Show me
what you want me to do
and I’ll do it;
help me to understand
what it is you want of me,
that I may do the right thing;
make me want to live your ways
above anything else.
You give me everything I need
to fight the battle,
you save me.
When people say I am stupid
for relying on you,
may I stand strong
and speak truth.
You give me freedom
from needing to follow the crowd,
you alone are my source of joy.
33 Point out your rules to me,
and I won’t disobey
even one of them. 34 Help me to understand your Law;
I promise to obey it
with all my heart. 35 Direct me by your commands!
I love to do what you say. 36 Make me want to obey you,
rather than to be rich. 37 Take away my foolish desires,
and let me find life
by walking with you. 38 I am your servant!
Do for me what you promised
to those who worship you. 39 Your wonderful teachings
protect me from the insults
that I hate so much. 40 I long for your teachings.
Be true to yourself
and let me live.
Holy can sometimes have negative connotations, with accusations of being ‘holier than thou’ or a ‘holy Joe’ seeming to be about superiority, especially morally so. But in truth holiness is an excellent quality, mainly because that is how God is. So true holiness is about being dedicated to the service of God and trying to do things his ways.
This passage lays out the true characteristics of being holy.
19 The Lord told Moses 2 to say to the community of Israel:
I am the Lord your God. I am holy, and you must be holy too!
9 When you harvest your grain, always leave some of it standing along the edges of your fields and don’t pick up what falls on the ground. 10 Don’t strip your grapevines clean or gather the grapes that fall off the vines. Leave them for the poor and for those foreigners who live among you. I am the Lord your God.
11 Do not steal or tell lies or cheat others.
12 Do not misuse my name by making promises you don’t intend to keep. I am the Lord your God.
13 Do not steal anything or cheat anyone, and don’t fail to pay your workers at the end of each day.
14 I am the Lord your God, and I command you not to make fun of the deaf or to cause a blind person to stumble.
15 Be fair, no matter who is on trial—don’t favor either the poor or the rich.
16 Don’t be a gossip, but never hesitate to speak up in court, especially if your testimony can save someone’s life.
17 Don’t hold grudges. On the other hand, it’s wrong not to correct someone who needs correcting. 18 Stop being angry and don’t try to take revenge. I am the Lord, and I command you to love others as much as you love yourself.
There is not one of these that does not make perfect sense. We would all nod and agree. Don’t take everything you can, leave something of your abundance for those who have nothing; don’t steal, lie or cheat; don’t make promises in God’s name or on his behalf that we have no intention of keeping; pay what you owe; don’t abuse those whose life is difficult enough; be fair and just, not being swayed by appearance; do not gossip; do tell the truth when you can; don’t hold grudges and don’t be on the lookout for ways to pay back what wrongs you perceive someone has done to you; and love – God, yourself and everyone – for that is the foundation that all the rest.
So why does it seem so difficult to do? I need to look after what I have, because you never know; that’s not really lying, or stealing or cheating….; it sounds good to make promises in God’s name, I feel better about them; if I can get away with paying a bit less; I don’t always notice the needs of others, it’s easier not to look that hard; I feel so more inclined to help those who look like me; but they hurt me so much. And love. Do I love myself? Am I comfortable enough with myself that I can love others, whoever, however, whenever?
Lord,
you know how difficult some of this stuff is;
you know I struggle to love myself sometimes,
or all the time,
I am hurting,
I feel overlooked
and misunderstood,
I need to look after myself…
…yet,
that is true for everyone else.
So in my mutuality,
my understanding of where they might be,
I answer your call
to live how you ask me.
I can’t do it alone,
but I long to be holy,
because you are
and that is what you ask of me
Cranky, Beautiful Faith is a book of reality and honesty – of leadership, of church life and of faith itself. It is a narrative of Nadia’s life, her battles, her faith and the life of House of All Sinners and Saints, what the back cover blurb describes as a “mission church” in Denver.
It covers Nadia’s background, her call to ministry when she knew she was being called to be a ‘Pastor to her People’ – such an amazing and powerful call – and the journey that ensues.
Each chapter is as well as part of the story of the church, an illustration of a bible passage, something that seems to just follow naturally. It is totally honest, gutsy and inspiring. Nadia is not afraid to share the struggles of growing a church – and the reality of the failures. Throughout there is an honesty of her own battles of emotions of what she’s feeling and what she knows she should think, and the work God is doing in her. This offered me both encouragement and hope!
This book is inspiring and a real vision for how church can and should be – a place of real welcome for all.
Pam's Perambulation 