April 5, 2020, Isaiah 42:1-9 – ISSL Reflection

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I.
This week we turn to the Prophet Isaiah and hear him speak of his servant. As I start to listen to these words of the prophet I hear him speak of the servant, of God, the covenant, and behaviors the covenant calls for.

Take time to read over this passage and to open yourself to deeply hear it.

II.
Isaiah 42:1-9 (New Revised Standard Version)

Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations.

He will not cry or lift up his voice,
or make it heard in the street;

a bruised reed he will not break,
and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice.

He will not grow faint or be crushed
until he has established justice in the earth;
and the coastlands wait for his teaching.

Thus says God, the Lord,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people upon it
and spirit to those who walk in it:

I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,
I have taken you by the hand and kept you;
I have given you as a covenant to the people,
a light to the nations,

to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
from the prison those who sit in darkness.

I am the Lord, that is my name;
my glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to idols.

See, the former things have come to pass,
and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth,
I tell you of them.

III.
What have you heard?

“I have taken you by the hand and kept you, I have given you as a covenant to the people.”

How do you hear that today? Where are you today? Where will you be today?

Wherever you find yourself be on the lookout for God and His Servant taking you by the hand.

As he does that do you find any blindness healed? Do you sense any release from some dungeon?

We’ll talk later.

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}

March 29, 2020, Malachi 2:1-9; 3:5-6 – Post 3 – ISSL Reflections

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VI.
The words of Malachi we hear this week begin with a command to the priests, the religious leaders.

As we go on to hear the words preserved in Malachi 3 we hear,

Then I will draw near to you for judgment; I will be swift to bear witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired workers in their wages, the widow and the orphan, against those who thrust aside the alien, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.

For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, have not perished.

VII.
God’s covenant was described as a “…a covenant of life and well-being …this called for reverence … awe of my name.”

It seems Malachi wants us to associate reverence and awe with attitudes and behaviors that go far beyond what we might narrowly think of as religious and the trappings of religion.

Of the behaviors that come under judgement he mentions religious behaviors, sorcerers, and interpersonal behaviors such as adultery and lying, and then goes on to speak of oppressing workers, windows, orphans and aliens. It would seem the covenant with God has far reaching implications for us.

VIII.
This week I came across this quote from Oscar Romero shared on the 40th anniversary of his death. It seems Romero who was an Roman Catholic Archbishop might have been a prophet who stood alongside Malachi,

“For the church, the many abuses of human life, liberty, and dignity are a heartfelt suffering. The church, entrusted with the earth’s glory, believes that in each person is the Creator’s image and that everyone who tramples it offends God. As holy defender of God’s rights and of his images, the church must cry out”

Charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}

March 29, 2020, Malachi 2:1-9; 3:5-6 – Post 2 – ISSL Reflections

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IV.

As Malachi addresses the priests, notice how he describes what is involved in giving “glory to my name.”

“ … that my covenant with Levi may hold.”

The priests are challenged for their failure to both provide instruction to the community as to how to live out the covenant and their own failures to exemplify how a covenant life is lived day to day.

V.

As often happens, we can read such Scripture and be ready to acknowledge our agreement with the prophet that the priests, teachers, leaders, in the community have failed, yet fail ourselves to see how such warnings can apply to how we live out our relationship to God.

Read back over the passage for ways that you are called to give glory to God and how your covenant with God calls you to live each day.

charles

{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}

March 29, 2020, Malachi 2:1-9; 3:5-6 – ISSL Reflections

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I.
Our passage this week from Malachi identifies the groups of people the Malachi wants to hear the “command [of] … of the Lord of Hosts.” Take your time with the passage and notice who is addressed and the “charges” against them.

II.
Malachi 2:1-9 (New Revised Standard Version)

And now, O priests, this command is for you. If you will not listen, if you will not lay it to heart to give glory to my name, says the Lord of hosts, then I will send the curse on you and I will curse your blessings; indeed I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart. I will rebuke your offspring, and spread dung on your faces, the dung of your offerings, and I will put you out of my presence.

Know, then, that I have sent this command to you, that my covenant with Levi may hold, says the Lord of hosts. My covenant with him was a covenant of life and well-being, which I gave him; this called for reverence, and he revered me and stood in awe of my name. True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in integrity and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity. For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. But you have turned aside from the way; you have caused many to stumble by your instruction; you have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the Lord of hosts, and so I make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you have not kept my ways but have shown partiality in your instruction.

Malachi 3:5-6 (New Revised Standard Version)

Then I will draw near to you for judgment; I will be swift to bear witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired workers in their wages, the widow and the orphan, against those who thrust aside the alien, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.

For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, have not perished.

III.
Who do you find the prophet is speaking to?

It’s fairly easy to notice that first the priests are identified. What are the charges against them? Are they the only ones the prophet is speaking to? What are the charges against them?

And how might the charges against the priests relate to the charges against any others?

And maybe we would do well to notice how the prophet characterizes “The Lord of Hosts.”

Spend some time with the prophet’s words and we will get back together later.

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}

March 22, 2020, Micah 3:1-3, 9-12; 6:6-8 – Post 3 – ISSL Reflection

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VI.
I closed the last post with a suggestion to “ … walk back through the day and see where justice, kindness and humility were present or even missing when they didn’t need to be.”

This might be a way of incorporating this Scripture with a prayer practice called The Examen or Review of the Day.

I have posted a number of times on my blog about the Examen –
http://discipleswalk.org/?s=examen&x=0&y=0

At its core it follows the pattern –

  • Quiet yourself
  • Make yourself present to God
  • Look back over the past day and notice where you sense God’s presence, comfort and/or leading
  • Look back over the past day and notice where you sense you were drawn away from God
  • Ask God to be your companion into the next day

As we get into the habit of this prayer, do you think we might be better able to notice God in each day’s journey?

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}

March 22, 2020, Micah 3:1-3, 9-12; 6:6-8 – Post 2 – ISSL Reflection

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IV.
Did you make a list of answers to the questions from the last post?

I didn’t want to, but I did spend time with the questions.

A lot of what Micah names still goes on today it seems. I guess we are very slow to catch on?

But what about me? What do I do or not do that flies in the face of what Micah reminds me The Lord calls me to?

V.
Can I take Micah’s counsel with me into this day and let that be near me in all my thoughts and actions?

As the day ends, maybe I can walk back through the day and see where justice, kindness and humility were present or even missing when they didn’t need to be.

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}

March 22, 2020, Micah 3:1-3, 9-12; 6:6-8 – ISSL Reflection

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I.
Let’s start our week’s reflections as usual but with one exception.

Read Micah 6:6-8 first, then read the selection form Micah 3.

II.

Micah 6:6-8 (New Revised Standard Version)

“With what shall I come before the Lord,
and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?

Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”

He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?

Micah 3:1-3 (New Revised Standard Version)

And I said:
Listen, you heads of Jacob
and rulers of the house of Israel!

Should you not know justice?—
you who hate the good and love the evil,
who tear the skin off my people,[a]
and the flesh off their bones;

who eat the flesh of my people,
flay their skin off them,
break their bones in pieces,
and chop them up like meat[b] in a kettle,
like flesh in a caldron.

Micah 3:9-12 (New Revised Standard Version)

Hear this, you rulers of the house of Jacob
and chiefs of the house of Israel,
who abhor justice
and pervert all equity,

who build Zion with blood
and Jerusalem with wrong!

Its rulers give judgment for a bribe,
its priests teach for a price,
its prophets give oracles for money;
yet they lean upon the Lord and say,
“Surely the Lord is with us!
No harm shall come upon us.”

Therefore because of you
Zion shall be plowed as a field;
Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins,
and the mountain of the house a wooded height.

III.
Micah 6:8 gives us three measures for “what … the Lord require[s] of you … do justice … love kindness … walk humbly with your God”

Can you take those three measures, standards, and examine this week’s passage noticing what the people are doing that the Prophet Micah takes to be a contradiction of these measures/standards?

What did you notice in your past week that you consider a violation of these measures/standards?

I hate to ask this next question, but here goes – What have I done today, yesterday, this past week that violates these measures/standards?

All this may be too much for a Monday morning, but all I can say, is “Micah made me ask?”

Charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}

March 15, 2020, Habakkuk 2:6-14 – Post 3 – ISSL Reflection

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VI.
Let’s compare something from last week’s lesson with this week’s.

Last week we heard –

You have made people like the fish of the sea,
like crawling things that have no ruler.

This week we hear –

But the earth will be filled
with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord,
as the waters cover the sea.

VII.
Which world/sea do you live in? Want to live in? Can live in?

My first response to the question is – “Don’t I live in both? I want to live where the earth and sea are covered with the “knowledge of the glory of the Lord? And finally, I hope I can, but how do I get there?”

So, what brings you to the place “filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord”?

Take time today and in the next days, to notice what ushers you into that place. Rejoice in those invitations. And, why not ask others to come with you?

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}

March 15, 2020, Habakkuk 2:6-14 – Post 2 – ISSL Reflection

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IV.
Last week I asked how contemporary were Habakkuk’s words and I think that is worth asking again.

When you take time to consider Habakkuk’s description of his world, do you find parallels in what you see around you today?

Do we also see a contemporary Habakkuk calling attention to the ills, the failures, the “sins” around us today?

If you find a Habakkuk-like voice in your world, where does it arise? From the religious community/voices around us? From the political and civic leaders and outstanding voices? From the media? From anyplace?

V.
Let’s ask ourselves another question. One we probably rather not ask.

Are we ever called to a prophetic role in our communities? You can take “community” as your neighborhood, city, state or nation.

When I address the question to myself, my first response is, “Sure, God needs prophets and calls prophets, and I sure hope THEY can get the job done!”

And I can go on, “But, I think I will just IGNORE the possibility I might be God’s prophet. Not a role I am cut out to exercise”

VI.
Should we at least be open to the possibility that God might ask us to speak to and about the failures, ills and sins in our world?

What do you think?

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}

March 15, 2020, Habakkuk 2:6-14 – ISSL Reflection

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I.
This week’s text takes us to Habakkuk again.

I encourage you to read the passage several times and consider what you see as the core of Habakkuk’s accusations.

II.

Habakkuk 2:6-14 (New Revised Standard Version)

Shall not everyone taunt such people and, with mocking riddles, say about them,
“Alas for you who heap up what is not your own!”
How long will you load yourselves with goods taken in pledge?

Will not your own creditors suddenly rise,
and those who make you tremble wake up?
Then you will be booty for them.

Because you have plundered many nations,
all that survive of the peoples shall plunder you—
because of human bloodshed, and violence to the earth,
to cities and all who live in them.

“Alas for you who get evil gain for your house,
setting your nest on high
to be safe from the reach of harm!”

You have devised shame for your house
by cutting off many peoples;
you have forfeited your life.

The very stones will cry out from the wall,
and the plaster[a] will respond from the woodwork.

“Alas for you who build a town by bloodshed,
and found a city on iniquity!”

Is it not from the Lord of hosts
that peoples labor only to feed the flames,
and nations weary themselves for nothing?

But the earth will be filled
with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord,
as the waters cover the sea.

III.
Is he dealing with private or public disgrace and sin? Consider his words –

“Shall not everyone taunt such people and, with mocking riddles, say about them … “

He speaks of –

“… creditors … booty … plundered .. evil gain … “

before he mentions –

“… forfeited your life … bloodshed … iniquity … flames …”

and finally –

“… peoples labor only to feed the flames … nations weary themselves for nothing …:”

Private or Public?

Personal/Individual or Corporate/National?

Does a prophet call individuals, a people, or a nation back to God’s covenants? God’s decrees?

Where are our prophets today?

We’ll talk later,

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}