Joy to the World's Downtrodden

They were old enough to recount with significant detail the last attempts at restoring the Jewish nation before it succumbed to the Roman Empire. Decades had passed since the last Jewish military revolutionary drew his last breath. Some were saying that they were living in the last days, and that the long-awaited Messiah would soon appear and restore Israel to its former glory. Any day now…

Simeon and Anna, two people who had each lived long lives and were therefore honored in their culture, were hopeful for that day to come. Simeon may have been a priest around 6 BC, and Anna had probably been a widow for over sixty years. As they each grew older, they also obviously drew closer to their God.

Luke identifies for the readers of his book telling of the good news that the Holy Spirit was upon Simeon (Luke 2:22-38). This gave him quite a credibility edge to those in the first century who heard about his reaction to the infant Jesus. He had been assured somehow by God that he would lay eyes on the Messiah before he died. As soon as he saw Jesus, he took him into his arms and exclaimed:

“Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace,
     as you have promised.
I have seen your salvation,
     which you have prepared for all people.
He is a light to reveal God to the nations,
     and he is the glory of your people Israel!”

Mary and Joseph didn’t know what to say. What do you say after that? Thanks?

Simeon continued on, telling Mary that Jesus would indeed be incredibly influential in Israel, but will also be a polarizing presence, so much so that it will lead to his death. Mary’s soul would be pierced by the tragedy of outliving her firstborn son.

Anna, a prophet (and yes, a woman), was at the Temple that day, too, when all of this was taking place. She, too, had something to say – that this was the one provided by God who would rescue Jerusalem.

Mary and Joseph, again, weren’t quite sure how to respond. “How nice of you to say…”

On this day, joy came to two faithful God-followers who had no doubt been downtrodden in light of the Roman occupation under which they were forced to live. Their Temple was being run by Sadducees, leaders more interested in politics than theology, and it showed. Their rivals, the Pharisees, were much more interested in spiritual things but heavily outnumbered. And they tended to focus a lot more on the letter of the law without much regard for the spirit in which it was written. It just seemed like they were stuck, as two people, with lots of other people at a standstill right along beside them. Seriously depressing. They had reasons for feeling downtrodden. Economic reasons. Political reasons. Religious reasons. And spiritual reasons: they were living during a time known as the “silent period” – God hadn’t said anything, really, for hundreds of years. What a wonderful time to be alive…

At this time in history, we may feel like we have some things in common with Simeon and Anna. The economy is in the toilet. Politicians still act like politicians. And religion still gets in the way for many people wanting a relationship with God. To make matters worse, all of those aforementioned macro-level things affect people’s daily lives. Work environments are strained. Marriages are strained. School classrooms are strained. Put it all together, and many people feel pretty downtrodden.

But the good news is still good news. God has delivered a child into the world unlike any before. This child came to proclaim truth about this life, the next life, and God. He backed it up with many proofs that let us know we can trust his word. He came to open our minds and hearts to the very Spirit of God, proclaiming that God is open to all people everywhere. The good news is that while bad seasons come now and again, it’s not the end of the story – the story ends in peace, wholeness, love... God. That gives us hope. We can get through anything so long as we have hope. The good news is that there are healthy ways to approach life that serve to create a better life for everyone, everywhere. We have something to shoot for that actually works, and the very Spirit of God to help us walk in those ways. The good news is that even in our loneliness, just like Simeon and Anna realized, we are not ever alone. God is as close as our next prayer, and promises to always be there, ready to help us toward a richer relationship with God that yields healing, peace: salvation in its fullness.

So, if you are overcome by the darkness of this season in which we presently find ourselves, may you have ears to hear, a mind to understand, and a heart open to the good news of great joy: God is with you, directing you, walking with you through the tough patches, knowing that at the end of the road there awaits for you such joy that all our light and momentary troubles will seems like nothing at all (2 Cor. 4:17-18).

Think...

1. How are your feelings similar (or not) to those held by Simeon and Anna?
2. Have you ever felt like you lived during a silent period, when God seems to have gone on vacation without his cell phone?
3. What kind of prayers do you think Simeon and Anna utterred?
4. What did it mean to them to see the baby Jesus?
5. How do you think they were impacted by the reality that they would both surely die long before Jesus would even begin his ministry?
6. In light of Simeon and Anna's experience of receiving good news, what do you think God wants you to take home from this?
7. What do you sense God calling you to do in response to this interaction with Simeon and Anna?
8. What prayer do you now choose to offer in reponse to God's invitation?

Joy to the World's Poor

The following are a series of quotes lifted from The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns.  Get a cup of coffee and some tissue, get comfy, end open your heart to the Spirit's lead...

Fifteen thousand Africans are dying each day of preventable, treatable diseases – AIDS, malaria, TB – for lack of drugs that we take for granted. This statistic alone makes a fool of the idea many of us hold on to very tightly: the idea of equality. What is happening to Africa mocks our pieties, doubts our concern and questions our commitment to the whole concept. Because if we’re honest, there’s no way we could conclude that such mass death day after day would ever be allowed to happen anywhere else. Certainly not North America or Europe, or Japan. An entire continent bursting into flames? Deep down, if we really accept that their lives – African lives – are equal to ours, we would all be doing more to put the fire out. It’s an uncomfortable truth.


We can be the generation that no longer accepts than an accident of latitude determines whether a child lives or dies – but will we be that generation? Will we in the West realize our potential or will we sleep in the comfort of our affluence with apathy and indifference murmuring softly in our ears? Fifteen thousand people dying needlessly every day from AIDS, TB, and malaria. Mothers, fathers, teachers, farmers, nurses, mechanics, children. This is Africa’s crisis. That it’s not on the nightly news, that we do not treat this as an emergency – that’s our crisis. Bono in his written Forward for Jeff Sachs’ The End of Poverty.


Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: “He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little.” Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 8:13-15

The poverty of our century is unlike that of any other. It is not, as poverty was before, the result of natural scarcity, but of a set of priorities imposed upon the rest of the world by the rich. Consequently, the modern poor are not pitied…, but written off as trash. John Berger

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Apostle Paul in Romans 8:22

More and more I come to value charity and love of one’s fellow being above everything else… All our lauded technological progress – our very civilization – is like the axe in the hand of the pathological criminal. Albert Einstein

At the beginning of this new millennium I was asked to discuss, here in Oslo, the greatest challenge that the world faces. Among all the possible choices, I decided that the most serious and universal problem is the growing chasm between the richest and poorest people on earth. Citizens of the ten wealthiest countries are now seventy-five times richer than those who live in the ten poorest ones, and the separation is increasing every year, not only between nations but also within them. The results of this disparity are root causes of most of the world’s unresolved problems, including starvation, illiteracy, environmental degradation, violent conflict, and unnecessary illnesses that range from Guinea worm to HIV/AIDS. President Jimmy Carter, former Sunday School Teacher, upon receiving the Nobel Peace Prize.

The great disparity between rich and poor nations… largely didn’t even exist before 1800. In 1820 the difference in per capita income between the wealthiest region of the world and the poorest was perhaps four to one. Jeffrey Sachs, The End of Poverty

Facts are stubborn things. John Adams

The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it. Flannery O’Connor

Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Jesus the Christ in Mark 10:14

The worst sin towards our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them; that’s the essence of inhumanity. George Bernard Shaw

We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion – how can God’s love be in that person? Apostle John in 1 John 3:16-17

What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?

So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. James, brother of Jesus in James 2:14-17

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. Jim Elliot

Live as if Christ died yesterday, rose this morning and is coming back tomorrow. Martin Luther

He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. Jesus’ “inaugural address” in Luke 4:4:18-19

In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. Prophet Micah in Micah 6:8

For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgement of God rather than burnt offerings. Prophet Hosea in Hosea 6:6

If money be not thy servant, it will be thy master. The covetous man cannot so properly be said to possess wealth, as that may be said to possess him. Sir Francis Bacon

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. Jesus in Luke 9:23-24

The place where God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet. Frederick Buechner

Chose for yourselves this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. Joshua in Joshua 24:15

To know what is right and not do it is the worst cowardice. Confucius

The true gospel is a call to self-denial. It is not a call to self-fulfillment. John MacArthur

We have shrunk Jesus to the size where he can save our soul but now don’t believe he can change the world. Anonymous

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. Jesus in John 10:10

Christ has no body on earth but your, no hand but yours, no feet but yours. Your eyes are the eyes through which Christ’s compassion for the world is to look out; yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good; and yours are the hands with which He is to bless us now. Saint Teresa of Avila

Kindness has converted more sinners than zeal, eloquence, or learning. Frederick W. Faber

Give generously to the poor, not grudgingly, for the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do. There will always be some in the land who are poor. That is why I am commanding you to share freely with the poor and with other Israelites in need. God in Deuteronomy 15:10-11

Christianity is flourishing wonderfully among the poor and persecuted while it atrophies among the rich and secure. Philip Jenkins

Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from them hand of the wicked. Asaph in Psalm 82:3-4

Today’s 1,125 billionaires hold more wealth than the wealth of half of the world’s adult population.

The wealthiest 7 people on earth control more wealth than the combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the 41 most heavily indebted (poor) nations.

The poorest 40 percent of the world’s population accounts for just 5 percent of global income. The richest 20 percent accounts for three-quarters of the world’s income.

The top 20 percent of the world’s population consumes 86 percent of the world’s goods.

We are continually faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems. John W. Gardner

He who is dying of hunger must be fed rather than taught. Saint Thomas Aquinas

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me? God in Jeremiah 22:16

Sometimes I would like to ask God why he allows poverty, suffering, and injustice when He could do something about it. But I don’t because I’m afraid He would ask me the same question. Anonymous

We’ve drifted away from being fishers of men to being keepers of the aquarium. Paul Harvey

Biblical View of money:
It’s not our money – it all comes from God.
We are not entitled to it but entrusted with it.
God expects us to use it in the interest of His Kingdom (which ultimately is in the interest of the whole world and its people).

If charity cost nothing, the world would be full of philanthropists. Jewish Proverb

I like your Christ; I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ. Mohandas Gandhi

Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car. Billy Sunday

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has. Margaret Mead

If you think you are too small to make a difference, try spending the night in a closed room with a mosquito. African Saying

Be the change that you want to see in the world. Mohandas Gandhi

Use what talents you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best. Henry Van Dyke
My faith demands – this is not optional – my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can with whatever I have to try to make a difference. President Jimmy Carter
The one who says it can’t be done should get out of the way of the one who is doing it. Chinese Proverb
Make your life a mission – not an intermission. Arnold Glasgow
We can do no great things, only small things with great love. Mother Teresa

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’


"Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’

“Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’

“Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’

“And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’ Jesus in Matthew 25:34-45

For I was hungry, while you had all you needed. I was thirsty, but you drank bottled water. I was a stranger, and you wanted me deported. I needed clothes, but you needed more clothes. I was sick, and you pointed out the behaviors that led to my sickness. I was in prison, and you said I was getting what I deserved. Richard Stearns, The Hole in our Gospel

Joy to the World's Orphans

Moses was twelve when I met him. My son’s age. They found him finding shelter wherever he could during the night. He has no idea if any of his family members are still alive. Living in a Third World country, in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya, you grow up much faster than you should.
Moses is one of thousands upon thousands of orphans living in the slum of Huruma, a small chunk of land with way too many people, and few resources. Most of the orphans became such due to the spread of HIV-AIDS. Many were born with the disease.

Of course, an orphan is a child who has lost at least one parent. Many of the women of Deborah’s House in Tijuana, Mexico, left the father of their children to save all of their lives. The kids will grow up as orphans in many respects.

What do you think God wants to communicate to the world’s orphans? Why do you think God wants to communicate with orphans?

God’s concern for the orphans of the world is well documented in the Bible. And, as the Bible says that humanity was created in the likeness of God, it should be no surprise that there existed what seems to be in inherent understanding that orphans should be cared for by any who are able.

• Job, the oldest book of the Bible (c. 1800-2000 B.C.E), gives a great example. As part of his final protest of innocence (Job 31:16), Job states that he has proven his righteousness in his helping the poor and widows – the most at-risk segment of society. Orphans no doubt were in this category.
• Fast forward several hundred years, and God declares His love for orphans in seeing to their needs (Dt. 10:18).
• Around 1000 BCE, King David, in one of his many works of poetry, says, “Father to the fatherless, defender of widows – this is God, whose dwelling is holy” (Psalm 68:5).
• A few hundred years later, the prophet Isaiah receives a message from God to pass along to the much divided Jewish people. God basically said that the worship of the people was meaningless and worthless, and that what God was looking for from them was that they would begin doing things that reflected their God-identity, part of which was defending the cause of orphans (Is. 1:17).
• About that same time, another prophet, Hosea, was calling on God’s people to stop placing their trust in the military might of their allies, and instead place their hope in God, in whom alone do the orphans find mercy (Hos. 14:3).
• Jesus, as God with skin on, was right in line with God’s history of orphan care, and even used such language in reference to those he was going to leave behind when he ascended to heaven: “I will not abandon you as orphans – I will come to you” (John 14:18).
• And, of course, Jesus’ brother stated to his audience that legitimate religion includes caring for orphans (James 1:27).

God, from the very beginning, created humanity to live well. As the author and source of life itself, God naturally would look after – and want us to look after – the most vulnerable of society.

How many orphans do you hear about in the news? How often are orphans lifted up before us? Not much. Celebrity and success is what is honored in our culture. Some theological traditions have even suggested that material wealth is an obvious sign of blessing from God, and destitution a sign of God’s condemnation. In some cultures, orphans are simply left to live on their own. One study about orphans in Russia and the Ukraine suggest that 10% of orphans commit suicide before they “age out” of their society’s programs. Sixty percent of the young women who “age out” of the system end up in human trafficking, becoming sex slaves all over the world. Seventy percent of young men who “age out” end up as hardened criminals.

The fact that God cares for orphans says something entirely beautiful about God. God is good. God cares about those the world doesn’t. There is another system of life that is worth considering, that is not based on personal gain, greed, material, power, etc.

By the way – those things you are confident that God would communicate to orphans – do you own those words for yourself? Do you know you are loved, valued, looked after, parented, sought after, and eternally provided for by God? Maybe you need to take some time and let this reality sink into your life.

Estimates range widely about how many orphans exist in the world today. The truth is that there are millions and millions and millions of kids without one or both parents. And many more kids who are at risk. The good news is that we can do something about it. We can make a difference.

We’re not going to solve the problem alone. But the help we provide can potentially last for generations to come, and an entirely new chapter for humanity can be written if we choose to help. At a minimum, I challenge every CrossWalker to give an extra $30/month over and above your regular support of the ministry here. If we all do this, we will be able to keep feeding 500+ orphans in Kenya through Furaha Community Centre, provide help and hope for the children of domestic violence in Tijuana through Deborah’s House, care for Napa’s poorest kids through Coats for Kids and our hunger ministries, and more. Just $30 a month. One less trip for burgers, fries, and cokes for a family of four. That’s exciting news to me – we can make a serious difference if we come together collectively!

But there is an additional motivation for us to give. Your life. To really, really live requires a growing relationship with God as our Center. The more intimate our relationship with God, the deeper and richer our lives become, regardless of what the world throws at us. Knowing God leads to life. So, how do we get to know God?

If you want to get to know my son, go Geocaching, play the Wii, or join his jazz band. These are things he loves to do. I want to know my son, so I do this stuff with him. Well, not so much the Wii – he kicks my butt all the time, and my fragile ego can’t handle it…

If you want to know my daughter, you will hang out with her and Chico (the family dog), go to a playground or two with her, go grab a treat somewhere, maybe go shopping or take a walk, or watch and talk about Harry Potter movies and books. I want to know my daughter, so I do these things with her.

I do stuff my wife likes to do because I want to be with her and know her more with each passing season.

People who want to know me better join me in stuff I love to do (competitive string pushing, grooming my hairpiece, etc.).

Want to know God? Do stuff you know God loves to do. Be where God loves to be. Where can you always find God? With those who are most vulnerable in our world, which certainly includes orphans.

God isn’t much into self-centeredness, greed, oppression, materialism, pride, keeping up with the Jones’, pornography, drunkenness, substance abuse, violence, etc. God may show up to rescue you from those things, but those things are about as far from where God dwells as possible. If you’re always there, don’t expect to find much of God’s presence, let alone growing closer in your relationship with God.

But if you want to know God, go where God is. Your life’s depth and meaning will significantly improve, even if it doesn’t match up with the world’s definition of success. And since you’re helping those who God is helping, the world changes, too.

The question is, do you care enough about those who nobody cares about to actually do something about it? And, do you care enough about your own life to stop throwing it away on meaningless stuff in favor of walking with God where God walks?

Think…

1. Who are the at risk kids within your sphere of influence – the kids you could actually help?
2. What keeps you from helping them in some capacity?
3. How do you think your view of people will change if you walk alongside them with support?
4. How do you think you will experience God being present there? What do you think you’ll want to look for?
5. What are you going to do to help the orphans around you?

Joy to the World's Widows

But JOYFUL are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God. (Psalm 146:5 NLT))

In the ancient world (anything before 1969), to be a widow was a potentially dangerous identity. Women were chattel. Property. For the purpose of bearing children. If you were lucky, you had sons who might one day provide for you if your husband died. Widows were therefore very vulnerable persons in the ancient world.

Naomi, a Jewish woman living sometime between 1350-1050 BC, lost her husband, then both of her sons. And she lived in a foreign land – the perfect storm to make someone “at-risk”. A few hundred years later, a widow was doing the best she could to raise her son on her own. But her best efforts were no match for a long-term drought. The fact was she was about to prepare and serve one last meager meal for her son and herself. Then they would wait for death. Centuries later, a widow was at the Temple in Jerusalem, and was making her offering – two small coins – pocket change by our standards. It was all she had - the sign of poverty.

Luckily, Naomi had a wonderful daughter-in-law named Ruth, who, now a widow herself, recognized an opportunity before her. She was young enough to go back to her own village, and probably stood a good chance of getting married again. But instead, she chose to be a companion to Naomi, to help her get back to Israel, to protect her from becoming a victim from isolation (read the whole story in the Bible’s book of Ruth). The widow at Zarephath was also fortunate – on the very day she was preparing her last supper, Elijah – the storied prophet of Israel – showed up at her home. He was the presence of God, who was replete with bountiful resources. Turned out it wasn’t her last meal after all – God provided through Elijah (read the whole story in 1 Kings 17:8-16). The widow who probably considered herself forgotten became an example of sacrificial giving – she was honored by the words of Jesus who watched her return her gift to God (Mark 12:38-44). Each of these women received good news in various ways, from various sources. James, the brother of Jesus, said that taking care of widows is one of the components of the kind of religion God looks upon with favor (James 1:27). Looking after widows is apparently a big deal to God.

But widows in our day and age aren’t an exact fit for the widows of antiquity. Losing your husband in our culture doesn’t immediately mean you are destitute and vulnerable as it often meant so long ago. Instead of defining widows in our day and age as only those who have lost their spouse, we should probably think in terms of the women in our world who are most at risk today. Women caught in abusive relationships that have been told that if they flee, they or someone they love will die. Women stuck in human trafficking. Women who have been let down by our still male-dominated society. Women who were victimized by their fathers and are still living under the worthless script they were given. “Widows” are among us for sure.

Interestingly, Good news is good news no matter when or where it is heard. Companionship. Supportive Presence. Honor. All of these modes of good news are as good now as they ever were. The question is how are you being or proclaiming good news to the widows of our world today? How are you shouting Joy to the World this season to the widows who wonder if there is joy to be had? Here, locally – who are the widows among you? Are you engaged in any way with Deborah’s House? In prayer? Support? How about the women of Furaha who are raising 8-10 orphans in an 8’X8’ home?

When we follow in the footsteps of Ruth, Elijah, and Jesus, widows are blessed. There discover that they are not alone. They find supportive presence in the company of others. They feel honored, even by God, as we walk with them as good news. God is honored, too. When we do what God calls us to do, it is an act of worship. In those moments, we are saying to God, “You are worth following!”

But the surprise bonus that comes from doing what God calls us to do is the change that happens in us. When we allow ourselves to do counter-intuitive and counter-cultural works of love, grace – of God! – we do not walk away unaffected. It’s not that we give ourselves to the cause for the sake of growth, as if the recipients don’t matter in the equation. Quite the opposite. The more fully we willingly give ourselves to that which God has called us, the more potent a catalyst the experience becomes in us.

In dialogue with the Bible Study I lead each week each Wednesday morning – mostly widows, I might add – we were talking about Saints from last week’s teaching. Mother Theresa’s name was thrown into the ring. During her life she had many profound insights into the person and nature of God, or service, and of things that matter. Was it her keen study of scriptures? Was it her devotion to prayer? Worship attendance? Wardrobe choices? All of these things certainly helped shape her. But none of these were the primary shaping force in Mother Theresa’s life. Service to the world’s poor was the difference. As she would state, when she looked into the eyes of those she served and loved, she was seeing Jesus.

Perhaps when we long for an intimate encounter of God, we should look for the widows in our midst, and be and proclaim the good news that is theirs because God is still good, loves them, is present, is present in us, and with our help will honor them as human beings.

May you intimately know Jesus and Joy this week as you consider how you might spread some joy to the widows of our world today.

Think...
Who are the widows in the world today?
What would be good news for them?  Who woudl be good news for them?
How can you be good news for them?
What keeps you from being good news to them?
What are you going to do in response to the call of God on your life?

Sainthood

It’s All Saints Day. Sounds like good cause for a great party. But before we head out for some more salsa, answer me this: what makes a person a saint?

Does parenting make a saint? Samuel’s parents dedicated Samuel to God’s service (1 Samuel 1). Hannah and Elkanah, Samuel’s folks, realized that their baby boy truly was a gift from God. Honoring a promise she made, once Samuel was weaned, she took him to the Eli to be raised in presence of God by Eli, the judge of Israel. Was it their dedication that shaped Samuel into the saint that he was? Surely it must have contributed.

Does ethical living make a saint? Samuel kept his nose clean amidst temptation (1 Samuel 2). Samuel found himself being raised as a PK – preacher’s kid. If you’re new to the whole church thing, allow me clue you in to a little (not-so) secret: PK’s have a reputation for serious rebellion, partying, and other mischief. I should know – I am one, am married to one, and know a bunch of them! Of course, I was perfect in every way… Eli’s sons completely fit the bill – they were doing some pretty awful stuff. Taking God’s share of the offerings. Even seducing young women who came to get reconciled to God. But Samuel had none of it – he made choices that were aligned with God’s teaching on how to get the most out of life. Was it his ethic, then, that made Samuel such a saint? Certainly, it must have helped.

Does conversation with God make a saint? Samuel listened for and responded to the call of God personally (1 Samuel 3). This is a really cool passage of scripture – read it if you haven’t already. Samuel enters into a personal relationship with God that extends beyond rule-following. This is what God wants for everybody – that we would be in constant two-way communication with the Great I Am. Was it Samuel’s capacity to communicate with God that made him such a saintly man? No doubt, it must have played a role.

Does speaking God’s word make a saint? Samuel communicated God’s message in spite of fear (1 Samuel 3). After Samuel received a message from God, Eli asked him about it. Samuel had a difficult decision to make at that point. The word he received was that Eli’s corrupted sons would die and early death due to their behavior. He was being asked to communicate this message to a dad, who also was providing for his needs as well. Tough. Fear surely must have gripped him. But in spite of his fear, Samuel communicated the truth God shared with him. Was it the fact that Samuel shared God’s word regardless of the “uncomfort level” that made Samuel such the saint he became?

Does doing God’s will make a saint? Samuel anointed Saul and David as the first kings of Israel (1 Samuel 10 & 16). As the reigning, last judge, and first prophet of Israel, it is safe to say that Samuel was a pretty big deal. He carried tremendous respect among the people. His word was taken as God’s on private legal and spiritual issues as well as matters of state. In anointing Saul and David, he was telling them that they were chosen and endorsed by God. What a message of significance! Did Samuel’s sainthood come with his title, and the fact that he carried out his role with excellence?

Does living beyond death make a saint? Samuel lived beyond the grave. Many moons later, a terrified king summoned Samuel’s spirit for advice, and he got it. The fact that Samuel came back from the grave would have certainly communicated to people that God considered him a saint as well. Is our afterlife the thing that makes us saints – the fact that God welcomes us home?

We who are in Christ are saints. Not by virtue of anything we’ve done, but because of the grace of God we know with confidence because of the work of Christ. That’s our ultimate reality. But the question for today is this: are we doing saintly things? How are we being wise parents, setting our kids up for success by our decisions to raise them in such a way as to foster their relationship with God rather than simply being benign about it? How are we making choices that honor God, our life, and the lives of others even though so many so casually live their lives without regard to any of these? How are we allowing for a two-way, ongoing conversation with God? Or are we simply settling for ethical living? How are we communicating the truth God has given us to the people who need to hear it? Are we allowing fear to get the best of us? I once heard fear described as an acronym for “false expectations appearing real.” Maybe you are totally wrong about how God’s truth will be received. Maybe your worst fear will come true – does it matter? How are you letting others know they are favored by God? Who are the Davids in your life – the runts, the overlooked – who will see their lives change when they hear that God thinks they are incredible and full of potential? How are you speaking hope into the lives of those who have little hope?

Samuel was a saint who made choices through his life that changed the world. In honoring God, he lived with peace and purpose, and he helped others know how to, too. How about you? Whose life will you change because you’ve chosen to be a saint?

Think…

1. Who are some people that you’ve heard of or know that you would classify or call a “saint”? What are your criteria?
2. What does a saint do that sets him or her apart from the rest of the crowd?
3. Is being a saint difficult? Why or why not? If it is difficult, what’s the motive for the saint to “be saintly” in spite of the challenge? What’s in it for them?
4. What is a saint’s impact beyond their personal life – how does a saint impact the world around them?
5. Why would God want more people to pursue their saint potential?
6. What’s got to change in your life to pursue your saint potential? What new things need to be introduced? What non-saintly things need to be phased out in order to make room for the new?
7. How do you think life would look and feel if you were more on the saintly side than not? How do you imagine your level of peace and purpose changing the more saintly you become?