Be Woke

 

“And be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants!” Luke 12:36-38 

 

I am often disappointed when phrases are created by people of color that are then twisted by those outside of the community. This is true of the word, “woke.” When members of the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) coined this term they meant awareness, being watchful, and being in tune with what’s happening. It has been twisted to mean people who are needlessly critical of others and seek to silence opposing ideas and perspectives. The Bible offers many scriptures in which we as followers and children of God are warned to be awake, to be “woke.” We must have eyes that are open to the realities of the world and to the hope that is in God. We must have our eyes open to the sin that exists in the world and to the redemptive process that is a part of our walk with Jesus. To put our head in the sand, to close our eyes to ways sin operates in our world is a denial that is costly. The cost is that when we don’t respond when we need to others suffer. The cost is also to us. When we deny sin and the power of God to redeem, the gifts God has placed in us “to will and to work” Phil. 2:13 weaken. The light we are to be is dimmed. The voice we are to be calling for justice is silent.

Friends, let’s follow the encouragement in Jesus’ parable. Let’s be awake so that in every way that Jesus appears, we are there to open the door welcoming him in. Amen!

 

 

 

Who’s Holy?

 “Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters.” — Romans 14:1

This week’s devotion centers on a verse that gives us a surprising twist on how we often think about “weak” and “strong” faith. We might assume that someone with strong faith would adhere strictly to food purity laws (v.2), be fully self-directed rather than under a “master” (v.4), or faithfully observe certain sacred days (v.5). Yet Paul describes these very behaviors as the practices of the weak. That feels backwards. Shouldn’t the “holier” person be the one who honors food laws, disciplines themselves, and treats holy days with special reverence?

So, why the twist?

The answer begins in verse 2, where Paul introduces the idea of freedom. Verse 4 reminds us of accountability. Verse 5 highlights conviction. All of these threads are tied together beautifully in verses 6–9, where Paul reveals the deeper truth: our freedom, accountability, and convictions find their meaning in their source. When the Lord is the source of these qualities, then everything we do—regardless of how our practices differ—is evidence that we belong to God (v.8). We sing this very affirmation in the hymn “Pues Si Vivimos,” or “When We Are Living.”

It is often difficult to recognize disciples by outward appearance because disciples are human beings, and human lives look different. Yet our human impulse is to sort, categorize, and judge—to decide who is “in” and who is “out,” who is holy and who is not. This preoccupation with spiritual quality control drains our time, our energy, and our joy. It distracts us from the One who alone has the authority to judge. And it prevents us from doing the work Christ clearly commanded:

“Go into the world and make disciples of all nations…” (Matthew 28:19–20)
“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” (Mark 16:15)

When we focus on evaluating others, we distort the message of salvation. Worse, we risk making the good news difficult to hear because the messenger has become an obstacle.

In conclusion: live for the Lord. Do what you do for the Lord. Trust the Lord with the judging. In this way, you will discover—and embody—the freedom of the Gospel.

Have a good weekend, everyone!

Giving Thanks

Psalm 107:11 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever

 

A brief study of the phrase “give thanks” yielded these results. Giving thanks was not carried out by merely speaking words of gratitude. It included physical acts as well. This reminds me of the saying, “Actions speak louder than words.” Perhaps this is why saying “thank you” seems so small, so pale compared to the abundance and richness of God’s promises to us, presence in us, and wonder-working power through us. Today, as always, when we give thanks, let’s make sure our words of gratitude are backed up with acts of gratitude.

 

Two Stewards

 

 

The Gospels of John and Luke recall two of my favorite stories about stewards. The first is about the wine steward at the wedding held in Cana. The wine steward presents the wines and recognizes that the wine offered at the end of the wedding goes against standard procedure, where guests at the end of the celebration receive cheaper wine. The wine Jesus transformed from water is the best wine of the evening. 

 

The second is the story of the faithful steward to whom the owner can leave his precious properties. The interpretations that lend themselves to our stewardship campaign include the following. Like the wine steward we receive, we give the world the best wine. That wine is Jesus' blood, which cleanses us of our sins and allows us to join the celebration. In our case, the wedding celebration will be between Jesus and the Church.

 

In Luke's parable, we are the stewards into whose hands God entrusts what is precious to him, the earth, and its inhabitants (human and non-human). The parable ends with the oft-quoted phrase, "To whom much is given, much is required." 

 

God gives us everything created that is perceived physically, known intellectually, felt emotionally, and experienced spiritually. Having been given all of this, it makes sense that we should be required to offer health, restoration, and the welcome to return to God and God's goodness. Let's be quick to roll up our sleeves and be the stewards of wine and care.

Have you ever done something for someone else and found yourself feeling good? This exchange doesn’t always occur, but when it does, it is reminiscent of Solomon’s words in Proverbs 11:25. “A generous soul is enriched. The one who waters will be watered.” A holy exchange occurs when we act on God’s will on another’s behalf. Be watered today by giving away the living water with which you have been made alive.

REMEMBER

This Sunday, we will spend some time as a community remembering and honoring those who have gone on before us. In Jewish practices, the act of remembering is a holy thing. In fact, their calendar is filled with remembrances. Our U.S. calendar has a couple of these like Veteran’s Day. The Sabbath (a day of rest) is something God told us to remember and to keep separate (holy). With each celebration of Holy Communion, we are reminded to remember Jesus and everything that accompanies remembering Jesus. 

Remembering is a two-edged sword in that remembering can bring joy and remembering can bring hurt. I, myself have felt both as I prepare for All Saints Sunday. I smile when I remember the family members, I have lost to death, but it also brings a tear to my eye. 

I pray that you will be gentle and kind to yourself as you remember this week. Allow yourselves to feel both the join and the pain. I also pray that at the end of it all, you will wrap yourselves in the promises we have from God that death is not the end and that there will be a glorious celebration in which we will all be reunited.

Peace be with you all.

Pastor Yolanda

Holy Breathing

The theologian Charles Spurgeon said prayer is breathing in the very air of Heaven, and praise is breathing it out again. Imagine seeing every breath you take as an opportunity to pray, even if that prayer is “Thank you, Lord” or “Help me, Lord.” That interaction, that exchange with holiness, revives your spirit, spurring you onward. Now, imagine your exhaled words of alleluia as the natural expression of having experienced that holy exchange. It puts a whole new spin on breathing, doesn’t it? Have a blessed rest of the week and weekend.