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Running in Faith is an electronic devotional guide written by members of Abiding Presence Lutheran Church to help readers take their Sunday faith into weekday lives. Each Devotion represents the personal opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent Abiding Presence Lutheran Church. Permission is granted to link to this page and to use the Devotions for personal, non-commercial purposes only. Week of July 6, 2008 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" Philip answered him, "Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!" Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?" Jesus said, "Have the people sit down", and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. (John 6:5-13) Is wasting food a sin? When so many in our own country, let alone around the world, are going hungry each day, I believe it is. Let me share some statistics with you with commentary along the way. More than 40% of all food produced in America is not eaten. 25% of what enters our homes is not eaten. American restaurants throw away more than 6,000 tons of food everyday. Clearly, most Americans are not that concerned with wasting food. Lord God, give us wisdom to use the bountiful resources you have given us in a more responsible and frugal way. Help us to break free from the clutches of our disposable culture. Teach us to better value what we have from you, and to use our excess to aid the poor instead of allowing it to go to waste. Make this our goal as responsible stewards or your creation. Amen. Week of July 13, 2008 I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. . . . Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Romans 7:15, 24-25 NRSV) One of the true gifts of the Lutheran spiritual tradition is its utter honesty about the human struggle. We did not derive it by ourselves. We received this honesty from people like St. Paul. Part of the realism of the Christian life is the fact that, within our own hearts, the Word of God comes to meet sin, death, and the devil. Martin Luther often referred to his Anfectung, which can be roughly translated "spiritual torment." Our Islamic brothers and sisters even have a theological term for the inner struggle between good and evil within a person's heart. They call it the Greater Jihad. Even seasoned veterans of discipleship experience this struggle articulated by St. Paul. One might ask: "If you are confidently saved by God's grace through faith, then isn't the internal struggle with sin over?" I often ask myself: "Dan Whitener, why do you still struggle with the same issues of ego and self-consciousness well beyond the date of your baptism into the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ? Isn't that spiritual warfare over for you?" But then we need to pause and really think about this struggle. Isn't the consciousness of the struggle between good and evil within our own hearts a sign of spiritual growth? Isn't the awareness that I never grow out or away from the constant need for God's grace in the face of evils both beyond and within me a sign of spiritual growth? Yes, indeed! Six-year old Brandon decided one Saturday morning to fix his parents pancakes. He found a big bowl and spoon, pulled a chair to the counter, opened the cupboard and pulled out the heavy flour canister, spilling it on the floor. He scooped some of the flour into the bowl with his hands, mixed in most of a cup of milk and added some sugar, leaving a floury trail on the floor which by now had a few tracks left by his kitten. Brandon was covered with flour and getting frustrated. He wanted this to be something very good for Mom and Dad, but it was getting very bad. He didn't know what to do next, whether to put it all into the oven or on the stove and he didn't know how the stove worked! Suddenly he saw his kitten licking from the bowl of mix and reached to push her away, knocking the egg carton to the floor. Frantically he tried to clean up this monumental mess but slipped on the eggs, getting his pajamas white and sticky. And just then he saw Dad standing at the door. Big crocodile tears welled up in Brandon's eyes. All he'd wanted to do was something good, but he'd made a terrible mess. Many times we feel like Brandon (and St. Paul). Good intentions backfire into big messes. What we intend to do in God's name and for the sake of our neighbor gets bogged down within the swamp of our own egos. Thankfully, St. Paul does not end with the struggle. He ends with a determined solution not of our own will's invention or intention: "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" We have divine rescue from this civil war within our hearts. Let us pray. . . . Lord Christ, you came into the world as one of us, and suffered as we do. As we go through the trials of life, help us to realize that you are with us at all times and in all things; that we have no secrets from you; and that your loving grace enfolds us for eternity. In the security of your embrace we pray. Amen (ELW, p. 84) Week of July 20, 2008 Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these Luke 12:27 On a cool fall day several years ago, I planted 12 lily bulbs into wet, dark ground. From this small gardening effort has now come a line of lilies stretching the entire length of the sun porch on the back of our house. The bulbs have multiplied and there is now a path of approximately 500 beautiful, blooming flowers each June. On the first night of summer this year, I sat on the porch and took the time to really "consider" these lilies while they were in full bloom. Spiny, dark green leaves jutted out of multiple, slender stems that had shot up from each of the bulbs buried beneath the ground. Dozens of buds and flowers were at the top of each slender stem. The pale green buds harmonized well against the deep green foliage. Petals of each flower pealed back from the center of every blossom. Blood-red color exploded from the brilliant orange base of each petal. A group of stamen jetted up from the center of each blossom. The tip of each stamen contained a ruby-red ball. A week after the blooming of these tiger lilies came the blooming of the pure white lilies at the side of our sun porch. I call them the Abiding Presence lilies because they were ones that glorified God around our altar on various Easters and were then brought home and planted in our yard to remind us of God's Easter message. Considering them this summer, I reflected on the numeric symbolism between Christ resurrection on the third day and the lilies blooming three months after our 2008 celebration of Easter. And, while eating my breakfast on the sun porch and beholding their beauty, ringing in my head was the hymn, "This is my Father's world....... the morning light, the lily white, declare their maker's praise." The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever. Isaiah 40:11. Now, all the blossoms are gone. I experienced joy in making time to "consider" the lilies - beautiful, delicate creations of God. I especially appreciated their beauty this year during the several weeks they bloomed and am so glad that I made the time to "consider" them during their short blooming time. But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; Thank you, God, for all your creations. Slow me down so that I make time to "consider" more of them. Especially, let me "consider" the many blessings you have created for me. Grant the peace and joy I experienced from "considering" the lilies to all people who make time to "consider" your creations. Amen Week of July 27, 2008 |