This week: God as lavish. If you have any comments - adebelak@redeemerluth.com [mailto:adebelak@redeemerluth.com]So often in gift giving I will go with what I can afford. Sometimes that may mean
I go a step below what would really be wild and extravagant. God as lavish goes
all the way. Even in a statement like "I will be with you till the end of time."
Really?! I find that to be lavish action. This means in and through all the times
when no one will stand with me and the times when I really deserve no one to stand
with me because I am knot-head. And yet, God as lavish remains and keep pulling
me into a life in which I will see how wild and extravagant I can be - with my loving
- my giving - my presence - my vulnerability - my availability. This life is not
lived in order to have this lavish God give me more. Rather it is in response to
God as lavish - God as fully available beyond expectations - God as foolishly present
even when it means facing something like the cross for being unconditionally with
us. That is God as lavish - I can only imagine that kind of God - that is why I
sometimes need foolish stories from Scripture and parables and simple actions like
Baptism and the Lord's Supper.
O God of love and new life, as you remain with us and for us continue to inspire
us to walk within your image of grand hospitality. Amen.
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Redeemer Devotions for June 19, 2013
This week: God as lavish. If you have any comments - adebelak@redeemerluth.com [mailto:adebelak@redeemerluth.com]It appears to be that our God - this God as lavish - really does intend to overwhelm
us. It all begins with the garden story - overwhelming. Needs met - plenty of room
to run and play - no worries to weigh the human down - no competition that brings
us into conflict, God simply lavishly gives us space - free space to live. That
continues throughout Scripture. More and more I am caught up in the stories of rescue
and promise and restitution and forgiveness. God as lavish takes what God is and
pours it upon us. Like baptismal water we are drenched with life that startles
little babes in arm and makes us older folk wonder about such a lavish God whose
arms are eternally open to us. God as lavish - never hold back. That is what we
do. Humanity holds back as much as we can. We give 'this' much when we can give
so much more. We love 'this' much when we are a bountiful package of love ready
and available throughout the day. Humanity holds back because we often think there
will not be enough for me. And yet, somehow God lavishly turns 'little' into enough
and more. I find that amazing and yet at times it is really hard to trust.
O God of love and new life, let your love pour over us and encourage us to remember
your gracious history that never ceases to bring life and bring it abundantly. Amen.
us. It all begins with the garden story - overwhelming. Needs met - plenty of room
to run and play - no worries to weigh the human down - no competition that brings
us into conflict, God simply lavishly gives us space - free space to live. That
continues throughout Scripture. More and more I am caught up in the stories of rescue
and promise and restitution and forgiveness. God as lavish takes what God is and
pours it upon us. Like baptismal water we are drenched with life that startles
little babes in arm and makes us older folk wonder about such a lavish God whose
arms are eternally open to us. God as lavish - never hold back. That is what we
do. Humanity holds back as much as we can. We give 'this' much when we can give
so much more. We love 'this' much when we are a bountiful package of love ready
and available throughout the day. Humanity holds back because we often think there
will not be enough for me. And yet, somehow God lavishly turns 'little' into enough
and more. I find that amazing and yet at times it is really hard to trust.
O God of love and new life, let your love pour over us and encourage us to remember
your gracious history that never ceases to bring life and bring it abundantly. Amen.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Redeemer Devotions for June 18, 2013
This week: God as lavish. If you have any comments - adebelak@redeemerluth.com [mailto:adebelak@redeemerluth.com]I know I should refer to God as lavish love - grace - mercy - etc. But I also know
that I would have to use a bunch of words to put out there the many ways God is
lavishly for us. So why not just refer to God as lavish. No matter what it is, God
lays in on fully and completely - beyond our expectations. Even when the people
of God chose to go many other ways than the way in which God was calling them to
go, God continues to pour out a love that goes beyond sensibleness. God is over-the-top
when it comes to showing God's face to God's people. The high vitality of that demonstration
- of love let's say - is the power to bring home the lost and help turn around those
who have left to go another way - live another life - praise some god of their own
choosing. God as lavish never ceases to make a bit deal of how God will unfold our
future with joy and new life. In many ways, when people think of the word judgment
in the Scriptures, it is the simple showing that we have pick something less than
this God as lavish to be the way we live our lives. The judgment shows us what we
are missing - the God who overwhelms without ever pulling back.
O God of love and new life, your love for us turns our heads. It is in that turning
that we see once again the life you offer to us in this day and all the days to
come. Blessed are you, O God, for grabbing our attention with your lavishness. Amen.
that I would have to use a bunch of words to put out there the many ways God is
lavishly for us. So why not just refer to God as lavish. No matter what it is, God
lays in on fully and completely - beyond our expectations. Even when the people
of God chose to go many other ways than the way in which God was calling them to
go, God continues to pour out a love that goes beyond sensibleness. God is over-the-top
when it comes to showing God's face to God's people. The high vitality of that demonstration
- of love let's say - is the power to bring home the lost and help turn around those
who have left to go another way - live another life - praise some god of their own
choosing. God as lavish never ceases to make a bit deal of how God will unfold our
future with joy and new life. In many ways, when people think of the word judgment
in the Scriptures, it is the simple showing that we have pick something less than
this God as lavish to be the way we live our lives. The judgment shows us what we
are missing - the God who overwhelms without ever pulling back.
O God of love and new life, your love for us turns our heads. It is in that turning
that we see once again the life you offer to us in this day and all the days to
come. Blessed are you, O God, for grabbing our attention with your lavishness. Amen.
Monday, June 17, 2013
Redeemer Devotions for June 17, 2013
This week: God as lavish. If you have any comments - adebelak@redeemerluth.com [mailto:adebelak@redeemerluth.com]God is out there - way out there when it comes to pulling us into God's embrace.
Think of the father who throws his arms around the son who left home with 'daddy's
money' and now comes home after losing it all and being left with no one around
him. There is the embrace - the ring - the sandals - the feast. Lavish love that
will not let anything disrupt this pouring out of love that exceeds what most folks
would say is 'enough already.' God as lavish shows us the fullness of God's love
for us even when we are feeling unworthy or when we forget that this love is forever
and ever. It is then that our God pours in on. In the story of the woman with the
alabaster jar we see what it is to pour on love lavishly - that is what the woman
does. Nothing will stop her - she will walk into that house - find Jesus - and let
it pour out without consideration of the consequences - she will lavishly love.
This life and action comes from the power of forgiveness that enables us to respond
to a lavishly loving God be becoming lavish in our thanksgiving and our actions
toward others. We become lavish with our lives as God as lavish overwhelms us again
and again - even when we do not need our God to be so lavish.
O God of love and new life, you bring more than enough love into our lives. It is
like getting a favorite cream donut that has been over-filled. We praise you for
such sweet and overflowing love. Amen.
Think of the father who throws his arms around the son who left home with 'daddy's
money' and now comes home after losing it all and being left with no one around
him. There is the embrace - the ring - the sandals - the feast. Lavish love that
will not let anything disrupt this pouring out of love that exceeds what most folks
would say is 'enough already.' God as lavish shows us the fullness of God's love
for us even when we are feeling unworthy or when we forget that this love is forever
and ever. It is then that our God pours in on. In the story of the woman with the
alabaster jar we see what it is to pour on love lavishly - that is what the woman
does. Nothing will stop her - she will walk into that house - find Jesus - and let
it pour out without consideration of the consequences - she will lavishly love.
This life and action comes from the power of forgiveness that enables us to respond
to a lavishly loving God be becoming lavish in our thanksgiving and our actions
toward others. We become lavish with our lives as God as lavish overwhelms us again
and again - even when we do not need our God to be so lavish.
O God of love and new life, you bring more than enough love into our lives. It is
like getting a favorite cream donut that has been over-filled. We praise you for
such sweet and overflowing love. Amen.
Friday, June 14, 2013
Redeemer Devotions for June 14, 2013
This week: God as redundancy. If you have any comments - adebelak@redeemerluth.com [mailto:adebelak@redeemerluth.com]This is the end of the week and yet there is no end of the week with our God. There
may be time for rest - but the week - the months - the years keep rolling along
the way and we can count on the fact that our God as redundancy will hold out the
invitation to come along once again. There is always the tomorrow of God's invitation
- God's reminder. In the middle of all that word of hope offered again and again
there is time to rest and be still. We can rest and be still because our God of
redundancy - even as God rests - remain this light - this wind - this vision -
this available presence that is pulling and making space for us to thrive and enter
new life at any and all times. We have this Alpha and Omega God. We have this "I
thought I was a goner - and then God reminded me that I am beloved forever" God.
I need that reminder whenever something seems to be coming to an end - even if it
is just the end of a 'work week' - which is no longer the truth for too many people.
God as redundancy is present and then present again.
O God of love and new life, remind us again - here we go again. Amen.
may be time for rest - but the week - the months - the years keep rolling along
the way and we can count on the fact that our God as redundancy will hold out the
invitation to come along once again. There is always the tomorrow of God's invitation
- God's reminder. In the middle of all that word of hope offered again and again
there is time to rest and be still. We can rest and be still because our God of
redundancy - even as God rests - remain this light - this wind - this vision -
this available presence that is pulling and making space for us to thrive and enter
new life at any and all times. We have this Alpha and Omega God. We have this "I
thought I was a goner - and then God reminded me that I am beloved forever" God.
I need that reminder whenever something seems to be coming to an end - even if it
is just the end of a 'work week' - which is no longer the truth for too many people.
God as redundancy is present and then present again.
O God of love and new life, remind us again - here we go again. Amen.
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Redeemer Devotions for June 13, 2013
This week: God as redundancy. If you have any comments - adebelak@redeemerluth.com [mailto:adebelak@redeemerluth.com]When I say consider God as redundancy, it is like saying God is our rock and our
foundation. Within the span of humankind, those grand 'rocks' we see around us
don't change very much and that is usually because we destroy them or move them
or dislodge them. Otherwise, there is that rock and it will continue to be that
rock beyond any of our lives. God as redundancy is the wonderful expectation that
God will be - as is noted - the same - always the same - always the character God
promises to be as God is in relationship with us. Though I enjoy - at times - the
need to keep my balance not knowing if I will fall or tumble, I must have the assurance
that my life has a foundation that will never be lacking - never absent - never
in question. God as redundancy is eternally that rock and foundation - even that
wind behind us that keeps us moving even when we seem to be stuck and unable to
go on for another day. God as redundancy presses the point - again. That is, beloved
- again. Even when I already know that truth God promises to lay it all out in front
of us - again.
O God of love and new life, continue to the road an pathway that will move us into
the fullness of your love and life - again. Even when we turn or stumble, be the
God you always promise to be. Amen.
foundation. Within the span of humankind, those grand 'rocks' we see around us
don't change very much and that is usually because we destroy them or move them
or dislodge them. Otherwise, there is that rock and it will continue to be that
rock beyond any of our lives. God as redundancy is the wonderful expectation that
God will be - as is noted - the same - always the same - always the character God
promises to be as God is in relationship with us. Though I enjoy - at times - the
need to keep my balance not knowing if I will fall or tumble, I must have the assurance
that my life has a foundation that will never be lacking - never absent - never
in question. God as redundancy is eternally that rock and foundation - even that
wind behind us that keeps us moving even when we seem to be stuck and unable to
go on for another day. God as redundancy presses the point - again. That is, beloved
- again. Even when I already know that truth God promises to lay it all out in front
of us - again.
O God of love and new life, continue to the road an pathway that will move us into
the fullness of your love and life - again. Even when we turn or stumble, be the
God you always promise to be. Amen.
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Redeemer Devotions for June 12, 2013
This week: God as redundancy. If you have any comments - adebelak@redeemerluth.com [mailto:adebelak@redeemerluth.com]More and more I find that worship is the way God as redundancy works. We worship
in the midst of a community because we all need to go over the 'game plan' once
again. We need to hear - in hymns and word and silence and each other's presence
- that our life is shaped by a love - a grace - a mercy - a eye toward justice and
peace from the God who longs to make us God's own. In worship, we have to wrestle
with the people sitting next to us. God as redundancy puts the same people around
us. That is often wonderful and inspiring. At other times it reminds us of the great
diversity of God's beloved children - a diversity we may not want to embrace. God
as redundancy in the midst of worship sets us up to come face-to-face with the living
presence of all the stories of faith that tell us that there is something more than
my corner of the world. The community of worship is the redundancy of God in a form
we can touch and see. We may not like that availability - but it is there. God once
again saying welcome to the ever-expanding Reign of God.
O God of love and new life, fill us with the hopefulness of your Reign that is visible
in our community that worship and praises you for the life you place before us.
Let your Word of Life - in many forms and shapes - open us again to the vision of
your love. Amen.
in the midst of a community because we all need to go over the 'game plan' once
again. We need to hear - in hymns and word and silence and each other's presence
- that our life is shaped by a love - a grace - a mercy - a eye toward justice and
peace from the God who longs to make us God's own. In worship, we have to wrestle
with the people sitting next to us. God as redundancy puts the same people around
us. That is often wonderful and inspiring. At other times it reminds us of the great
diversity of God's beloved children - a diversity we may not want to embrace. God
as redundancy in the midst of worship sets us up to come face-to-face with the living
presence of all the stories of faith that tell us that there is something more than
my corner of the world. The community of worship is the redundancy of God in a form
we can touch and see. We may not like that availability - but it is there. God once
again saying welcome to the ever-expanding Reign of God.
O God of love and new life, fill us with the hopefulness of your Reign that is visible
in our community that worship and praises you for the life you place before us.
Let your Word of Life - in many forms and shapes - open us again to the vision of
your love. Amen.
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