Author: lakewooducc

Have mercy!

Have mercy on me!  We hear this in some of the gospel stories of encounters with Jesus.  Someone sick or suffering pleads with Jesus for mercy.  And usually mercy takes the form of healing and forgiveness.  The individual is made whole.  

We think of mercy as a feeling of generosity of spirit toward someone.  A sense of compassion accompanied by a willingness to help respond to adverse circumstances in some way.  Maybe some kind of material help is needed.  Maybe some kind of favor or kind word is needed.  We see this kind of mercy in Jesus.

But Jesus did not just look with mercy upon an individual.  We are also told many times that Jesus sees the crowd.  He responds to the crowd.  He sees the needs of the crowd.  The crowd represents a collective experience of suffering.  And when group adversity is met with mercy we call it justice.  Justice is a collective concept.  It addresses a societal system that creates or increases suffering in a way that impacts a group of people.  

When someone doesn’t have the money for a needed prescription perhaps we can help and that person will get the needed medication.  That is mercy.  But when a crowd has issues with access to healthcare, a change in the system is needed.  That is justice.

 Some people feel good about helping others on a case by case basis; help the individual.  Show mercy.   But they don’t want to get involved in justice.  It seems too political or inflammatory.  Too much rocking the boat.  Other people are all about justice and changing the social arrangements that contribute to suffering but they see it as a waste to help one person.  Better to eliminate the cause of the problem.  

Jesus was about mercy and justice, the individual and the collective society.  He was about changing lives and changing systems that negatively impact individual people.  We, as the church, are also called to be attentive to mercy and justice.  We are to respond to the needs of individuals and to change social circumstances that produce suffering.  Yes, we donate food to Operation Attack ,but we also concern ourselves with why there are so many hungry people in the wealthiest country in the world.  We want to see the individual and the crowd, like Jesus did.  

As we prepare for Christmas may we remember that Jesus embodied both mercy and justice.  They go together.  

PrayerMay we have eyes to see the pain in the face of one person and may we have ears to hear the hurting cries of the crowd.  Amen.  

Giving Tuesday?

Sales the day after Thanksgiving have been a long time cultural phenomenon.  Then the sales backed up to Thanksgiving Day itself.  Then in response to “Black Friday” and all of the sales action at big box and chain stores, local businesses started promoting Shop Local Saturday.  For some reason, Sunday has become a bit of a breather before Cyber Monday when on-line retailers get their turn.  After a shopping orgy of multiple days, when people over spend and over consume and run up their credit cards and buy things for themselves and others to fill already overstuffed houses, closets, and lives, we get to giving Tuesday.  It’s like a cleanse after over consumption.  A salve for the conscience, penance.  Instead of getting something, people are encouraged to give something – if they have anything left!  One day of giving to balance multiple days of spending.  Hm.  

When Jesus was confronted with hungry people, he didn’t tell them, come back in three days, that’s the day we provide food.  When someone needed healing, he didn’t tell them, sorry, I don’t work on the weekends.  When people needed forgiveness, Jesus didn’t tell them that’s only available on the Sabbath.  Jesus was about giving on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.  

So, go ahead and make some donations on Giving Tuesday and don’t forget a gift to the church.  But don’t stop there.  Every day is Giving Day when you are a follower of Jesus.

PrayerGive some thought to the organizations that you support including the church.  Think about the good that is done and all the people who benefit.  Remember that you are created in the image of a generous God.  We see that God in Jesus.  That God is in us, too.  Amen.

12.3.19

Advent Devotion 12.2.19

On Dec. 1, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to move to the back of the bus igniting a bus boycott in Montgomery, AL.  In those cold days of winter people walked and carpooled and biked to where they needed to go.  This was extremely inconvenient, costly, and physically demanding for many.  In addition, this initiative kicked off at the busiest time of the year – the lead up to Christmas when there is so much to do and so little time.  I wonder if you could get people in any major city in America today to engage in such an act of nonviolent protest.  

As it turned out, the bus boycott lasted 381 days.  No one knew it would go on that long or it might never have been started.  It may be even more shocking to Parks and others who participated in the boycott that a statue in her honor was unveiled on Dec. 1, 2019 in downtown Montgomery.

Rosa Parks is known for saying, “Each person must live their life as a model for others.”  She certainly did that.  

In this Advent season we are preparing to celebrate the birth of Jesus.  He is a model for us.  He shows us how we are to live.  And when we follow him, we become a model for others.  We may never know the outcome of what we do, or the effect we have on others, or the impact that may result.  That’s hard to sell in an outcome based society that lives and breathes the metrics of measurable goals.

 This season is a time to consider how we are modeling the unconditional, universal love of Jesus to the world.  Regardless of the outcome. 

PrayerGive some thought to the hold racism still has over US society and everyone in it.  Pray that we all may be liberated from this evil.  Consider how you can model antiracism for others.  Pray for the courage, fortitude, and stamina for this important work.  Amen.  

In this season we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus.  We are grateful for all the love and light that his birth brings into the world.  This is a season to experience the joy and peace and love that we associate with Jesus.

 Yet there is so much suffering and division in the world around us.  We ourselves may be experiencing challenges and conflicts in our own lives.  We may not feel merry and bright.
In Jesus’ time, there was also much conflict and suffering.  And in the midst of all of it, Jesus encouraged people to find their home in God, to come home to the unconditional, universal love of God.  In this process, we can find joy and peace and love in spite of outward circumstances.  We don’t have to wait for things to get better in the world to celebrate.  We don’t have to wait until we are perfect to celebrate. We can experience joy and peace and love right now and then share those gifts with the world.  This Advent season, may we find our way to celebration!

PrayerGive some thought to people who are suffering in the world today.  Think about the environmental challenges facing the Earth.  Think about your need for healing and wholeness.  Give thanks for Divine Love which has the capacity to embrace all of this suffering.  As we release our pain and disappointment and anger we create more space for joy.  Amen.