Harvest Hands

Posted on by Betsy

I truly admire those of you who love to garden. My husband and I were walking around our community and noticing the hard work of our neighbors who put in beautiful flower beds, raised vegetable gardens, flourishing bushes, etc. We walked back to our house and noticed the stark contrast. We have not planted one single thing in the fourteen years that we’ve been here. We just aren’t gardening types, but we do admire our neighbors’ hard work. The truth is, I am struggling right now to keep a basil plant alive in little pot in my kitchen. Plants fear me, with good reason.

I do like to think that I have been involved in a different type of gardening, though. I water the seeds of Scripture that the Holy Spirit has planted in people’s hearts. My life’s vocation has been attending to a harvest of a different sort. This is the kind of gardening we are all called to do.

In our Scripture today, we see Jesus calling his 12 disciples and giving them their cultivation tools. In the Message version, he called them his “harvest hands.”

Matthew 10 (The Message)

35-38 Then Jesus made a circuit of all the towns and villages. He taught in their meeting places, reported kingdom news, and healed their diseased bodies, healed their bruised and hurt lives. When he looked out over the crowds, his heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. “What a huge harvest!” he said to his disciples. “How few workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!”

The Twelve Harvest Hands

10 1-4 The prayer was no sooner prayed than it was answered. Jesus called twelve of his followers and sent them into the ripe fields. He gave them power to kick out the evil spirits and to tenderly care for the bruised and hurt lives.

I love the language here. We are called to tenderly care for the bruised and hurt lives around us. My mind instantly goes to the Stephen Ministers in my church and the lovely Care Team that delivers delicious casseroles to homebound people. Wouldn’t it be nice if they also volunteered to do some gardening for the gardening-challenged? I might bring this up at our next meeting!

This is the list of the twelve he sent:

Simon (they called him Peter, or “Rock”),

Andrew, his brother,

James, Zebedee’s son,

John, his brother,

Philip,

Bartholomew,

Thomas,

Matthew, the tax man,

James, son of Alphaeus,

Thaddaeus,

Simon, the Canaanite,

Judas Iscariot (who later turned on him).

5-8 Jesus sent his twelve harvest hands out with this charge:

“Don’t begin by traveling to some far-off place to convert unbelievers. And don’t try to be dramatic by tackling some public enemy. Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighborhood. Tell them that the kingdom is here. Bring health to the sick. Raise the dead. Touch the untouchables. Kick out the demons. You have been treated generously, so live generously.

Here is the charge to us as well. Go to the lost, confused people right in your neighborhood. Touch the untouchables. Live generously. And proclaim the good news of Jesus’ kingdom come. We are God’s harvest hands, and it’s time to get down in the dirt and get the work done.

What is God calling you to do today? Plant some seeds? Water what has been planted? Prune some over-growth? The charge is clear. May we pick up our tools and follow him.

Huge Harvest by Kathy Schumacher

Is Anything Too Hard for God?

Posted on by Betsy

A friend recently shared her daughter’s frustrations with me in her attempts to get pregnant. Newly married and in her mid-thirties, she is ready and able to start her family, but with each monthly reminder that conception has alluded her she grows more despondent. There is something unbalanced in the world when some who never intended to become mothers conceive easily and without preparation while others struggle. If you have gone through IVF or know someone who has, you can relate to this.

Our lectionary today takes us to a woman well past child-bearing years who was promised that she would bear a son. It had been her life-long dream to have a child, but old age and menopause had taken away any hope of that. Then God promised her that she would bear a son in her old age. I once heard a preacher joke that she was so old, her maternity bills were covered by Medicare.

In this part of the story, three angel-men have suddenly appeared to Abraham and Sarah in their desert home and repeat the promise:

Genesis 18:10-15 (The Message)

10 One of them said, “I’m coming back about this time next year. When I arrive, your wife Sarah will have a son.” Sarah was listening at the tent opening, just behind the man.

11-12 Abraham and Sarah were old by this time, very old. Sarah was far past the age for having babies. Sarah laughed within herself, “An old woman like me? Get pregnant? With this old man of a husband?”

Note that Sarah laughed within herself. Also note that God heard her laugh. This is a reminder to us that God sees and knows us from the inside-out, and we might do well to guard our thoughts.

13-14 God said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh saying, ‘Me? Have a baby? An old woman like me?’ Is anything too hard for God? I’ll be back about this time next year and Sarah will have a baby.”

Is anything too hard for God? What a beautiful reminder for those who feel let down, abandoned, and hopeless. God hears our deepest longings and gives to us what is good. But he does that in his time, not ours. It’s hard to wait, isn’t it?

15 Sarah lied. She said, “I didn’t laugh,” because she was afraid.

But he said, “Yes you did; you laughed.”

Sarah lied, but God did not renege on his promise. Sarah showed a lack of faith, but God was faithful to her anyway. Sarah responded in fear but God responded in the strength of his miracle.

Are you feeling despondent today? Take heart. God hears your prayers and is ready to respond with what is good, holy, righteous, and safe. We are never alone.

Is anything too hard for God? Nope.

Serenity by Kathy Schumacher

Losing Yourself

Posted on by Betsy

According to scientists, the average human head has approximately 100,000 hairs and about as many follicles. You are born with all your follicles and do not develop more as you age. Hair grows at a rate of half an inch per month, and we lose between 50-100 strands of hair each day … unless you are the parent of a teenager, in which case you can double that.

If you are wondering why we are talking about hair today, our Scripture makes the wonderful statement that God numbers the very count of hairs on your head. Isn’t that amazing? Granted he gets to skip over the baldies, but still, to think that he can know us in such finite detail is something to marvel.

Matthew 10 records Jesus’ instructions, encouragement, and admonitions to the disciples when they encountered great resistance to their public proclamations that Jesus is Lord. They were being bullied and persecuted for their faith and they struggled to stand up for their beliefs among all the nay-sayers around them. Has that ever happened to you? Have you ever been put down for being a Christian? Take heart and read on.

Matthew 10 (The Message)

29-31 “What’s the price of a pet canary? Some loose change, right? And God cares what happens to it even more than you do. He pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail—even numbering the hairs on your head! So don’t be intimidated by all this bully talk. You’re worth more than a million canaries.

God loves the tiny canary but he loves you even more. Read that again. He is the author of all creation and gave his only Son for our salvation, which proves his love for us. He pays attention to what we do and knows us down to the last detail. Does that encourage you or intimidate you? If intimidation is your answer, what are you trying to hide?

32-33 “Stand up for me against world opinion and I’ll stand up for you before my Father in heaven. If you turn tail and run, do you think I’ll cover for you?

34-37 “Don’t think I’ve come to make life cozy. I’ve come to cut—make a sharp knife-cut between son and father, daughter and mother, bride and mother-in-law—cut through these cozy domestic arrangements and free you for God. Well-meaning family members can be your worst enemies. If you prefer father or mother over me, you don’t deserve me. If you prefer son or daughter over me, you don’t deserve me.

This part of the Scripture takes a sudden turn. We’ve gone from the gentleness of being reassured of our worth to what feels suddenly threatening, as Jesus makes it clear that however we have treated him in our lifetime on earth will determine how he will treat us in eternity. Do you pretend you don’t know him when the going gets tough? Do you remain silent when your beliefs are ridiculed and disparaged by a secular society that has turned its back on God?

Are you in or are you out?

38-39 “If you don’t go all the way with me, through thick and thin, you don’t deserve me. If your first concern is to look after yourself, you’ll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you’ll find both yourself and me.

It is important to note that this section of Scripture is peppered with an instruction to not be intimated by the world. In fact, in the passages that surround it, Jesus says “do not fear” three times in six verses. If we chose him over every other relationship on earth, there will be nothing to fear. The sharp knife that divides earthly relationships is Jesus’ way of helping us understand that we are called to make a radical commitment to him and learn to die to self so that we might live with him. Devotion to Christ must come before devotion to any person, place, or thing.

Where are you on this spectrum of public belief? Is God calling you to make your faith known?

Pick up your cross, and follow him.

God Loves us More than These by Michelle Robertson

God Heard

Posted on by Betsy

Let’s talk about healing today. I find this can be a tricky subject for some. We see many acts of healing in the Bible done by Jesus in his lifetime and even done by the disciples in his name. The Old Testament contains healing stories as well, as God divinely intervenes in a situation to bring healing to a person or a nation. We are taught from early days to pray for healing, and in the book of James we are instructed to come together as a body of Christ to lay hands, anoint with oil, and ask for healing in the name of Jesus (James 5:14-15).

Televangelists have given healing services a bad name. In an effort to extort money from hopeful believers, they have scammed their viewers and falsely proclaimed that they have some mystical power to heal. I remember watching one such televangelist laying on top of a desk piled high with sealed envelopes (containing money along with the prayer requests) and proclaiming that everyone was healed. The only thing he could actually relieve them of was their dollars.

I have been blessed to participate in legitimate healing services in my church. Following our United Methodist Book of Worship, these services are grounded in Scripture and prayer. God’s intervention is sought as we remember together that only God has the power to heal, and we remember that God hears our every petition.

I think that is the key. God hears. He hears the sincere petitions of his people. He hears the unspoken desires of our hearts. He hears our faith as we gather at an altar to speak to him. He hears our needs as we present them before him. And he always answers.

Psalm 116 ( New International Version)

I love the Lord, for he heard my voice;
    he heard my cry for mercy.
2 Because he turned his ear to me,
    I will call on him as long as I live.

This beautiful psalm is a reminder that God hears. When we pray for healing and it doesn’t come, sometimes we accuse God of not listening or being absent. But that is not the case, and this is the tricky part of healing: God may give you an answer that you didn’t expect. The answer may even be “no.”.

When I was a very young and very naive young pastor with the ink still wet on my ordination papers, my church conducted a healing service. I remember it like it was yesterday. Many more people came than we had expected, and by the end of the night I was worn out. One of our church members, who had been absent for two years, was wheeled up by her family for the anointing of oil. She had cancer and had been suffering for months. We prayed over her and anointed her with the virgin olive oil someone had brought back from Israel.

She died the next day.

Confused and uncomfortable, I went to the senior pastor for comfort. I thought it was a failure of our efforts that someone had died within 24 hours of our service. He kindly and gently told me that she had indeed been healed, as her pain was now gone and her body was restored in heaven. He reminded me that ultimately we only find complete healing in death and resurrection. I realized then that she was the first person to receive healing from our service, and that understanding has undergirded my faith ever since.

Healing comes in the way God sees fit. It comes at his pleasure. It comes in his time. It comes in ways that are good for us, even when we can’t see it.

12 What shall I return to the Lord
    for all his goodness to me?

13 I will lift up the cup of salvation
    and call on the name of the Lord.
14 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
    in the presence of all his people.

This psalm also reminds us that if you have received healing, you are invited to respond with fulfilling your vows, serving God, and offering your thanks. Of the ten lepers who were healed by Jesus, only one thought to come back and thank him (Luke 17: 11-19). Have you remembered to thank God for all of your blessings?

15 Precious in the sight of the Lord
    is the death of his faithful servants.
16 Truly I am your servant, Lord;
    I serve you just as my mother did;
    you have freed me from my chains.

17 I will sacrifice a thank offering to you
    and call on the name of the Lord.
18 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
    in the presence of all his people,
19 in the courts of the house of the Lord—
    in your midst, Jerusalem.

Praise the Lord.

If you are struggling today, waiting for an answer that seems to not be coming, have faith. God heard you. God loves you. God responds in his time, so take heart! Your redeemer comes.

Path to Healing (by Fayette Piedmont hospital) by Kathy Schumacher

The Power of Words

Posted on by Betsy

 I have a favorite children’s sermon I like to do that demonstrates the power of words. I hand a child a paper plate and a full tube of toothpaste and ask them to squeeze out every bit of the toothpaste onto the plate. While they are doing this, we talk about good words that build people up and bad words that tear people down. It is always a little scary to ask the kids for examples of bad words, as I am afraid that they might quote a parent right there in the sanctuary, so I try to confine it to playground talk. This backfired on me one time when a child proclaimed that his daddy, who happened to be our Trustee chair, cussed a lot at home. The fellow sheepishly raised his hand and nodded to the congregation as they laughed. Three months later told me he hadn’t cussed in three months. Kids will call you out!!

Then I take the plate of toothpaste and the empty tube and hand it to another child and ask them to put all the toothpaste back in the tube. It confuses them, and often two or three will try until they all realize it can’t be done. It is the same with words. Once they are out, you can’t take them back.   

Our Scripture passage today makes the same point in a less messy way. The simple truth is that words have power. Words can build people up and strengthen relationships, or they can destroy a person’s ambitions, security, self-esteem, and hope. If you have ever been unfairly criticized by a parent, boss, or co-worker, you know the sting of a word said harshly. 

Proverbs 15:1-7 (Common English Bible)

A sensitive answer turns back wrath,
    but an offensive word stirs up anger.
2 The tongue of the wise enhances knowledge,
    but the mouth of a fool gushes with stupidity.
3 The Lord’s eyes are everywhere,
    keeping watch on evil and good people.

4 Wholesome speech is a tree of life,
    but dishonest talk breaks the spirit.
5 A fool doesn’t like a father’s instruction,
    but those who heed correction are mature.

6 Great treasure is in the house of the righteous,
    but the gain of the wicked brings trouble.
7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge,
    but the hearts of fools have none.

We can appreciate the direct approach these Proverbs take. The short series of contrasts make the point very clearly. Did you have a favorite? I especially like verse 2: “The tongue of the wise enhances knowledge, but the mouth of a fool gushes with stupidity” (Common English Bible). This can be verified right now by reading people’s comments on Twitter or Facebook. This verse sums up all of the wisdom literature in a concise sentence and is a reminder to us of the importance of seeking wisdom throughout our lives. It also reminds us to stay quiet when we really don’t know what we’re talking about. If only the television pundits would do likewise! We live in an era of misinformation where opinion and agenda are substitutes for factual news and it has left us bereft of the truth.

Fortunately, we who know Jesus know the Truth. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6, Common English Bible). In a world that lacks any conventional or common wisdom, it is imperative that we hold fast to the Truth and teach him to our children. 

As you go about your day, ponder these verses about the power of words. Wholesome speech is indeed a tree of life! (See verse 4.) Are you using your words to build up others, or do you prefer to gossip? Are your words peppered with anger and hurt? Do you need to go and make amends with someone because of something you said?

Words have power. Use them carefully.

Power by Michelle Robertson

Freedom Way

Posted on by Betsy

My travel to the Candler School of Theology for three years of seminary classes took me through some of the worst parts of Atlanta, Georgia. Traffic, multiple stop lights, confusing intersections, and impossible junctions were all part of the commute. I would sit at one particularly long red light every day and watch the progress of a new road being constructed that would eventually cut ten minutes off my ride. It was built adgacent to the Martin Luther King center. The day it opened I sailed along its long pastoral corridor and thought how aptly named it was. It was called “Freedom Parkway.” Its location was a fitting nod to the incredible work King did in his lifetime as he fought for civil rights for all people. A Baptist minister, King was exceptionally endowed with the power of the Holy Spirit to be bold, persuasive, persevering, and effective.

 In our reading today, Stephen was said to have the same power to persuade people about Christ. He was described as one who stood out for his notable wonders and signs and for his exceptional endowment of divine power. Many tried to argue with him in opposition to his theology, including some from the Synagogue of Freedmen. I find it ironic that freedmen resisted the freedom of the Gospel. But according to verse ten, none of them could resist his message. His wisdom wooed even the most ardent detractor, so eventually his fiercest opponents lied about his preaching and brought him up on false charges.

The parallels between King and Stephen really stand out in this passage. King was falsely accused and arrested for proclaiming the truth of God’s unconditional love, mercy, and justice for all people. Both men were bold, and both were persecuted for their faith.

Acts 6: 8-10 (Common English Bible)

8 Stephen, who stood out among the believers for the way God’s grace was at work in his life and for his exceptional endowment with divine power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Opposition arose from some who belonged to the so-called Synagogue of Former Slaves. Members from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia, and Asia entered into debate with Stephen.10 However, they couldn’t resist the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.

I wonder if I am bold enough.

I wonder if I am persuasive enough.

I wonder if I am effective enough.

How about you? Is your witness powerful enough to be irresistible to those willing to listen and threatening enough to those who oppose the Gospel?

Stephen was full of grace, faith, and power. He also was willing. This is an unbeatable combination. Surely Stephen spent a great deal of time in the presence of God in meditation, study, and prayer. Surely he offered his gift of oratory to the Holy Spirit and yielded his own comfort to the call of being an itinerate preacher. Surely, he was not just willing, but able.

This is a reminder to us today that when we submit to the power of the Holy Spirit, we, too, can be outstanding in our witness. May we seek and know the Spirit’s irresistible power so that others may know Jesus through us and be freed.

Freedom Way by Kathy Schumacher

Authority

Posted on by Betsy

When a United Methodist pastor is ordained, a bishop lays hands on their head and leads the congregation in asking for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon that person for the lifework they are about to pursue. The second part involves the bishop commanding the ordinand to “take the authority” of their particular office of deacon, elder, or bishop. Even in the order of the ceremony, the power of the Holy Spirit precedes the church’s or bishop’s authority and is sought first. In the Ordinal’s language we see the always moving and living Spirit being invoked, and we trust the Spirit’s ongoing outpouring on the ordained. Those who are ordained serve as conduits of the Spirit’s moving among the whole people of God as they worship, serve, give, and obey.

Sometimes the “obey” part can be tricky. I once had a crisis of conscience over performing a church member’s wedding. It had become evident to me through the pre-marital counseling that this relationship, which began online, would not be safe for my wealthy bride. I suspected that the groom was a predator. When I addressed this with her, she was quite angry with me and wanted to continue with the wedding. In the end, I told them that I could not do the wedding, obeying the strong suggestions of the Holy Spirit. She left the church in anger, only to return a year later to tell me that a private investigator had discovered that this man had married and divorced six other women he met online and had amassed half of their fortunes. My refusal to do the ceremony bought her enough time to investigate him.

When the Holy Spirit is so strong and convicting, there is truly no choice but to obey. This is what Peter and the apostles knew as they stood in front of the Jerusalem Council and defended their authority to preach in Jesus’ name. The Council attempted to intimidate them and commanded them to stop, but they chose obedience to God rather than these human authorities. It was an act of audacious boldness. We are instructed in the New Testament to submit to authority and obey our rulers, but not when doing so is a direct contradiction of God. 

Acts 5: 27-32

27 The apostles were brought before the council where the high priest confronted them: 28 “In no uncertain terms, we demanded that you not teach in this name. And look at you! You have filled Jerusalem with your teaching. And you are determined to hold us responsible for this man’s death.”

29 Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than humans!30 The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God has exalted Jesus to his right side as leader and savior so that he could enable Israel to change its heart and life and to find forgiveness for sins. 32 We are witnesses of such things, as is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

The Council objected to Peter and the apostle’s preaching on the basis that they had “filled Jerusalem with their teaching” (verse 28). What an amazing testimony to the power of the Holy Spirit working through their preaching!  If someone accused me of filling my whole town with my teaching, I would be flattered as heck!   

I had the “authority” to do that wedding, but I chose to obey the Holy Spirit instead. May we tune our hearts to the authority of God through the whisperings of the Holy Spirit and find the courage to obey.

Eagle’s Wings in Reflection by Kathy Schumacher

Sound Bites

Posted on by Betsy

 “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.” This famous line by President John F. Kennedy is a memorable “bite” from a longer speech that has since been forgotten. Known since the mid-70s as “sound bites,” phrases like this have been used in media, politics, and marketing to get a central idea across in a brief snippet of recorded speech. Sound bites are short, catchy, and memorable, and speech writers and marketing executives strive hard nowadays to construct the perfect sound bite for their clients, knowing that it will be repeated over and over. If you remember a time when phrases like “Where’s the Beef?” and “Just Do It!” dominated the airwaves, you understand the power of the sound bite in marketing.

Sound bites have been around for centuries, when you think about it. What are the Proverbs if not catchy, brief, little snippets of information created to leave a memorable piece of practical wisdom with the reader? Proverbs is a collection of statements offered without much context for the purpose of instruction, understanding, and wisdom. These life lessons were designed to help people mature in their wisdom. Note that wisdom does not equal knowledge here; knowledge is the collection of facts, whereas wisdom is the correct use of what we have learned for daily living.

Proverbs 1:1-7 (Common English Bible)

The proverbs of Solomon, King David’s son, from Israel:
2 Their purpose is to teach wisdom and discipline,
    to help one understand wise sayings.
3 They provide insightful instruction,
    which is righteous, just, and full of integrity.
4 They make the naive mature,
    the young knowledgeable and discreet.

5 The wise hear them and grow in wisdom;
    those with understanding gain guidance.
6 They help one understand proverbs and difficult sayings,
    the words of the wise, and their puzzles.

7 Wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord,
    but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Having established what wisdom is, let us consider the origin of wisdom. The writer of this proverb clearly states that God is the beginning of all wisdom. Verse 7 reminds us that “wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Don’t stumble over the word “fear”. We understand this not to mean being terrified or afraid, but rather to be a response of proper, humble reverence that we owe God. Fearing the Lord keeps us in a position of worshipping and respectful awe, which is the best way to be when you are being taught or instructed about life lessons.

Those who seek and receive wisdom are in direct contrast to the fools who despise it. The choice is clear to all of us: will you be wise, or will you be foolish?

Growing in wisdom is a life goal for every follower. Learning never ends! When we study Scripture and allow its tenets to make us knowledgeable and discreet in our youth and mature in our naivety, we become people who can be useful in the building of the kingdom. Insightful instruction is righteous, just, and full of integrity (verse 3).

As we seek to grow closer in our relationship with God, may we choose wisdom over foolishness every day.

Growing in Wisdom by Kathy Schumacher

Good Sense

Posted on by Betsy

The church where I serve as a pastor has a tradition of having the youth group lead worship on a Sunday in May. It is my favorite service of the year. To see teenagers handle the responsibilities of prayers, sermon topics, testimonies, music solos, and the Children’s Sermon is a wonderful thing. They are enthusiastic, sincere, funny, and more engaged on this Sunday than any other. They also come through it with a deeper appreciation of the worship staff’s weekly efforts.

There is always a moment when their youthful wisdom catches me off guard. I love to watch the reaction of the congregation as the “aha” moment spreads through the worshippers. It is a reminder to all of us that the Holy Spirit moves through receptive believers regardless of age.     

Indeed, if you want to learn something new, listen to the little ones during the children’s time. One time I asked the kids what heaven is like and a very sincere three-year-old responded that heaven was a place where you don’t have to worry about going tee-tee in your pants. Preach it, son! Heaven absolutely is a place where you don’t have to worry about anything.

A young man named Elihu made the same argument to Job’s older yet ineffective friends. As they all sat around Job offering useless bits of commentary and advice, this young man respectfully bit his tongue and bided his time until he could no longer stand it and had to speak up. He rightfully said in verse 8 that it is “God’s Spirit in a person, the breath of the Almighty One, that makes wise human insight possible.” The Spirit of God is ageless and choses to speak when and through whom it chooses, and we are reminded not to judge or put boundaries around the wisdom that might come from an unexpected source. Being open and receptive to the Spirit’s leading is part of being a follower of Jesus.

Job 32:6-10 (The Message)

6-10 This is what Elihu, son of Barakel the Buzite, said:

“I’m a young man,
    and you are all old and experienced.
That’s why I kept quiet
    and held back from joining the discussion.
I kept thinking, ‘Experience will tell.
    The longer you live, the wiser you become.’
But I see I was wrong—it’s God’s Spirit in a person,
    the breath of the Almighty One, that makes wise human insight possible.
The experts have no corner on wisdom;
    getting old doesn’t guarantee good sense.
So I’ve decided to speak up. Listen well!
    I’m going to tell you exactly what I think.

This is a challenge to all of us to slow down and incline an ear toward the younger people around us. Children especially will speak the truth without filters and their raw insights can help us to see God’s presence in unusual places. As adults, we are often too busy and focused on our issues to appreciate what is going on in a child’s mind, and we may miss the beauty and young wisdom that God offers through their eyes.

Ponder this as you go about your day today. Is there a young person in your life who deserves more of your attention? Is the Almighty’s breath working in an unexpected way through someone or something?      Our ageless Holy Spirit seeks to connect with us in any way it chooses. We would do well to listen with openness and acceptance.

Train Them Up in the Way They Should Go by Michelle Robertson

Will-fool Ignorance

Posted on by Betsy

What does the phrase “willful ignorance” mean? A quick Google search results in definitions such as “a decision in bad faith to avoid being informed about something,” “the practice of intentional avoidance of facts and empirical evidence,” and “the state of ignoring any sensory input that appears to contradict one’s inner model of reality.” In other words, refusing to see truth.

This is the dilemma in the classic novel “Fahrenheit 451.” The story takes place in a dystopian future where books have been banned by the government because they are “evil” and cause people to think. (Perhaps not as dystopian as the author originally intended…) A fireman named Montag, whose life’s work is to discover and burn books, meets a young woman and begins to question his reality. He steals and reads a book and becomes aware of the world around him. His wife Millicent, whose life is so empty she attempts suicide at the beginning of the story, refuses to read the book, preferring the willful ignorance that is accepted by society. She chooses the “ignorance is bliss” propaganda that has taken over the world.

I couldn’t help but think of this book when I read today’s psalm. Psalm 14 is David’s treatise on the sad state of people who reject the truth of God’s presence. He calls such people “fools” who ignore the plain evidence all around them that proves God’s existence. Creation and human history offer abundant proof of God’s nature, power, and providence, but these profoundly fallen people chose to ignore every empirical piece of truth. They chose their practical atheism with a unwavering rejection of God that causes David to call them “Nabal.” In Hebrew, this word indicates more of a moral assessment rather than an intellectual one. It’s not that they aren’t smart enough to acknowledge God, it is that they simply choose to live as though God doesn’t exist … they choose willful ignorance.

Psalm 14:1-7 (Common English Bible)

Fools say in their hearts, There is no God.
    They are corrupt and do evil things;
    not one of them does anything good.

2 The Lord looks down from heaven on humans
    to see if anyone is wise,
    to see if anyone seeks God,
3         but all of them have turned bad.
        Everyone is corrupt.
        No one does good—
        not even one person!

4 Are they dumb, all these evildoers,
    devouring my people
    like they are eating bread
        but never calling on the Lord?

5 Count on it: they will be in utter panic
    because God is with the righteous generation.
6 You evildoers may humiliate
    the plans of those who suffer,
        but the Lord is their refuge.

7 Let Israel’s salvation come out of Zion!
        When the Lord changes
        his people’s circumstances for the better,
        Jacob will rejoice;
        Israel will celebrate!

But David knew that choosing to ignore God does no good. God is as real as the rising sun and the setting moon. The corrupt life and evil things that fools choose are revealed because truth always prevails.

We who have met the Truth and call him Jesus can rejoice in the ending of David’s psalm. Indeed, Israel’s salvation came from Zion. Christ changed our circumstances for the better and he will come again. 

This reading challenges us to consider if we are also guilty of willful ignorance. Are we ignoring uncomfortable truths about God’s plan for all of humanity? Are we turning away from the call to love the marginalized the way that God loves them? Do we tithe as we should?

 May we read our beloved Word and choose truth. Always.

True As the Rising of the Sun by Michelle Robertson