Reading 59

1 John 3- 2 John

Love. It is one of those words that are so simple and so complex. ‘Love’ can be a simple closer to a letter and ‘I Love You’ can be a declaration of strong devotion and care. It is written and said with relative ease, but to actually exercise love is sometimes complicated. Sometimes one wonders what love really looks like because it is described in so many ways throughout the bible. So, in many ways, it is easier to just say ‘I love you’ and worry about what that really means later.

John urges us in 1 John 3:18 to “not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.” Once again, God cares very little about our lip service. He cares about how we demonstrate the same love He demonstrates to us. We are shown God’s love so much in our daily lives while sometimes we say we love someone, but do not show it.

Just a simple thought: next time you tell someone that you love them, think of a way to show them in deed and truth. The word ‘love’ becomes so much stronger when it is not just a word but a declaration to act love upon someone.

Jim

Reading #59 (audio)

Reading 54

Hebrews 9 - 12

Because we are very interested in college sports at my house, ESPN is frequently on in the background. Tonight, while collecting my thoughts for this blog, there aired a clip from a press conference by the coach of the Kansas Jayhawks football team on their success this season. He said, “this is what the players that came to Kansas on faith had hoped for.” I thought, “that’s interesting…that’s exactly the topic of my blog!

In Hebrews 11:1, the author of Hebrews writes that “faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see,” and then goes on to list a number of famous scriptural figures who exhibited great faith by obeying God while longing for the promises He had given them. We may think that having faith is harder today than it was for people like Abraham and Moses, citing reasons like scientific evidence of something or that God spoke directly to those people. But I’m sure they had moments of skepticism—Noah must have wondered more than once about that flood over the 100 years he was building the ark. The point of the list of faithful is to give us confidence and hope.

The author urges us in 10: 19 and 23 to be confident of our salvation and to hold onto hope, because He who promises is faithful, and our confidence will be rewarded. You see, there’s two sides to chapter 11. There’s the faithful who were obedient, and there is the faithful God, who fulfilled his promises. This is the only way we can have faith. If God did not honor his promises, there is no basis for faith. So we have a list of ways God has been faithful to those who believed and obeyed Him. They are the “cloud of witnesses” mentioned in 12: 1 that enable us to throw off hindrances, obstacles, and sin, and instead focus on Jesus so that we will not “grow weary and lose heart.”

Stacey

Reading #54 (audio)

Reading 58

2 Peter 2 – 1 John 2

As some of you know, I’m a word nerd (self-proclaimed). And I have to admit that as I read today’s reading, I was enthralled by a word – I know, go figure. It was a small word. This time, the word that caught my attention was “if.”

Eight times, John uses the word “if” in the span of twelve verses (1 John 1:5-2:6).

“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father – Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for the sins of the whole world.

“We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Those who say, “I know him,” but do not do what he commands are liars, and the truth is not in them. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.”

When I started looking at the “ifs” themselves, I noticed that a number of them are paired up in contrast each other. The first pairing especially stood out to me: “if we claim to have fellowship with him, and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and don’t live out the truth. But, if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin….”

What I take away from this is that I need to walk in the light to have fellowship with God and by doing that in turn enables me to have fellowship with others around me as well as God. We are told that if we walk with him, we will have fellowship with one another and that Christ’s blood purifies us from sin, which means we can then have fellowship with God because we’ve been justified before him.

All of that leads me to look at the last “if” which says, “if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them.” When we’re in fellowship with God, when we’re walking with him, when we’re confessing our sins and keeping his commands, it all comes together and our love for God is made complete.

Cristin

Reading #58 (audio)

Reading 55

Hebrews 13; James 1-3

Self-Imposed Speech Restriction

Imagine what your life might be like with a speech impediment. What if you stuttered? If you got ‘stuck’ on certain consonants or vowels and couldn’t stop repeating them, even while the people around you stared, or laughed. What if you felt like other people really were listening to every word?

The conclusion of Hebrews and first three chapters of James focus on ‘faith in action’. We are encouraged to love one another as brothers and sisters, especially those that are disenfranchised, poor, and suffering. We are asked to show Christ’s love in abundance to anyone he puts in our path – not just to those people we might choose as friends.

Then, James chapter 3 warns us about the dangers of imagining ourselves as teachers, the dangers of speaking. I think it is natural to want to tell others about our faith and our worldview – especially when they come to us in the midst of difficult times. I’ve spent a great deal of effort trying to explain how I really feel, especially when writing to someone who has experienced a death or difficulty in their family.

When I watch a particularly disturbing documentary on genocide or starvation in the world, I feel compelled to talk about it, to find words to explain it, to answer the questions it raises. This reality stuck out to me as I read this section. Why is it that I don’t feel compelled to do something first? Even praying? Seeing chapter 3 in the midst of all this rhetoric about the importance of deeds and actions made me realize how much time I spend talking, and how little of my time is spent doing.

Then, on TV I saw a 20 year old young man talking about his lifelong struggle with stuttering. “I didn’t really talk much from the time I went to school until I was about 14 years old. I stuttered, and didn’t know how to control it, and I would get stuck on words and people made fun of me. I couldn’t stop stuttering, so I just stopped talking. But during that whole time period I listened and watched the kids around me intently and I use everything I learned to help these kids today.”

The young man went on to describe how his mother encouraged him to write, because he could never talk about his feelings easily. He expressed himself through poetry and art and music, and eventually he began to master his stuttering and then all of a sudden, it just stopped bothering him. He still stutters, but he also teaches in an after school program for at-risk children, and uses creative expression like art and dance to teach children how to communicate their feelings. He described how easy he found it to identify children that need someone to speak for them, and the joy he took in filling that role because someone had done the same for him. He became a shepherd for others because a few people led him through a difficult disability by responding to his needs.

Lots of things about this story moved me, but what I saw most was how the boy was met where he was. He had a speech disorder that he couldn’t control, and his mother didn’t just talk to him about it. She showed him that her love was bigger than words. The boy became a man that could say, “My mother showed me there are lots of ways for a family to express love that don’t require words.” A boy that was shy, sad, and below average in every way grew up to stand in front of a room of 30 kids encouraging them day after day to face their fears, and confront their emotions through expression. Wow.

Hebrews and James are both good at reminding me that a humble heart is a good thing. I need to talk less, because in my life I have noticed a direct correlation: The more I talk, the more I only see myself. This young man’s story helped me see the value in listening for God, and watching for opportunities to serve.

I also can see my own ‘stutters’ – the things that come out of my mouth, as if I can’t control them, when I am tired, over-anxious, or exasperated. The people around me don’t make fun of me when I begin to worry or let off steam, but as Christians we are called to lift those things up in faith. I wonder if I would give in to those stutters less if I admitted to God how destructive and unproductive they really are.

Melanie

Reading #55 (audio)

Reading 57

1 Peter 3-2 Peter 1

There’s a lot in today’s reading…I wouldn’t want to tackle the authority of husbands…can’t stomach meditating on suffering…I guess I’m left with some true confessions…

I had what would be considered a “typical freshman year” as a Cougar. There was a lot of beer involved and I can only imagine how hard my guardian angel worked to prevent drug use and promiscuity. It could have been extremely damaging and I’m so thankful it wasn’t.

During the summer after that year, I did a lot of reflection and made the decision to quit drinking and pursue Christ. Well, my party friends were not impressed.

So, I can relate to 1 Peter 4:3 and 4 when it says, “You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy—their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols. Of course, your former friends are very surprised when you no longer join them in the wicked things they do, and they say evil things about you.”

I had indeed had enough…hangovers get old, feeling like a hypocrite is not pretty. For me drinking and going to parties weren’t out of a desire to rebel. It was more about the idol of “gotta have a man”…and men were at parties.

And then there were the evil things that were said and done when I quit partying…being called a “Jesus Freak” and part of the “God Squad”…true statements but they were meant as slams. I received phone calls in the middle of the night from drunk guys asking if their friend was in my room…when he was probably sitting in the room with them.

I suspect I’m not the only one who has suffered the sting of ridicule over poor choices and their natural consequences. Also in today’s reading is 1 Peter 3:9, “Don't repay evil for evil. Don't retaliate when people say unkind things about you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God wants you to do, and he will bless you for it.”

I’ve forgiven my former friends and myself. I can even chuckle about our stupidity. Now to bless them and embrace God’s blessing for me too.

Sue

Reading #57 (audio)

Reading 56

James 4-1 Peter 2

In the movie “Hardball” Keanu Reeves plays a man (Bob) who has made some bad life decisions. As the result of gambling debt he turns to a friend for a loan and the friend gives it to him on a condition—that Bob take over for him as coach of an inner-city baseball team. Bob does and as the movie unfolds he learns some important life lessons. One of the key lessons is also pretty simple, that 90% of life is “just showing up.”

In some ways this is true for Christ followers, too. It is not very inspirational or glorious, but it is a fundamental necessity. In his letter, James writes to people who are in the midst of life, trying to be faithful while at the same time struggling with hardship. In chapter 5 verse 7 he writes “Be patient, then, brothers and sisters until the Lord’s coming.” He goes on to cite the patience of farmers as an example and then he turns to the prophets of old as examples of patience in the face of suffering.

The farmer was patient knowing that a crop was coming, while the prophet was patient knowing that the Lord would bring about what he had promised. In both cases they continued to show up because they knew, in the end, it would pay off.

It is axiomatic that as a follower of Jesus we are not exempt from the hardships of life or from those stretches where life is monotonous and mundane. But as Christ followers we have a promise that Jesus will return, he will set things right and he will finish the good work he has begun in us. In other words patience, or if you will, showing up, will one day pay off.

--Nils

Reading #56 (audio)

Reading 52

Reading 52

Hebrews 1-4

One of my favorite passages of assurance is in today’s reading:

“Therefore since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet he did not sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:14-16)

The author of Hebrews tells us that since we have a great high priest, we can approach the throne of grace with confidence. Now for me, I realize I don’t have a complete understanding of what it meant to the Hebrews to have a high priest. I know that the high priest once a year would enter the Holy of Holies and I know that when Christ conquered death on the cross, the veil in the temple was torn in two in a sign that the high priests were no longer necessary as intermediaries between God and us.

But it doesn’t end there! We are told to approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. What a promise! Not only can we approach without fear, but rather we can approach with certainty and we do so trusting we will receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

I love this promise God has given us regarding his grace and mercy. For the longest time, I had a hard time keeping the definitions straight between grace and mercy. The simplified way for me to remember the difference between mercy and grace is the following: mercy is not getting what you do deserve; grace is getting what you don’t deserve. And this verse tells us when we approach the throne we receive mercy and find grace.

One last thought: the final phrase of this passage – “in our time of need” – is significant to me. That God gives us grace to help us in our time of need is empowering. It’s comforting. It’s assuring. And it’s given to us.

--Cristin

Reading 52 Audio

Reading 51

Reading 51

Titus – Philemon

Evangelism has gotten a bad rap. From both Christians and non-Christians alike, there’s agreement: nobody likes it! There are as many reasons why it’s disliked as there are people engaged in or who encounter evangelism. But it’s too bad, especially when Christians steer away from sharing their faith. In Paul’s short letter to Philemon he writes something interesting in regards to why sharing your faith is important. In verse 6 he says,

^“I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.” (NIV)

Did you catch that? Paul did not say he prays that Philemon may actively share his faith so that many will meet Jesus (although Paul does express that desire elsewhere). He does say to Philemon that actively sharing his faith will help him to have a “full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.” Now that is a little different take on evangelism, isn’t it? Yet on reflection it makes sense. Have you ever tried to explain how something works to a friend only to discover that in the teaching you have actually learned more? It requires you to think it through better in order to be able to communicate it. The same is true with the Gospel.

Have you ever felt stagnant in your faith? The solution may be as simple as beginning to share your faith with others. Ask God for an opportunity to talk about your faith with someone today and see what happens. You just might find your walk with God invigorated!

--Nils

Reading 51 Audio

Reading 49

1 Timothy 3-6

Most people I talk to indicate that they are too busy and stressed. Why do we live that way? What puts us on a gerbil wheel, running in circles?

At this time of year the holiday catalogs clog our mailboxes and advertising on tv and elsewhere tells us all about the new gadgets, fragrances and toys. If we’re honest, most of us have to admit that it all pulls on us. I know I want some of that stuff.

In order to buy those items, we must have money. Most of us look to earning a sizable income to pay for the basics and so much more. How much of our stress and exhaustion is related to that pursuit of money and things?

Today’s reading in 1 Timothy 3-6 addresses this in some ways. In 1Timothy 6:8 we read, “So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.” Let’s pause there a moment…feels uncomfortable doesn’t it? I feel it too.

And then he goes on in verses 9 and 10 to say, “…people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil.”

Most of us say that we don’t want to be rich nor do we love money. However, we are already are rich by world standards… even the poorest student among us.

Many people in the world earn less than $2 a day. In addition, I recently read an article in Christianity Today stating that most people in Africa consider the equivalent of “enough food and clothing” to be prosperity. That makes me squirm.

I don’t mean to put a damper on our holiday gift-giving plans. Then again, it is a good time to reflect on God’s gifts to us, including his promise to provide and his generous track record in doing so in the past.

If I can meditate on that, I hope to find more peace and less stress. Then I just might have the clarity to step out of that gerbil wheel.

Sue

Reading # 49 (audio)

Reading 48

2 Thessalonians 2-1 Timothy 2

I am in a leadership class at Nursing school in Spokane. In this leadership class we talk about how nurses interact with each other. I have to admit, more times than not, I am totally convicted by what I learn in this class! Nurses talk behind each others back, they criticize each other, always comparing themselves to those around them. I don’t think it’s just nurses though. We all like to compare ourselves, don’t we? We justify our actions by what others have done.

Usually, within the Christian world especially, this is seen as entirely negative. We are not to judge, not to gossip, not to compare ourselves with others. Listen to this…

1 Timothy 1:13-16 “Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.

It’s as if Paul’s purpose in life was to give us something to compare others to. I love this. If we had lived during the time of Saul, we probably would’ve dubbed him as “unsaveable, a hopeless cause.” He was out to destroy the Church, who would’ve thought that he would become one of the foundations of the early church? NO ONE! No one. Paul is using his testimony of God transforming his life to show us that we need to compare others to this. Who do you label as “too far off the deep end, or hopeless”? What are they like compared to Paul? If God is all powerful, can’t he rescue and transform anyone? Paul is evidence of this, don’t discount people. God used Paul’s salvation as a testimony that no one is ever too far gone to be rescued. God does not give up on people. He loves everyone, regardless of sin in their life and actions in their past.

There is a similar thing with the nation of Israel in the Old Testament. They strayed from the Lord so many times throughout the Old Testament. Their unfaithfulness is disgusting. They would build idols and bow down to them time after time even though God continued to remind them that He alone is God. I am so thankful that the Lord used the nation of Israel to show us a picture of his patience and forgiveness and faithfulness. There have been times when I am so annoyed by my unfaithfulness and neglect of the Lord that I can believe that God must not want me back. All it takes is for me to compare myself to the nation of Israel and realize that if God is patient with them, he will be faithful to me.

Sometimes comparison isn’t all bad. I think that Paul, and the nation of Israel were strategically used by the Lord to show us that no one is ever too far lost to be rescued, nor is any unfaithfulness too much for the Lord to forgive.

Andrea

Reading #48 (audio)

Reading 47

1 Thessalonians 3 – 2 Thessalonians 1:

Lately, I think I’ve been in need of encouragement. Maybe it’s that time in the semester, or maybe it’s the change in the weather, but circumstances have just been getting to me. I’m not going to bore you with the details because everyone has different stressors, but for empathy’s sake, I’ll just say that I’ve got a lot on my mind. So it was nice for me to read First Thessalonians 5:11-24 where Paul gives some specific examples of how we can be encouraged and can encourage others. For me, verses 16 through 18 stood out: “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances.” Praying continually is not a problem when I’m stressed or feeling down. It’s about all that I can do to keep from losing my mind. But the other two…not so much. How can I be joyful when I feel completely overwhelmed? How can I be thankful working in a job that I’m never very excited about? That’s where my encouragers come in: my husband, my small group, my friends, my family, Paul, and God. In small ways every day through words or actions, they help lift my spirit and help me see a new perspective.

Stacey

Reading #47 (audio)

Reading 46

Reading 46

Colossians 3-1 Thessalonians 2

As I read the selection one thing stood out to me, thankfulness. In Colossians 3:15-17 Paul mentions it three times. In verse 15 he says “be thankful”. In verse 16 he says to “sing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” And then in verse 17 he speaks of “giving thanks to God the Father.”

On one hand it seems a little funny that Paul would need to encourage the Colossians to be thankful to God, considering all that he has done for them. Yet, when I look at my own life, I realize why Paul needed to say this. It can be really easy to let the molehills of life pile up into the mountains of despair. It seems that wherever one looks there are reasons for stress. Whether it’s bills that need to be paid, a conflict with a friend, or that your favorite show has been canceled, there are numerous things that can weigh a person down.

That’s why we need to be reminded to be thankful. Just as we often look for things that cause stress, we can also learn to look for things to be thankful for. For example, as I am a caregiver for an aging parent I have struggled with things that are stressful. Yet I can be thankful that my mother is usually in a pleasant mood, especially when I hear how dementia can affect someone’s temperament.

For me the choice becomes one of choosing to look for what I can give thanks for. It doesn’t mean that I deny the hard things in life but that I make it a point to give thanks when and where I can. After all, “attitude” makes up 90% of “gratitude.”

--Nils

Reading 46 Audio

Reading 45

Philippians 3 – Colossians 2

It’s November and Thanksgiving is nearly upon us. Ahh, the changing of the seasons and the holidays are on their way. There’s no stopping them. The briskness in the air takes my breath away when I step outside early in the morning. The pumpkins and gourds are abundant; I’m craving turkey, stuffing, and all the trimmings.

As I read today’s passage, I saw much to be thankful for. One section that caught my eye especially was in the first chapter of Colossians where Paul writes,

“Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation…”

Lately, God has been teaching me about being versus doing. Years ago my sister made the comment that God created us human beings, not human doings. She has a point. It’s the idea that what I do does not constitute who I am. They are separate. If I fail, make a mistake, etc., that action does not make me (who I am) a failure, or a mistake, etc. They are different. Being (essence) versus doing (action).

What stuck out to me in this verse is that God makes it very clear that our behavior (our doing), alienated us from God and made us his enemies. But (!), we have been reconciled through Christ’s death and now we are (our essence) presented holy, without blemish, and free from accusation. It’s not the things we do, but rather who we are.

While I realize I still don’t fully comprehend this idea, on multiple occasions lately, God has shown me where I was seeing my actions as equal to who I am. And he has gently reminded me that my actions don’t have that much control. My identity is in Christ and what he has done. That shows me just a glimpse of how much I have to be thankful for: Christ’s death reconciled me, so that I am holy in his sight. I am without blemish. I am free from accusation.

Cristin

Reading #45 (audio)

Reading 43

Ephesians 1-4

I spend most of my days in hopes and worries. I get to class and think about how I can impress my instructor, my peers. I go to the classes I teach and wish for some really important insight to come out of mouth and impact my students minds. I go work and hope that I can fix all the problems that arise, eager to impress my co-workers. Additionally, in all these blogs, I have looked into the scriptures and anticipated that I can find some bit of wisdom to give to you. But when I read the first part of Ephesians, all that desire to be clever and impress you with my critical thinking skills vanished. Simply, I was struck by Chapter 3: 13-21. It has been said over and over again, but it is worth pausing and thinking about the fact that God is great.

This isn’t the first time these verses struck me. About five years ago, I was on a short day hike in Northern California with just me and God. I hiked to the top of hill overlooking Mount Shasta. I just happened to be reading Ephesians and I stumbled upon these verses in chapter 3. I remember looking over the lush valley and jutting mountain and reading about how I “may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and height and length and depth and to know the love of Christ which surpasses all knowledge, that [I] may be filled up with all the fullness of God (Ch.3 v.18-19). As I sit and write this blog, I feel the same way: in awe of God and desiring to be simply engulfed in His greatness.

When I read verses like these, I am able to shed my impetuous aspirations and my unfounded insecurities. For a quiet moment, I think on the greatness of God and everything else just seems to disappear.

Jim

Reading #43 (audio)

Reading 42

Galatians 3-6

Today’s reading in Galatians 3-6 reminds me of my last blog, so let’s pick up where I left off…I ever so sweetly stated that hierarchy is not God’s idea.

As I looked at several definitions of hierarchy, I noticed that they had a lot to do with ranking people one above another, calling those in subordination to others inferior, and talking about controlling people with some form of authority. Some definitions were specifically about religious hierarchy.

We have probably all seen hierarchy at work in church settings. I have even heard so-called pastors say things like they are better than those under them or sheep/people are dumb and need to be told what to do. With attitudes like that it’s not surprising that we see people controlling people. While I agree that chaos is destructive, does it take controlling systems to achieve order?

Galatians 5:18 reminds us that living by the old nature does produce evil results. However, Galatians 5:16 exhorts, “So I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit.”

And then in 5:22 and 23 it says, “But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

If we treat each other with the above qualities, won’t we have order? The key is the Holy Spirit…controlling us. I’ve found that when the Holy Spirit is in control, I am willingly on board, partly because I can see the wisdom of being gentle rather than being harsh…or having peace over flipping out. I want to love and choose self-control. With God’s powerful Spirit at work in me, I have the desire and ability to live like God wants.

In that situation there is no need for other humans to control me. It’s my relationship with God that makes the difference. And thus hierarchy is unnecessary.

So let’s point people to a transforming relationship with God, encourage hierarchy to die, and live a new life in the Holy Spirit.

Sue

Reading #42 (audio)

Reading 41

2 Cor 12 – Gal 2

As a ski patroller I hear of various situations other patrollers have responded to. One situation involved a patroller witnessing a skier take a nasty fall, so he immediately went to check on the man. The man was adamant that he was okay and did not need any help. The patroller had to take him at his word, but he was not convinced, so from a distance he followed the man down the hill. Both got onto the chair-lift, separated by several chairs, and when the patroller got to the top the other man had been there for several minutes already. Plenty of time to have skied off, but he had not done so.

As the patroller watched the man he could tell something was wrong and went over to him. This time the man described some symptoms he was experiencing and decided to accept the patroller’s help. The patroller, having seen the fall and heard the symptoms, immobilized the man’s neck and with the help of others from the patrol they put him onto a backboard and sent him to the hospital. It was learned later that the man had indeed fractured his neck and it had not yet displaced, but was on the verge of doing so. He was fortunate.

This is one of those stories that illustrates that sincerity, while important, must also be coupled with truth. Or else a person might be sincere, yet sincerely wrong. The skier was sincere that he was okay, but he was sincerely wrong and it nearly cost him a great deal.

When it comes to faith, sincerity is important. The word comes from the Latin meaning whole, pure or genuine. Faith does need these qualities, but faith must also be coupled with the Truth. This is why Paul speaks so strongly to the Galatians in chapter 1.

He tells them that they are turning away from the gospel of Christ and that it has such immense ramifications that “if anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let that person be under God’s curse!” (:9) If the person who preaches a different gospel is under God’s curse, what about those who put their faith in that false gospel? Like the skier with the broken neck, sincerity is nice, but if it’s wrong it can come at a great price.

Make no mistake, faith matters. But what matters more is what one’s faith is in. Or more to the point Who your faith is in. Jesus said “I am the way, the truth and the life. NO one comes to the father but by me (John 14:6)”. These are words we can count on.

Nils

Reading #41 (audio)

Reading 40

2 Corinthians 8-11

Have you ever met someone who exuded the presence of God? For me, one such person in my life was Mother Wonder. A number of years ago I had the opportunity to serve at an after-school ministry in Compton, California called the S.A.Y. Yes Center, which was based out of a local church. I was in college at the time and a group of us would go for a week usually at Spring Break to help out as we could. We’d do projects around the church during the day, painting or small “fix-it” projects and then work with the children when they arrived after school.

The first time I was there, I met Mother Wonder, a beautiful soul, incredibly in tune with God. I remember attending prayer times with Mother Wonder in the church’s prayer closet (literally!). This woman of God was amazing. She had such a gift for prayer and for entering as well as leading others into the presence of God. Time spent in prayer flew by when she was there. Her faith and her passion for God and his people moved me to tears.

I can only imagine the hard life that she had. And yet out of her years of experiences and trials, she had come to know the grace of God personally, regardless of her situation. At the end of the week before we left to come home, she gave each one of us a small gift: a piece candy wrapped with a Bible verse. I kept that candy and Bible verse for years. Each time I saw it, I would think of her and it reminded me to pray. I know she did not have much in the way of money. I know she did not have much period. But she found it in her heart to give and give generously.

As I read today’s reading, I could not help but think of Mother Wonder and her joy and generosity. One thing that struck me so clearly is she didn’t allow her situation to dictate her attitude. Just because she didn’t have much, didn’t mean she didn’t have joy.

In 2 Corinthians 8:1 we’re told about the grace God gave to the Macedonian churches and I couldn’t help but think that nearly two thousand years later, our God is still giving grace that enables us to be in our situation, severe trial or not, poverty or not, and have overwhelming joy that wells up into rich generosity.

As I continued to think about Mother Wonder and her generosity, I started to ask myself, “What is God asking me to give? Is it my time, my efforts, my creativity, my thoughts? What can I share with those around me?” In my life, Mother Wonder has been and continues to be an inspiration of generosity even in the midst of not having much physically or monetarily. But from her heart, she gave generously and I want to, too.

Cristin

Reading # 40 (audio)

Reading 39

2 Cor 4-7

As I’ve been reading through these New Testament passages, one theme that has stuck with me is starting over, starting fresh, and starting new. When the disciples received the Holy Spirit, their sudden boldness when it came to Jesus made them seem like completely different people. And the same thing happened with Paul. His acceptance of Jesus completely transformed his life, and he had to start over on a daily basis at first, telling people about what had happened to him until his story spread. This reminds me of a question posed by one of my favorite literary characters, Anne Shirley, or Anne of Green Gables, who asked, “Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?" Those of you who know Anne know that she made a lot of silly mistakes and was always very distressed about them, but she was still able to be positive and hope that she could make the best of the next day.

Back in Romans 7, Paul explains that because Jesus died for us, and we accepted him as Lord, we have died to what once bound us. We have been given a chance to start over, and we made that choice. In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul called this the ministry of reconciliation. God does not count our past sins against us, and the grace we have received gives us an opportunity to start over, even on a daily basis, when we confess and repent our sins. He says in verse 17, “therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” This verse has always filled me with joy. It’s exciting to think that we are completely brand new creations when we accept Jesus, like nothing ever seen before. My past is dead and gone—only useful for storytelling, and my future is fresh every day, with no mistakes.

Stacey

Reading #39 (audio)