Give Thanks

•October 10, 2013 • Leave a Comment

How quick are we to give thanks?

To acknowledge that there is something to say thank you for?

To take the time to notice?  And to do it?

Luke 17:11-19 (CEV)

Ten Men with Leprosy

11 On his way to Jerusalem, Jesus went along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he was going into a village, ten men with leprosy came toward him. They stood at a distance 13 and shouted, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”

14 Jesus looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.”

On their way they were healed. 15 When one of them discovered that he was healed, he came back, shouting praises to God. 16 He bowed down at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. The man was from the country of Samaria.

17 Jesus asked, “Weren’t ten men healed? Where are the other nine? 18 Why was this foreigner the only one who came back to thank God?” 19 Then Jesus told the man, “You may get up and go. Your faith has made you well.”

Here the lepers don’t even have to do anything like bathe in the river, they just have to go.  No other word or action, just to go and show the Priests that they are clean.  Healing has happened.  The very action of going made them well.

One man came back.  He was so grateful, he returned to say thank you.  He realised what a difference the touch of Jesus in his life had made.

Did the others not realise?  Not care enough?  Or just take Jesus’ working for granted?

How much has God done for me…?

How many blessings, such freedom, peace, love and a new life has he given to me?

And do I thank him?

Or do I take it for granted?  Do I take God for granted?

Do I come back to thank God?  Or carry on my way without a second thought?

Perhaps today is a day to take stock.  To spend some time thinking specifically of things God has done in and through us.  Then return to him and say

Thank You

Thank you Lord,
for the things in my life,
for all you have done
in and through me,
for all you have given to me,
for walking with me,
loving me,
healing me,
challenging me,
and filling me with your peace and hope…

Thank you Lord

Posted in bible, faith, God, hope, Jesus, Lectionary, love, Religion, Thanksgiving, theology
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Words…

•October 9, 2013 • Leave a Comment

I have a love/hate relationship with words and language.  I’m really a mathematician.  Words, and structuring them into a sentence (as you’d know if you could see all the red squiggly lines as I type) are really not my thing.  And annoyingly one of the symptoms of my illness is that I often struggle to find the word I need (again if you knew how long I hovered over words trying to find the right one…).  But we need words if we are ever going to be understood by anyone else.

Language is important. A stray letter that changes meaning; a regional word that others don’t understand; where one word has several meanings, or different spellings with the same pronunciation.  A trip somewhere speaking a different language soon alerts you to the importance of being able to understand what others are saying.

Language is unimportant.  The niceties, the semantics – the quibbling over words and meanings.  Arguments over grammar and punctuation. A meaningless exercise as long as we can get the gist of what someone else is saying.

2 Timothy 2:8-15 (CEV)

8 Keep your mind on Jesus Christ! He was from the family of David and was raised from death, just as my good news says. 9 And because of this message, I am locked up in jail and treated like a criminal. But God’s good news isn’t locked in jail, 10 and so I am willing to put up with anything. Then God’s special people will be saved. They will be given eternal glory because they belong to Christ Jesus. 11 Here is a true message:

“If we died with Christ,
    we will live with him.
12 If we don’t give up,
    we will rule with him.
If we deny
    that we know him,
he will deny
    that he knows us.
13 If we are not faithful,
    he will still be faithful.
Christ cannot deny
    who he is.”

An Approved Worker

14 Don’t let anyone forget these things. And with God as your witness, you must warn them not to argue about words. These arguments don’t help anyone. In fact, they ruin everyone who listens to them. 15 Do your best to win God’s approval as a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed and who teaches only the true message.

Paul tells Timothy,

you must warn them not to argue about words

Words don’t matter.  Arguing over words, meanings, the order of them is not important.  What matters is our actions.  Not what we say – we can all construct a beautiful sentence or argument if we need to – it doesn’t necessarily mean anything unless we back it up.  We might think it puts on a good impression, but do our words mean what they say?  How we behave shows what is really in our hearts.  Our work shows the truth of our lives.  We can no longer hide behind an artificial construct, or carefully built arguments.  How we get our hands dirty shows our true message.  That is what God is looking at.

It’s easy enough to talk the talk, do we walk the walk to go with it?

We need to keep our eyes and mind on Jesus.  To be living his way.

Lord
it is easy to big myself up,
put on a good show,
say all the right things…

But do I back that up
with how I behave?
The things that I do?
In my actions,
not just my words?

Forgive me Lord,
when I judge others by their words,
their accents,
their grammar.
May I remember that it is not words that count
– but actions;
in me as well!

May my words,
and my actions
say,
“I love you”

Posted in bible, calling, community, faith, God, Lectionary, Religion, theology
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Don’t Forget God

•October 8, 2013 • Leave a Comment

Psalm 111 (CEV)

Praise the Lord for All He Has Done

111 Shout praises to the Lord!
    With all my heart
I will thank the Lord
    when his people meet.
2 The Lord has done
    many wonderful things!
Everyone who is pleased
with God’s marvelous deeds
    will keep them in mind.
3 Everything the Lord does
    is glorious and majestic,
    and his power to bring justice
    will never end.

4 The Lord God is famous
for his wonderful deeds,
    and he is kind and merciful.
5 He gives food to his worshipers
    and always keeps his agreement
    with them.
6 He has shown his mighty power
    to his people
    and has given them the lands
    of other nations.

7 God is always honest and fair,
    and his laws can be trusted.
8     They are true and right
    and will stand forever.
9 God rescued his people,
    and he will never break
his agreement with them.
    He is fearsome and holy.

10 Respect and obey the Lord!
This is the first step
    to wisdom and good sense.
    God will always be respected.

Do we remember to thank God for all the things he’s done?  Do we get used to them, take them for granted, or maybe not even notice them?  The simple things, the ordinary things, the things we rely on…?  Do we give God respect for who and what he is?

Posted in bible, faith, God, Lectionary, Religion, Thanksgiving, theology
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