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Archive for June, 2020

John 11: The Raising of Lazarus and the Retreat to Ephraim

Posted in Favorite, Prayer, Web site included, tagged , , , , on June 30, 2020| Leave a Comment »


Tuesday, June 30, 2020

EphraimHighlited[1]John 11

The Raising of Lazarus and the Retreat to Ephraim

We hear and read this story so many times.  It holds the brief verse, “Jesus wept”.  It tells a story which holds so much hope.  It is followed by the simple fact that “Many . . . believed in him.  But some of them went away to tell the Pharisees, and told them the things that Jesus had done . . . So from that day forth their plan was to put him to death”.

We realize that because of this, “Jesus no longer went about openly among the Jews, but withdrew to the district near the desert, to a town called Ephraim; and there he stayed with his disciples. . .”

We see that the chapter closes with these words, “the Pharisees had given orders that, if anyone knew where he was, he should report it, so that they might seize him”.

I am not thinking about the story in this chapter that we know so well, how Jesus calls Lazarus to stand erect and to come forth, which he does.  No, I am thinking about the aftermath of the story, about how the structure plotted against this man who came to release people from bondage and to heal.  When we peek into the next chapter we will see that the Sanhedrin also plans to kill Lazarus as well as Jesus.  They must project their own need to plot and conspire upon these two friends.  I want to focus on the hope-filled story of Lazarus; but I am thinking about how from time to time in my own life, I retreat with Jesus to Ephraim.

I finally came upon a reference to this small town in the HARPER COLLINS NRSV STUDY BIBLE.  In the footnote we are told that its location is uncertain, and we are referred to 2 Samuel 13:23 and 1 Maccabees 11:34.  It may be located near Bethel; it may be the town also known as Aphairema.  Perhaps it is appropriate that we have no clear name and no clear latitude and longitude for this place; because within each of us there is an Ephraim.  Each of us has a quiet place to which we retreat when we have tried to do something good or for which we know we will suffer. (Meeks)

Perhaps it is the instinct for survival in human beings that causes so much anger and jealousy.  Perhaps it is an inborn desire to lay out territory or to strive for fame and wealth.  The temple leaders did not like the fact that Jesus was drawing off revenue when believing Jews turned to him for what the priests could not provide.  We will never truly know what was in the hearts of the men who connived against Jesus rather than offer themselves to him as open, honest and sincere men of God.  We will never know if it was pride, fear, envy, or sloth, but what we do know is that Jesus went with his disciples to Ephraim to recover, to re-group, to regain before he began his pilgrimage into Jerusalem for the last Passover.

So let us come together when we mourn, let us gather to pray when we celebrate, let us set off to Ephraim to find respite with Jesus and the other disciples.  Let us retreat for a while to gather resources before stepping again on the path of the pilgrims who journey to Jerusalem to atone, to repair and to give thanks and celebrate.  Let us find refuge in Ephraim where we know there is safety in the Lord.

Meeks, Wayne A., Gen. Ed. HARPERCOLLINS STUDY BIBLE (NRSV). New York, New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1989. Print.

Adapted from a reflection written on October 13, 2007.

To read about The Tribe of Ephraim, click on the image above or go to: http://www.israel-a-history-of.com/tribe-of-ephraim.html

To read about Ephraim in scripture, go to: http://topicalbible.org/e/ephraim’s.htm

 

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Psalm 121:3-8: Marking God’s Presence

Posted in Mini-Noontime, tagged , , , on June 29, 2020| 2 Comments »


Monday, June 29, 2020

eph-3_18-web[1]Marking God’s Presence

Psalm 121:3-8

God will not permit your foot to stumble; God who guards you will not fall asleep.  Indeed, the one who guards Israel never slumbers, never sleeps.  The Lord serves as your guardian.  God is at your right hand to serve as your shade.  The sun will not strike you during the day, nor the moon during the night.  The Lord will protect you against all evil; God will watch over your life.  The Lord will watch over your coming and your going both now and forevermore. 

We know that the pagan gods sleep.  Our God does not.  We know that the pagan gods mock and deceive humankind.  Our God does not.  We know that the pagan gods care more about themselves than they do the mortals whose lives they control.  Our God does not.

God says: I love you more than you can imagine.  My heart aches when you are sad.  I grieve when you suffer in any way.  I rejoice when you laugh.  When the deserts of life wear you down I want to shelter you in my shade.  When evil prowls its earthly domain I am ever alert to warn and protect you.  I mark your lying down and your rising.  I mark your going out and coming in.  I mark your tears and your laughter.  I mark all . . . because you are all to me.

It is too easy to forget that God is constantly with us.  We too quickly plan our day and leave God out of our activities.  We too often act as if we must protect and save ourselves.  When we mark our days with little “God appointments” . . . we also mark God’s presence . . . and we remember that to God, we are all.

To explore how to best mark God’s presence in our lives, type God Time in the blog search bar and examine your day in a new way.

Tomorrow, retreating from the world for a little time . . .

Image from: http://godsabundantblessings.com/

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Psalm 2:1-3: Casting Away Chains

Posted in Mini-Noontime, tagged , , , , , , on June 28, 2020| Leave a Comment »


Sunday, June 28, 2020

prison2[1]Casting Away Chains

Psalm 2:1-3

Why do the nations rage and the peoples devise futile plots? The kings of the earth rise up, and the princes conspire together against the Lord and against his Anointed One: “Let us finally break their shackles and cast away their chains from us”.

Jesus came into the world to set us free from all the fears and anxieties that enslave us.  He lives and breathes with us that we might believe that we do not need to pay homage to any of the little gods the nations, the peoples and the princes have established.  Jesus is the Anointed One who comes to tells us that there is only one law to follow . . . The Law of Love.

God says: As I have said so many times, it is confusing to sort through all the little gods you have chained yourselves to: the god of time, the god of space, the god of power, the god of control, the god of fear, the god of fame, the god of glamour, the god of wealth, the god of status and so many more.  There is only one God and I Am that God.  There is only one law, The Law of Love.  There is only one dominion, the Kingdom I invite you to build with me.  I have broken your chains just as I broke the chains of Paul and Silas.  Trust in me and put aside your little plans.  Allow me to cast away the chains that are too heavy for you to lift.

We need no plots, no schemes, and no tricks to be one with God.  We need only surrender, obedience and love.  Let us trust the one who forgives endlessly.  Let us rely on the one who judges mercifully.  And let us follow the one who unlocks all chained and secret places.

Type the word plots or schemes in the blog search bar and examine how we separate ourselves from God . . . and how we might allow God to release us from our personal prison.

To read the story of Paul and Silas’ miraculous release, see Acts 16.

A re-post from June 28, 2013. 

Image from: http://glad-u-see.com/salvation.html 

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Deuteronomy 30:15-20: The Choice Before Us

Posted in Prayer, Web site included, tagged , , , , on June 27, 2020| Leave a Comment »


Saturday, June 27, 2020

two-paths[2]Deuteronomy 30:15-20

The Choice before Us: A Prayer with Psalm 1

Israel has a choice to make. and each of us has this same choice.

Every morning when we wake and rise we greet the day and the Lord with evidence of our choice.  As we dress, as we eat, as we prepare to go into the world.  Every action we take is a sign to God of what he means to us.

As we go to school or enter work places and as we unlock doors and prepare for the day, we are an expression of God’s love for humanity and creation.

As we interact with colleagues and students we tell God what we think of our relationship with God and others.

As we write and administer assessments, evaluate work – that of others and our own – we use the measuring stick with which we will be measured.

As we end our work day to move back into our homes, we see God in the way we live, the people and things which have import for us.

As we bend on our knees or sit in our chair, or lie on our bed to recall the day, we see what treasure we have stored up in heaven to return to God.

We each have choices to make.  As Psalm 1 tells us, we are a forest of trees planted along the bank of the river that flows to the New Jerusalem.  We are to bear fruit many-fold according to our gifts.  We bear this fruit with great Hope.

Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

Blessed is the one who follows not the counsel of the wicked nor walks in the way of sinners, nor sits in the company of the insolent, but delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on God’s law day and night.

Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

Not so the wicked, not so; they are like the chaff which the wind drives away.  For the Lord watches over the way of the just, but the way of the wicked vanishes.

Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

Dearest Lord, may we produce fruit in abundance for you in due season.  Not when we wish, but rather as best suits your plan for all of us . . . in your due season.  May we choose light when we rise, light as we go about our day, light as we tuck ourselves into hearth and home.  May we never stray from you, from your truth, from your Way.

Amen. 

To read the Robert Frost poem, The Path Not Taken that begins with the words: “Two paths diverged in a yellow wood”, go to: http://www.bartleby.com/119/1.html

Adapted from a reflection written on October 11, 2007.

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Psalm 1:5-6: Opening Doors

Posted in Mini-Noontime, tagged , , , on June 26, 2020| Leave a Comment »


Friday, June 26, 2020

the_light_door[1]Opening Doors

Psalm 1:5-6

The wicked will not stand firm at the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.  For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. 

We live by a code that is judgmental and vengeful.  Jesus came to live among us in order that we might learn to live in a new way, The Way of Love.  Old Testament thinkers might want to exact an eye for an eye; New Testament thinkers will want to pray for the wicked as Jesus advises.

God says: I know that the temptation is great to condemn those who do evil but I alone will judge.  What I ask of you for those who are lost is your prayer and intercession.  I know that you desire to know me so that you and I might truly be one.  I know that you work hard at quelling your desire for revenge.  I love for this struggle to remain close to me. And I know that you struggle to open closed doors so that my light might enter.  I love you for your persistence and dedication to The Way of Love despite the obstacles it presents to you.

Type the word light in the blog search bar and explore God’s world of love.  Or click on the image above and explore God’s creation through photography.

Tomorrow, a prayer with Psalm 1 . . .

Image from: http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Asia/Pakistan/East/Islamabad/islamabad/photo1057299.htm

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Psalm 1:3-4: Chaff in the Wind

Posted in Mini-Noontime, tagged , , , , on June 25, 2020| Leave a Comment »


Thursday, June 25, 2020

Chaff flying in the wind . . .

Chaff flying in the wind . . .

Chaff in the Wind

Psalm 1:3-4

The faithful one is like a tree planted near streams of water, which bears fruit in its season, and whose leaves never wither.  In the same way, everything the faithful one does will prosper.  This is not true of the wicked, for they are like chaff that the wind blows away. 

We have been counseled to remain apart from those who delight in evil; we have been urged to maintain a close relationship with God.  Jesus, the Word Among Us, reminds us that we must do more than love those who love us; we must pray for those who wish us harm.

God says: I know that evil frightens you and this is as it should be.  But will you do more than avoid evil for me?  Will you pray for those planted in dry places?  Will you intercede for those who wither and die?  Will you think of them and pray for them as they fly like chaff in the wind?  Will you call them back to me?

Jesus tells us that much is expected of those who have been given much.  (Luke 12:48)  He says the same to us.  Jesus asks the man he cured of demons to return home and tell how much God has done for him.  (Luke 8:39)  He asks the same of us.  The resurrected Christ reminds Peter to feed the flock.  (John 21:15-25)  He also reminds us.

Type the word chaff in the blog search bar and examine how we might be chaff that flies before the wind or the word of God with Christ. 

Image from: http://www.new-ag.info/en/focus/focusItem.php?a=293 

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Psalm 1:1-2: The Subtle Slide into Darkness

Posted in Mini-Noontime, tagged , , , on June 24, 2020| Leave a Comment »


Wednesday, June 24, 2020

Munizÿaba Cave, Entrance PitThe Subtle Slide into Darkness

Psalm 1:1-2

Blessed is the one who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,

Nor stand in the way of sinners,

Nor sit in the company of scoffers.

Our first steps into darkness are so often imperceptible; the first encounters are brief and even tangential to our lives; later we find ourselves standing around the office water cooler or coffee pot; and finally we become a member of the group who gossip, criticize and deceive.

Rather, the faithful delight is in the law of the Lord, and on that law they meditate day and night. 

When we remain in God and filter all of our actions and words through the Law of Love incarnated in Jesus, we see the subtle slide from its beginning.

God says: I know how much you like to be a part of the crowd; I too, like to be in the company of others. I also know how gentle is the beginning slope of the slide into darkness . . . and how steep is this same slope once the light begins to wane.  Abide with me, re-read the words spoken by Jesus, allow the Spirit to dwell in you . . . and you will see where these secret slides are hidden. 

It is possible to find friends who enact God’s compassion, who critique with kindness and who speak truth gently.  Enter the word friend in the blog search bar and reflect on what our relationships say about our image of God.

Image from: http://thedailychapter.wordpress.com/page/22/

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Luke 5:16: Come Apart With Me Awhile

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on June 23, 2020| Leave a Comment »


Tuesday, June 23, 2020

Tissot: Exhortation to the Apostles

James Tissot: Exhortation to the Apostles

Luke 5:16

Come Apart With Me Awhile

But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.  (Luke 5:16)

Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself. (John 6:15)

And after leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray. (Mark 6:46)

The Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.  Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place.  (Matthew 12:14-15)

Jesus withdrew to a region near the desert, to a village named Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples. (John 11:54)

When Jesus heard what had happened [to John the Baptist], he withdrew privately by boat to a solitary place.  (Matthew 14:13)

Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. (Mark 3:7)

Tissot: Jesus Commands his Disciples to Rest

James Tissot: Jesus Commands his Disciples to Rest

Recently in our Noontime journey we have examined how to best survive the ups and downs of a life lived in discipleship.  We have reflected on how to best withstand the plots and schemes devised by the discontented.  We have focused on how to best respond to God’s call. And through all of this we may find ourselves exhausted.  If this is so, we must do as Jesus and his companions did . . . we must go apart for a time.

If you are able, make the intentional effort of leaving one day a week to re-connect with the treasure of yourself.  If you have spent much time with chores and tasks, put them aside and go out into the world to experience the gift of connecting with others.  If you need time on your own, set yourself apart for a time either alone or with someone with whom you need to re-connect.  Put away anything that takes you away from restoring your soul and re-filling your well.  Our world draws us into or out of ourselves in such alluring ways that before we notice, we have either detached ourselves from human community or we have thrown ourselves entirely into it without listening to our hearts.  What we seek today is a bit of balance for with balance comes wisdom and peace.

To help us reflect, let us look at some of the images created by James Tissot, and let us remind ourselves that we are in each of these scenes.  Let us thank Christ for walking with us each day even when we forget his presence.  And let us carry Christ to others as we have been asked to do.

Tissot: Jesus Teaching by the Seashore

James Tissot: Jesus Teaching by the Seashore

If you have a favorite citation from scripture in which Jesus withdraws for a time either alone or with his disciples, insert it in the comment box below.  If you are more visual, search the net for another of Tissot’s scenes from The Life of Christ and share that link in the comment box.

May each of us come away with Christ for a time, may each of us restore the soul and settle the heart, and may each of us enjoy a day of peace and balance.

James Tissot (1833-1902) was “a nineteenth-century French painter who for the first part of his career had a reputation as a ‘French society painter [whose subjects were] the costumes and manners, occupations and pleasures of the French capital’s elegantes.’ This all changed in the early 1890s when Tissot renewed his ties to the Catholicism of his youth after experiencing a vision during a Mass when the priest raised the host. For the rest of his life, he devoted himself to the series of religious paintings numbering in the hundreds given here. Tissot’s lasting reputation rests on this series The Life of Christ on all periods of Jesus Christ’s life from the Annunciation to the Resurrection”.   (Berry)

For more of Berry’s review and others, go to: www.amazon.com/James-Tissot-The-Life-Christ/product-reviews/1858944961

Berry, Henry. “James Tissot: The Life of Christ.” Amazon Reviews. 9 Dec 2009: n. page. Web. 21 Jun. 2013. <http://www.amazon.com/James-Tissot-The-Life-Christ/product-reviews/1858944961&gt;.

Images from: https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/tags/tissot

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Psalm 49: In Evil Days

Posted in Prayer, Web site included, tagged , , , , , , , , , on June 22, 2020| Leave a Comment »


Monday, June 22, 2020

menora-tekes-mica-2[1]Psalm 49

In Evil Days

This Psalm is full of advice about how we are to calm our fears, unburden our hearts and unbend our stiff necks.  It is a practical list of specific strategies for a universal audience . . . rich and poor alike!

My lips will speak words of wisdom.  My heart is full of insight.  How does the psalmist arrive at such understanding and perception?

I will turn my mind to a parable . . . Story telling is a popular pastime in a culture in which most of the population is uneducated and beyond their entertainment value, parables are used to instruct the illiterate using the technique of comparison to teach.  As we read, hear or form parables of our own the burden of our worries lifts.

With a harp I will solve my problems . . . Music soothes the soul, as we know, and the ancient Hebrew people understood this. The harp and flute were used in ancient cultures to both entertain and to quiet the soul.  Saul calls for David and his harp when he is troubled (1 Samuel 16:23).  There are at more than a dozen references to praising God with the harp in Scripture and here the psalmist calls for the use of its comforting tones.  As we sing to God and praise God’s wisdom and power and goodness the problems that besieged us begin to dissolve.

Why should I fear in evil days the malice of the foes who surround me, men who trust their wealth and boast of the vastness of their riches . . . Finally the psalmist tackles problems common to all humanity from the earliest stories in our culture to the present day: envy, greed, pride, an attitude of self-sufficiency, a desire to control.  As we come to realize that no one – not even the super-rich – can avoid the great equalizer, death, we find new energy and rise to new life.

But God will ransom me from the netherworld; he will take me to himself . . .  The Old Testament psalmist foretells the coming of Christ with his story of healing, restoration and resurrection.  The psalmist assures us that as we come to fully understand that God alone creates and God alone saves, nothing that takes place in evil days will be able to strip the promise of life eternal from us.

And so we pray . . .

Eternal and powerful God, open our hearts to receive your wisdom as we sing your praise with harp and flute.

Loving and healing Christ, open our minds to your parables that teach us how to flourish as we grow and blossom with your wisdom and insight.

Abiding and consoling Spirit, open our souls to your loving presence as we learn to abide only in you.

Amen.

To sooth the soul that struggles to survive evil days, watch a video produced for the King David Museum about how Harrari harps are made in the manner that David himself employed, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bO5uA-IPV0E

For lessons about the harp and the flute by musicologist Rabbi David Louis and the Temple Institute in Jerusalem, Israel, watch the following videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4O301lbkiU and http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=gcTGsmnjwv8&NR=1 

Listen carefully to the story of Moses’ Flute and consider how we might uncomplicated our lives. 

To read about how ancient harps are made today, click on the image above or go to: http://harrariharps.com/

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