By Redeemer Lutheran on Jul 09, 2015 05:50 am
The Followers of Jesus as flexible. Comments to: adebelak@redeemerluth.com The Followers of Jesus as flexible brings us closer to one another - even our enemies. That is a vital part of the life within God's Reign. We must be willing to come closer - to see the other side - to hear the other voice - to enter into a dialogue. This does not mean that there will be easy change. It may mean we allow ourselves to enter into the long haul - the seemingly endless debates that may go on and on and on. And yet, as we are open to being flexible we may be giving everyone the opportunity to hear again or see again or experience again. The first impression of someone or some group may not be the most favorable. Stereotypes and our own history all do a good job at leaving us inflexible - unable to engage with open hearts and minds. The Followers of Jesus as flexible do not give up on the other side - as much as we would like to do that and as much as we think they deserve being left out or left behind. This is part of the hard work of being Followers of Jesus and living within the creative breath of our God. O God of New Life and All Hopefulness, keep us at it again today. Keep us engaged in the power of your Reign that is able to heal the most wounded and broken - even ourselves. Amen.
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By Redeemer Lutheran on Jul 08, 2015 05:50 am
The Followers of Jesus as flexible. Comments to: adebelak@redeemerluth.com The Followers of Jesus as flexible expect that the day will not go as we want it to go. There will be interruptions - things will fall apart - other things will come together in unexpected ways. For me, it takes a moment for flexibility to come into play. I usually resist. I usually meet the unexpected or the unplanned or the new idea with hesitancy. It is as though I must let myself stretch before I can be flexible enough to step into something new. The Followers of Jesus as flexible do ourselves no good when we are so set and convinced of our ways that we do not let ourselves breathe and reconsider and reevaluate the possibilities at hand. In some ways I think the this traditional line does much for creating a flexible moment to emerge. It is simply: Let us pray. I know that some folks use that kind of prayer language to keep things just as they are or to have things go their way. That is not flexibility. Prayer - I think - creates the flexibility that is a part of the character of the Followers of Jesus. Maybe it is the time involved in the pause to prayer - maybe it is in the words that come forth or the simple silence - maybe it is a time when we let in all the could be and take a breath in order to walk around in the possibilities that call for flexibility. God of New Life and All Hopefulness, teach us to pray often - breathe often - open up our hearts and minds and lives often. In those times, we ask that your Spirit lead us beyond ourselves and into a life that reflects your love and compassion. Amen.
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By Redeemer Lutheran on Jul 07, 2015 05:50 am
The Follower of Jesus as flexible. Comments to: adebelak@redeemerluth.com The Followers of Jesus as flexible means we are willing to enter into a dialogue that will challenge us and allow us to challenge others. In such a space as that, flexibility means that we will be able to listen rather than simply talk at others. We will listen because that is the only way we are able to come to know the character of the others in the group. As we lean in to listen, we also lean in to share a bit of ourselves - that's called being vulnerable. When folks are rigid, there is very little if any vulnerability. Jesus was vulnerable even to the point of death. The Followers of Jesus as flexible will always find themselves possibly coming down in a new place or finding out a new way to be in the place we may already be. When we can be vulnerable and listen and share ourselves, we will be the kind of flexible people who are able to bring forth a world not ruled by war and violence. God of New Life and All Hopefulness, it is a wonderful day when we all are able to lean into the life around us and learn new ways to be you beloved people in the midst of others. Keep us leaning into your Reign. Amen.
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By Redeemer Lutheran on Jul 06, 2015 05:50 am
The Followers of Jesus as flexible. Comments to: adebelak@redeemerluth.com The Followers of Jesus as flexible is a strength - like bending and bowing to serve. We may not appear to be strong because we refuse to follow the rigid expectations that so often come from being called religious or Christian. It seems that Jesus was always being ridiculed or questioned for the way he was able to bend freely to serve and save and heal. Such an ability within the religious world (even the secular world) is seen as weak. Many people want and need things religious to be firm and unbending and set in stone. One of the reasons I like the image of the commandments written on stone tablets is that it appears to be unbending. And yet, those great commandments that are meant to shape the life of a community of God's people demand that the people be flexible - loving in all context - seeking the welfare of the other in all contexts. Someone who live by these rock hard commandments may be the most flexible person we will meet today. The Followers of Jesus as flexible always bend toward the way of justice and peace and healing. Such people are some of the strongest people we will ever meet - especially when the world seems to be an unbending rule of power over others. God of New Life and All Hopefulness take us and shape us and mold us so that we will be able to exhibit the love of your Reign and serve the world around us. Amen.
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By Redeemer Lutheran on Jul 03, 2015 05:50 am
The Followers of Jesus as helplessly hopeful. Comments to: adebelak@redeemerluth.com The Followers of Jesus as helplessly hopeful are already planning for tomorrow by being actively engaged in the world around us today. Even in the face of troubled times, we act now as people who will not be manipulated by powers other than the power of peace that is the creative force within God's Reign. Therefore, we will step out on the limb for others and for the world around us even though we may not have a personal stake in what will happen. In reality though, when we work for peace - when we forgive - when we love, it really does begin to change the world. It may only be our own world. That is, we may only know that at the end of the day we have changed - we have been touched - we have become apart of the face of God's Reign. The Followers of Jesus as helplessly hopeful keep finding out how deep and wide God's grace really is and that within the endlessness of that gracious love we are becoming new beings. I think it is then that we are encouraged to 'go for it' - unbounded freedom to love in the name of our God. O God of New Life and All Hopefulness, touch us this day and free us to be alive within your Reign. Amen.
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By Redeemer Lutheran on Jul 02, 2015 05:50 am
The Followers of Jesus as helplessly hopeless. Comments to: adebelak@redeemerluth.com The Followers of Jesus as helplessly hopeless means we do not take part in doomsday predictions or become swallowed up in their garbage. In the face of a world that is broken and has become as wild as any other day in history, we forgive and act mercifully and work for peace and combat the cruelty of the world with an unbending love. That is called being helplessly hopeful. Yes, we may not see our actions change the whole world - that is not our goal. Our actions - our hopefulness is due to a promise of new life. The new life becomes us as we leap into the hopefulness of God's Reign in this place and time. The Followers of Jesus as helplessly hopeful find in the middle of our hopefulness a new life - a promise fulfilled. This is the case even when our lives are taken from us. Think of the martyrs of the faith whose writings and spoken words often sound like they are from another world. They are not. They are from and in this world - but as ones filled with the power of God's hope-filled Reign. O God of New Life and All Hopefulness, come. Amen.
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By Redeemer Lutheran on Jun 30, 2015 05:50 am
The Followers of Jesus as helplessly hopeful. Comments to: adebelak@redeemerluth.com The Follower of Jesus as helplessly hopeful may be an endangered species. But do not fear - we always have been and there always continues to be these helplessly hopeful folks finding their way into the life around us. Some may call them prophetic people. I agree. I also agree that they are simply the ones who trust that the way of Jesus is vital to life that is full of the presence of God. The Followers of Jesus as helplessly hopeful may be confronted with hopeless looking days and thus we stumble about in them and consider throwing in the towel. In the middle of those days, it is amazing how some of the simple poetic imagery of our God who is constantly for us is able to freshen up our lives. I don't know how it happens - I only know that it does. The followers of Jesus as helplessly hopeful seem to be able to lean into the fresh breeze that is able to slip into any of our worn torn and hopeless looking days. O God of New Life and All Hopefulness, you are the power of life that lifts us and holds us. Continue to be our breath for these days. Amen.
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By Redeemer Lutheran on Jun 30, 2015 05:50 am
The Followers of Jesus as helplessly hopeful. Comments to: adebelak@redeemerluth.com The Followers of Jesus as helplessly hopeful notice how the world is moving around them. We see people and institutions stumble and fall. We see violence seem to be having the last word on every level of our society. We notice how fear breeds hatred and anxiety turns into reactive behavior that is self-centered and self-protective at any cost to others. The Followers of Jesus as helplessly hopeful see all this. It can be and it is at time - despairing. We then live within that strange notion of "and then' or 'and yet'. It is a time in which the Spirit of God breathes life into us even when we seem to be losing our breath and out life. The Followers of Jesus as helplessly hopeful may become exhausted and depleted and yet - we find new life handed to us, and then - we step into that life and come to appreciate its wonder and awe and its ability to take us beyond all the powers that we once thought could destroy us. O God of New Life and All Hopefulness, continue to rock our world with the vision of your Reign as we wander through this day. Show us the wonder of you Reign and inspire us to step into its life. Amen.
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By Redeemer Lutheran on Jun 29, 2015 05:50 am
The Followers of Jesus as helplessly hopeful. The Followers of Jesus as helplessly hopeful are - by saying that - oddballs within our world. Yes, there is the truthfulness of the reality around us. Yes, we see and hear violence raising its ugly head in many ways and in many places. Yes, hate speech and actions seem to be the expected part of the protocol of the day. And yet, The Followers of Jesus as helplessly hopeful keep eyes on the promised Reign of God as a reality that also shows up within the context of this day. In the face of the way the various powers of the world are content to destroy the other side, we are invited to meet and greet them so that the 'us and them' may be transformed into a 'we'. I know, that sounds absurd - foolish - down right dumb. Therefore, we may be dismissed as dreamers and even dangerously out of touch with the real world. I would argue we are incredibly in touch with the ways of the world and because we know the world so well, we understand how it differs from God's promised Reign. We are helplessly hopeful that God's Reign will come among us. God of New life and All Hopefulness, bring it on - bring on your Reign among us and use us instruments of your work in this place and time. Amen.
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