Good morning, everyone. Below is today’s edition of Faith, not Fear, a weekly reflection to help keep us connected, while we’re physically separated, through Scripture and prayer.
Faith, not Fear May 20, 2020
“Do not be fearing, only be believing”
Mark 5:36 (DLNT)
Berit
In the climactic scene of the 1991 thriller Backdraft, firefighter Stephen “Bull” McCaffrey (played by Kurt Russell) confronts the serial arsonist whose fires have destroyed three homes, taken three lives, and badly burned a rookie fireman. Bull and the arsonist, a firefighter nicknamed “Axe”, are standing on a catwalk in a chemical plant that’s engulfed in flames when an explosion destroys the catwalk. Axe begins to fall, but Bull grabs his hand and holds on to him as he hangs above the flames below.
“Let me go!” yells Axe.
Bull refuses. He looks at Axe and says, “You go, we go.”
Earlier in the film, during another large blaze, the men on Bull’s crew had said the same thing to a firefighter as he hung precariously from a floor that gave way. Like Axe, the firefighter yelled, “Let me go!” His crewmembers refused. “You go, we go,” they told him. They held onto him, and each other, and pulled him to safety.
The fierce commitment of the firefighters is, for me, an image of berit, a key word in the Bible, which reveals God’s commitment to us for our good, even though (like Axe) we are firefighters turned arsonists. Created by God in his image to govern the world on his behalf, we keep lighting fires that consume each other and God’s good world. And yet God holds onto us.
Two weeks ago, I began a series of reflections on key words in the Bible, words that are windows onto the vibrant and mysterious, wider world of God, words that give us a glimpse (and invite us to enter!) the creation and redemption of our life-giving God. In these days of uncertainty, we need these words. We need these windows.
We need words like berit, which is translated as “covenant” in our Bibles, and which refers to a binding agreement between two parties. In Scripture, berit is most often used for the relationship between God and his people, a relationship in which the God of all creation, the holy and righteous judge of all, binds himself intimately and permanently to us, even though we have rebelled against him.
“You go, I go.”
It is an astonishing, gracious, transforming commitment that God makes to Noah, his family, and all living creatures (Genesis 9:9-17), Abraham and his family (Genesis 15:18, 17:2-21), the people of Israel (Exodus 19:5, 24:7-8), and King David (2 Samuel 7:1-17). God also promises to bless Israel with a new berit, one they won’t break (Jeremiah 31:31-34), which Jesus established through his death for us and for all on the cross (Luke 22:20).
In these days of uncertainty, confusion, disruption, and frustration, berit helps us remember God’s commitment to us, which invites and makes possible our commitment to him. Berit helps us see that God’s love is constant. His strong hand holds onto us through every season of life, through every uncertainty, through every pandemic.
“You go, I go.”
Invitation to Pray
John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, wrote a “covenant prayer,” which Methodists still use to express their commitment to God in response to God’s commitment to us. It is, in other words, our hand holding onto his as he holds onto us. Take a moment to read and pray The Wesleyan Covenant Prayer:
I am no longer my own, but thine.
Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee,
exalted for thee or brought low for thee.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things
to thy pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
thou art mine, and I am thine. So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth,
let it be ratified in heaven. Amen.
Closing Prayer
Father, help us to live from our faith, not our fears; to “be believing” not “fearing” as we follow Jesus through the season of Lent in a time of crisis. Shield us physically and spiritually, so that we may love as you love even when we’re afraid. Help us to remember that your perfect love drives out all our fears. Amen.
Faith, not Fear – May 13, 2020
“Do not be fearing, only be believing”
Mark 5:36 (DLNT)
Hesed
On his first day in a new school, my friend Jonathan looked in vain for his bus at the end of the day. He walked up and down the bus lane, searching nervously, then anxiously, then frantically. Finally, unable to find his bus, and unable to control his emotions any longer, he broke down and began to cry.
Unknown to Jonathan, his older brother, Stephen, was watching Jonathan from their bus, which was parked right in front of him. He could see Jonathan searching. He saw his distress. He watched him fall apart and start crying. But Stephen did nothing. He did not call out to him. He did not get off the bus to help him. He just watched him. He was still watching him when the bus started moving and then pulled away, leaving Jonathan behind, alone, in tears.
Why didn’t Stephen help his brother? When asked, he said, “I didn’t want the other kids to think I was a loser too.”
Have you ever felt like God is watching you but doing nothing to help you? Have you ever felt like God sees your distress, hears your prayers, takes note of your tears, but keeps his seat, unmoved and unmoving?
Last week, I began a series of reflections on key words in the Bible, words that are windows onto the vibrant and mysterious, wider world of God, words that give us a glimpse (and invite us to enter!) the creation and redemption of our life-giving God. In these days of uncertainty, we need these words. We need these windows.
We need words like hesed, a word that reveals the character of God, a word that reassures us of God’s commitment and care, even when (especially when!) it feels like God is keeping his seat, unmoved and unmoving; watching us, but not helping us.
Hesed appears 249 times in the Old Testament. God himself speaks of it, and his people celebrate it, invoke it, and give thanks to God for it.
What is it?
Hesed is God’s steadfast, loyal love. It’s his strong, unchanging commitment to his people and his promises. Hesed is the reason God’s people have hope even when they feel hopeless.
The steadfast love [hesed] of the Lord never ceases,
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23)
For the mountains may depart
and the hills be removed,
but my steadfast love [hesed] shall not depart from you,
and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,
says the Lord, who has compassion on you. (Isaiah 54:10)
Return to the Lord, your God,
for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love [hesed],
and relents from punishing. (Joel 2:13)
But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love [hesed],
will enter your house,
I will bow down toward your holy temple
in awe of you. (Psalm 5:7)
Turn, O Lord, save my life;
deliver me for the sake of your steadfast love [hesed]. (Psalm 6:4)
Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love [hesed],
for they have been from of old. (Psalm 25:6)
Blessed be the Lord,
for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love [hesed] to me
when I was beset as a city under siege. (Psalm 31:21)
Several times in the last few weeks, I’ve seen people post “God is bigger than this” on Facebook. It is, of course, true that God is bigger than this virus, bigger than this pandemic, bigger than sickness, bigger than death, bigger than economic devastation and financial distress, but the truth that “God is bigger than this” is only good news, because the God who is “bigger” is a God of hesed, a God of steadfast, loyal love; a God who’s committed to us and his promises.
As the bus pulled away, and Jonathan kept crying, Stephen looked back and saw that his younger brother was no longer alone. A teacher had noticed him. She was talking to him. She put her arm around him and would later walk him to the office and help him call home.
Have you ever felt like God is watching you but doing nothing to help you? It might feel that like sometimes, but God is not on the bus pulling away. He’s heard you. He’s right beside you. His arm is wrapped around you. He’s devoted to you. He’s the God of hesed. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
Amen.
Invitation to Pray
Set the alarm on your watch or phone to go off at 9:00, noon, 5:00, and 9:00. When it goes off, reread Lamentations 3:22-23 and give thanks to God for his hesed.
The steadfast love [hesed] of the Lord never ceases,
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23)
Closing Prayer
Father, help us to live from our faith, not our fears; to “be believing” not “fearing” as we follow Jesus through the season of Lent in a time of crisis. Shield us physically and spiritually, so that we may love as you love even when we’re afraid. Help us to remember that your perfect love drives out all our fears. Amen.
Faith, not Fear – May 6, 2020
“Do not be fearing, only be believing”
Mark 5:36 (DLNT)
Ruach
“I cannot get off my heals this morning.”
It was Monday morning, and Susannah and I were running. My legs usually feel fresh on Monday, but this time they were dead. I was tired, and my legs felt heavy. As a result, I wasn’t landing on the balls of my feet. Instead, I was landing on my heels, “pounding the pavement” with every step. After several miles of weary running, I blurted out my frustration. “I cannot get off my heals this morning.”
Today I’m beginning a series of reflections on key words in the Bible, words that are windows onto the vibrant and mysterious, wider world of God, words that give us a glimpse (and invite us to enter!) the creation and redemption of our life-giving God. We need these words. We need these windows. In these days of uncertainty, social distancing, unemployment, anxiety, illness, grief, and fatigue, we need to see and experience the larger world of God.
We need words like ruach, the original Hebrew word for “spirit”, which is just the right word for God to whisper in our ear when we’re finding it difficult to get off our heals, when we’re feeling run down, worn out, exhausted; when we’re desperate for life to get back to normal, but know that normal is many months away.
Five hundred years before the birth of Jesus, God gave the prophet Ezekiel a vision of Israel, his people in exile. The people appear as a valley of bones, but God gives them life through the power of his ruach:
The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. (Ezekiel 37:1; NRSV)
Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live.” (v.5)
Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.” (v.9)
I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act, says the Lord.” (v.14)
As you may have guessed, ruach is translated into English as “spirit,” “wind,” and “breath” in this passage. No one word will do for this one, rich word that speaks of God’s power to move the trees, fill our lungs, and give life to the dead.
Are you finding it difficult to get off your heels? Are you feeling run down, worn out, exhausted? Take a moment to sit still and breathe deeply. Feel the ruach of God filling your lungs. See the ruach of God in the leaves on the trees. Ask God to breathe his ruach into you. Ask God to fill you with his wind, breath, and spirit; to give you his power to get off of your heels and start running with joy.
Invitation to Pray
God’s ruach appears at the beginning of the Bible:
In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:1-2; NRSV)
Take a moment to pray for the ruach of God to sweep over the waters of chaos and death, to breathe new life into those who are rundown, worn out, and exhausted because of the disruption that this virus brings. Prophesy to the breath!
Closing Prayer
Father, help us to live from our faith, not our fears; to “be believing” not “fearing” as we follow Jesus through the season of Lent in a time of crisis. Shield us physically and spiritually, so that we may love as you love even when we’re afraid. Help us to remember that your perfect love drives out all our fears. Amen.
Faith, not Fear – April 22, 2020
“Do not be fearing, only be believing”
Mark 5:36 (DLNT)
What’s on Your Home Screen?
I keep changing the apps on my phone. Some I’ve deleted. Some I have moved. Still others I’ve added. In particular, I keep changing my home screen, the apps I use most. I moved Facebook to the home page because I am using it a lot more than I did before social distancing. I’ve added Shipt and moved Target and Walmart to the home screen as well because we use them every day to go shopping online. Gone, regretfully, are the NFL and ESPN. Gone also are two messaging apps, GroupMe and Remind, that we no longer need.
What apps are on your home screen? What activities are most essential for you at this time?
As we announced this past Sunday, I’ve been appointed to serve as the senior pastor of the Cannon United Methodist Church in Snellville. The Rev. Brian Smith will be coming from Marietta First to be the new pastor of Waleska UMC. These changes will take effect on September 1, but we’re getting ready right now for the changes to come. We have been living through a season of social distancing, and now we are living through a season of change. What activities are essential for you at this time?
What’s on your home screen?
As we live together toward the changes to come, I’d like to suggest one essential activity that is easily overlooked, but absolutely necessary, when we are living through a season of uncertainty and change. As the apostle Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “give thanks in all circumstances.”
Gratitude is an essential activity in every season in life, but it’s especially important when we’re feeling anxious. Gratitude reminds us that God’s care is constant, his blessings abound, and his love is unchanged. Giving thanks shifts our focus from what we don’t know to what we always do: that God is good, loving, wise, strong, and near. We’re not overlooked, forgotten, or misplaced.
We’re on God’s home screen.
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4-7)
Invitation to Pray
Psalm 95:2 invites us to “greet his face with thanksgiving,” to begin each day giving thanks to God. Take a moment to give thanks for three blessings right now. Then do the same every morning for the rest of the week. As soon as you get up, remember Psalm 95:2 and take a few moments to greet God with gratitude.
Closing Prayer
Father, help us to live from our faith, not our fears; to “be believing” not “fearing” as we follow Jesus through the season of Lent in a time of crisis. Shield us physically and spiritually, so that we may love as you love even when we’re afraid. Help us to remember that your perfect love drives out all our fears. Amen.