America. At the end of the film, the mission is attacked by colonial powers, all is destroyed, and the two Jesuits and most of the villagers are killed. It is a heavy and disturbing end. But then, just before the conclusion of the film a young village boy takes up and begins the cross of one of the fallen Jesuits.  The final words into the film just before the credits are from the beginning of the Gospel of St John, "The light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it."

Heartache, loss, calamity and devastation cannot be avoided in this mission of living. The experience of the darkness a part of the journey -- half of the journey. And yet, the darkness too belongs to God. It too is tamed by God. In the end, it too will be swallowed up by God.

The light within us is most manifest in the darkness; the life we bear is most meaningful in the shadow of death.  To God belongs the day, and also the night; and to God belongs the children of light even in the darkest of midnight hours.

Daily Lesson for February 3, 2016

Last week I walked into Reginae's classroom with a special surprise tucked beneath my arm. "Guess what I've got," I said.

Reginae is in fourth grade and has been my Kids Hope Kid for three years now. Her older brother Reginald was my Kids Hope Kid the prior three before he graduated on to middle school. Kids Hope is about one mentor and one kid at one single school for one hour a week. After awhile the single hours add up; but to how much only God really knows. That's where faith comes in. Every hour put in by every one of our 20 mentors in Reginae's school is an act of faith.  For faith, we are told by the Apostle Paul, is the "substance of things hoped for."

This year Reginae and I have been reading Ruby Bridges's memoir "Through My Eyes".  It is her remembrance of the 1960 school year, when as a kindergartener she was the first black child to attend an all-white public school in New Orleans.   Earlier in the year I had been asked by Reginae's teacher to help her with reading and comprehension. She chose "Through My Eyes" and page by page we have read together about Ruby's courage, poise and determination as she saw with her own eyes that giant new school with the giant and angry crowds outside and walked little step by little step up the steps into her new world. Reginae and I have talked about what courage Ruby's parents must also have had to allow their daughter to be the first to integrate the schools, and what character was demonstrated by Ruby's teacher and some of the public officials, ministers and other supporters who helped her and her family along the way.

We have read and re-read word by word and line by line and I have been amazed at Reginae's progress.  "Let the punctuation do its work."  "Breath for the sense of the meaning."  "What's that word again?"  Half a school year on the same book has paid off hour by hour, week by week. Reginae can read; and she can not only read but she also understands.

Then at church two weeks ago, in the sanctuary just before worship a woman grabs my arm. She is somewhat new to the church and new to Lubbock. She moved here to be close to her children because as she pushes against a terminal diagnosis.  I look down at what she is holding in her hand. It's Ruby Bridges's book -- a signed copy. "I heard you were reading this with your little girl. I want her to have it."

I wondered if Reginae was ready for the book. Would she appreciate it?  Would she understand the meaning?  Someone else suggested I give it to my own daughter instead. But no, I decided. This book is for Reginae. It's meant for her.

We walk into the Kids Hope room with my surprise is still tucked beneath my arm. I am surrounded by such amazing things going on. One of our other mentors is using his architectural training to teach his Kids Hope Kid how to draft designs for a house. The little boy wants to be an architect and has started with his dream home -- the jacuzzi room is at the center and by far the largest room in the house. Another mentor is studying vocabulary words with her kid. Still another is playing charades.  I get everyone else's attention. "I have something to give to Reginae that a nice lady from my church wanted her to have."

I pull out my surprise. "You ready to start reading?"  "Yes."  "Let's back up a little. How about back to the cover page."  Reginae looks at me with an "Are your crazy?" look.  It's taken us half a year to get as far as we've gotten and now I want to start over?  "Just turn to the cover page."  "Through My Eyes," I say, "by -- what does that say?  The words on the bottom in cursive?"  "Ruby Bridges," Reginae says. She reads it ; and she understands it. "A signed copy -- for you."  "For me?"  "For you."

We read for another hour together and at the end of the time I walk Reginae back to her classroom. After dropping her off, I stand outside and watch and wonder what if anything she will do with the book. Reginae starts for her seat, but then turns toward her teacher's desk.  She presents the book to her teacher and turns presumably to the cover page. "How wonderful!" I hear her teacher say.

How wonderful indeed.

Daily Lesson for February 2, 2016

Today's Daily Lesson comes from Genesis chapter 21 verses 14 through 19:

14 So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba. 15 When the water in the skin was gone, she put the child under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot, for she said, “Let me not look on the death of the child.” And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. 17 And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. 18 Up! Lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” 19 Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water.

God made provision for both the sons of Abraham -- the firstborn Ishmael and the second Isaac -- and all their descendants. Though one child was destined to be the father of Israel, the other child found blessing and providence also. God was watching over both.

To say that I am blessed does not mean that you are not. For one to receive the favor or the call does not negate God's care and concern for the other. Ishmael and Isaac were both sons of Abraham; and we are all children of God.

God hears the voice of all His children when they cry. There is no voice which goes unheard or unknown. And there is no child seeking refuge who goes unnoticed.

There remains a terrible crisis going on in Syria. These are the children of Hagar; and God still hears their cry.

Please join us at Second B on the evening of Thursday, March 3 at 7pm as we too will listen to voices from the Syrian refugee crisis living here among us in Lubbock.

Attribution:	Artaud, W. (William), 1763-1823 ; Bromley, William, 1769-1842. The Macklin Bible -- Hagar and Ishmael, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=54094[retrieved February 2, 2016]. Original source: A gift to Vanderbilt University from John J. and Anne Czura..

Daily Lesson for February 1, 2016

Today's Daily Lesson comes from Hebrews chapter 11 verses 8 through 10:

8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.

Reinhold Niebuhr wrote in "The Irony of American History": "Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in our lifetime; therefore we must be saved by hope. Nothing which is true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate context of history; therefore we must be saved by faith."

We are never really "there". We are always still arriving, still searching, still surveying, still building, still not knowing for certain.  Like Abraham, we live in the Land of God's Promise, but we live there as sojourners and colonists, still looking forward to the building of the city.

Was the promise true?  Yes, though an uncultivated land never seems very promising at first. Was the promise for us? Yes, the promise was for us -- and our descendants; which means no single generation can build it alone.  Was the promise trustworthy?  Yes, though the firmness of its foundation is solely a word which must be taken as an article of faith whose assurance can never be seen but only hoped in.

We are the spiritual descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jakob.  Like them, our homes are makeshift tents with make do improvements.  But, like Abraham, we too look forward to "the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God." And until we live there, we live here.

This is what it means to be a people of the promise.

Artwork:

Pilgrim with staff, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=54923 [retrieved February 1, 2016]. Original source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pilgrim_Path_Waymarker_(Ireland).jpg.