Where is Wisdom

Posted on by Betsy

What do you do when you feel very frustrated with the plethora of misinformation that has flooded our world? I have tried to turn a blind eye to the ridiculous, harmful, and devastating stream of lies, innuendo, and manipulation that is coming from institutions and media outlets that were designed to protect and serve the people. Truth is hard to find. “Both sides” are guilty of pushing agendas that serve only themselves. I don’t know about you, but I have had enough. Staying off social media and not turning on the news helps a little, but it is not enough.

My greatest fear in all of this hate-talk is that we have become so used to it, we don’t question things anymore. We accept lies as truth in our numbness and have reached a level of tolerance when we see our nation’s leaders attack and demean one another without any sanctions or reprisals. The 24-hour news cycle must be fed, and so we quickly shift our focus onto the next scandal. I read yesterday that our ability to focus has gone from two-and-a-half minutes to 52 seconds. Try having a real conversation with anyone holding a phone and you will experience this. We’ve become addicted to click-bait, where very little real information is presented.

Where is the truth? Where is humility? Where is respect?

Where is wisdom?

Our lectionary this week addresses the subject of wisdom. As we pursue this topic, we are treated to a short passage from Proverbs on the subject. It is a somewhat fanciful account of “Lady Wisdom” inviting those who are struggling with “impoverished confusion” to come into her home for a special banquet meal:

Proverbs 9 (The Message)

1-6 Lady Wisdom has built and furnished her home;
    it’s supported by seven hewn timbers.
The banquet meal is ready to be served: lamb roasted,
    wine poured out, table set with silver and flowers.
Having dismissed her serving maids,
    Lady Wisdom goes to town, stands in a prominent place,
    and invites everyone within sound of her voice:
“Are you confused about life, don’t know what’s going on?
    Come with me, oh come, have dinner with me!
I’ve prepared a wonderful spread—fresh-baked bread,
    roast lamb, carefully selected wines.
Leave your impoverished confusion and live!
    Walk up the street to a life with meaning.”

I have to say that this brought me up short today. I want nothing to do with the “impoverished confused” at this point. But that is wrong, and not the way God calls us to deal with people. When people are impoverished, they need to be fed the Bread of Life. When people are confused, they need to be taught the Word. This is our job as followers of Jesus.

Scripture always points to the loving inclusion of the Kingdom of God. Lady Wisdom was wise enough to realize that the way to combat those who lack knowledge is to welcome them in, serve them the finest things, and invite them to walk out to a life with meaning….in other words, be patient. Be kind. Be less judgmental and more open to conversation.

This is a hard lesson today. May God grant us grace in our frustrations, wisdom in how to deal with things, and may he bring the Truth to bear down on all of us equally.

Help us, Lord.

Clarity by Michelle Robertson

Dynasty

Posted on by Betsy

Do any of you remember the old television series Dynasty from the 1980’s? Like Dallas and Falcon Crest, it was one of the successful night-time soap operas of that era. It’s lavish sets, impeccable cast costuming (The power suits! The sparkly heels!) and classic story lines of greed, deception, intrigue, family feuds, corruption, and excessive wealth were fun and addictive to watch. Set in beautiful Denver, Colorado, we entered a world of the Carringtons verses Colbys, who fought for prominence in oil industry, on the social ladder, and in the amount of make-up and plastic surgery one could acquire. And that was just the men! It was campy and fun to watch the antics of the older family members in their struggles to maintain their elitism in an increasingly younger world. Does anyone remember the Alexis verses Krystal catfight in the koi pond? Even their enormous shoulder pads couldn’t save them from that one.

A dynasty is a system of passing down wealth and status from parent to child. In the Old Testament, this always meant father to son. It ensured that position and prestige will remain in the family for generations.

In our passage from 2 Samuel today, we see God establishing his dynasty in Israel. Nathan gave this amazing prophecy to David:

2 Samuel 7:11-16 (Common English Bible)

11 when I appointed leaders over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies.

And the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make a dynasty for you.12 When the time comes for you to die and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your descendant—one of your very own children—to succeed you, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He will build a temple for my name, and I will establish his royal throne forever. 14 I will be a father to him, and he will be a son to me. Whenever he does wrong, I will discipline him with a human rod, with blows from human beings. 15 But I will never take my faithful love away from him like I took it away from Saul, whom I set aside in favor of you. 16 Your dynasty and your kingdom will be secured forever before me. Your throne will be established forever.

There is such good news for us in this passage. God indeed established David as king over Israel, and his son Solomon succeeded him and built the Temple. Jeremiah 33:17 tells us that God promised that “David will never fail to have a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel,” thus ensuring that this dynasty will reign forever. Even though David’s family only ruled Israel for four centuries before so much evil took over that God ended their reign, David’s line continued through Obed and Ruth of Boaz to Jesse, whom Isaiah prophesized would produce a “stump” that would grow a messiah:

Isaiah 11 (Common English Bible)
A shoot will grow up from the stump of Jesse;
    a branch will sprout from his roots.
2 The Lord’s spirit will rest upon him,
    a spirit of wisdom and understanding,
    a spirit of planning and strength,
    a spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord.

This stump appeared in the flesh and his name was Jesus:

Luke 1: 31-33

31 Look! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and he will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of David his father. 33 He will rule over Jacob’s house forever, and there will be no end to his kingdom.”

Do you know that you belong to a dynasty? You are an inheritor of the Kingdom. What has been passed down to you is a legacy of peace, hope, the assurance of salvation, the forgiveness of sins, and the guarantee of eternal life. Your adoption into the family of God has made you royalty. How does that feel? What will you do today to ensure that those around you are part of God’s dynasty, too?

Revelation 22:16 (Common English Bible)

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to bear witness to all of you about these things for the churches. I’m the root and descendant of David, the bright morning star.

When Jesus returns, every knee will bow, and every heart will confess. How can you be his bright morning star today?

Bright Morning Star by Michelle Robertson



Fall to the Ground

Posted on by Betsy

Our last devotional dealt with the call of Samuel and how he mistook God’s voice for his mentor Eli. As you recall, he eventually recognized that it was God speaking, and responded in obedience and faith by saying, “Speak, Lord. I am listening.” We are challenged to do the same thing in our lives … to finely tune our ears for the voice and command of the Lord.

What Samuel heard probably came a bit of a shock to the young boy. Even God acknowledged that it would make people’s ears “tingle.” The proclamation was devastating.

1 Samuel 3 (New Revised Standard Version)

11 Then the Lord said to Samuel, “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle. 12 On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13 For I have told him that I am about to punish his house forever for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. 14 Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be expiated by sacrifice or offering forever.”

Hophni and Phinehas were terrible sons, and Eli was a terrible father/high priest in that he neither restrained nor corrected them. They were guilty of stealing, embezzling, taking meat intended for sacrifices, and committing immoral acts with the women of the Temple. Eli had been warned about their apostasy and rebellion and did nothing. God had had enough. (See 1 Samuel 2:12-36 for the entire salacious story.)

Because they were given an opportunity to repent and save the house of Eli and rejected it, God shut off any chance of expiation by sacrifice or offering. This may raise a question for you about whether or not God would do the same to Christ-followers. I direct you to Hebrews 10:26, where the offense of rejecting the work of Christ Jesus for us would also result in no longer being able to access his sacrifice of our sins. Salvation and forgiveness are gifts of the cross, but you have to accept them.

Hebrews 10 (The Message)

26-31 If we give up and turn our backs on all we’ve learned, all we’ve been given, all the truth we now know, we repudiate Christ’s sacrifice and are left on our own to face the Judgment—and a mighty fierce judgment it will be! If the penalty for breaking the law of Moses is physical death, what do you think will happen if you turn on God’s Son, spit on the sacrifice that made you whole, and insult this most gracious Spirit? This is no light matter. God has warned us that he’ll hold us to account and make us pay. He was quite explicit: “Vengeance is mine, and I won’t overlook a thing” and “God will judge his people.” Nobody’s getting by with anything, believe me.

So Eli demanded that Samuel tell him the truth about what God had said:

1 Samuel 3 (New Revised Standard Version)

15 Samuel lay there until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. 16 But Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” He said, “Here I am.” 17 Eli said, “What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also, if you hide anything from me of all that he told you.” 18 So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. Then he said, “It is the Lord; let him do what seems good to him.”

Eli declares defeat. Samuel becomes the last judge and first prophet of Israel. The Lord was with him and let none of his words “fall to ground.”

19 As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was a trustworthy prophet of the Lord.

Friends, when we listen and obey God’s word, none of our words will fall to the ground, either. Is God calling you to share your faith with someone before they reject the work of Christ?

Don’t delay.

God Calls by Michelle Robertson

Stand and Be Still

Posted on by Betsy

A recent sermon led me to the wonderfully epic story of the Israelite’s escape from slavery in Egypt. You remember that story: Moses was empowered by God to lead his children to the Promised Land, which meant a long and dangerous journey out of Egypt into the unknown wilderness. Things seemed to be going all right until suddenly, they realized they were being pursued.

Chapter 14 of Exodus describes the Egyptian army and chariots charging after the Jews. Pharoah had changed his mind and wanted them back. He missed all that free labor, you know. The struggling, straggling, fugitive Hebrews were on the move. They were bounded by the desert, the sea, and the enemy. In effect, they were “sitting ducks” and the enemy was bearing down upon them at full speed. They were breathing down their necks, so close that the rumble of chariots and the shouts of the soldiers could be heard. Most of them must have already lost heart. But not Moses.

Listen to how he responds to them: 

Exodus 14 (New Revised Standard Version)

13 But Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid, stand firm, and see the deliverance that the Lord will accomplish for you today, for the Egyptians whom you see today you shall never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to keep still.”

Who needed to hear that word today? Do not be afraid. Stand firm. Keep still. Oh, how we try to take matters into our own hands, doing so at our peril, when God is telling us to be still and let him fight for us.

Psalm 46 reminds us:

10 “Be still and know that I am God.

    I will be exalted among the nations,

    I will be exalted in the earth!”

11 The Lord of hosts is with us;

    the God of Jacob is our fortress. 

“Be still. Be still and know that I am God.” When the enemy is closing in, be still. When the manna is running low, be still. When the cancer diagnosis comes, when your spouse leaves, when your rebellious child suddenly moves away, when you lose your job, when addiction rears its ugly head, BE STILL. Stand firm, and do not be afraid. 

Moses was about the only one who didn’t lose his head or his faith. As God directed, Moses held his rod out, and God sent a strong east wind. The waters parted, and the nation of the Jews crossed over on dry ground. When that was accomplished, Moses raised his rod again and the waters rushed back, trapping Pharaoh’s army in muck and mire.

Is God telling you to stand down today? Is he telling you to stand still and watch him fight for you? Sometimes it is better to take a step back and wait. As hard as that is, remember that God will always go before you … and always has your back.

Just be still.

Stillness by Michelle Robertson

You Called?

Posted on by Betsy

Do you think it is harder to speak, or to listen? Unless you have a true fear of talking, most of us would say it is harder to listen. A lawyer friend of mine made this comment at dinner last week. Given the amount of listening he has had to do in his long career, I think he speaks with authority on the matter. And as someone who talks for a living in court, he knows both sides. Probably one of the hardest things we do as friends, neighbors, parents, and spouses is to keep quiet long enough for someone to be able to articulate their feelings and emotions. It is so easy to jump in and try to verbally solve everything!

My church is blessed to have a program called Stephen Ministry. It is a ministry of listening. Stephen Ministers accomplish 50 hours of training and are assigned to people in crisis who just need a listening ear, an open heart, and praying hands. These beautiful folks are an absolute God-send to the congregation.

In our Scripture today, we see an almost humorous exchange between the old man Eli and the young boy Samuel. Samuel kept hearing someone calling him, so he kept waking up (and probably annoying) Eli as Eli tried to rest:

1 Samuel 3 (Common English Bible)

3 Now the boy Samuel was serving the Lord under Eli. The Lord’s word was rare at that time, and visions weren’t widely known. 2 One day Eli, whose eyes had grown so weak he was unable to see, was lying down in his room.3 God’s lamp hadn’t gone out yet, and Samuel was lying down in the Lord’s temple, where God’s chest  was.

A key point from this opening passage is that the Lord’s word was rare at that time, but God’s lamp hadn’t gone out yet. What hope that brings to the church today, as we deal with declining attendance, the predominance of secular and anti-religion attitudes, and an aging membership. We can also claim that God’s lamp has not gone out. Thanks be to God!

4 The Lord called to Samuel. “I’m here,” he said.

5 Samuel hurried to Eli and said, “I’m here. You called me?”

“I didn’t call you,” Eli replied. “Go lie down.” So he did.

6 Again the Lord called Samuel, so Samuel got up, went to Eli, and said, “I’m here. You called me?”

“I didn’t call, my son,” Eli replied. “Go and lie down.”

Samuel was not the first and certainly not the last person who mistook God’s voice for someone else. Most of us can’t imagine God speaking to us and so we instantly look for another answer. Ask any minister and they will tell you the same thing: At the beginning of our callings, we were shocked that God was actually calling and leading us into ministry. I’m still shocked.

(7 Now Samuel didn’t yet know the Lord, and the Lord’s word hadn’t yet been revealed to him.)

8 A third time the Lord called Samuel. He got up, went to Eli, and said, “I’m here. You called me?”

Then Eli realized that it was the Lord who was calling the boy. 9 So Eli said to Samuel, “Go and lie down. If he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord. Your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down where he’d been.

I love how Eli the annoyed became Eli the anticipator. He finally recognized what was happening and prepared Samuel on how to be ready to respond the next time God speaks. That’s what good mentors do. They help us hear God.

10 Then the Lord came and stood there, calling just as before, “Samuel, Samuel!”

Samuel said, “Speak. Your servant is listening.”

Our next devotional will delve into what God asked of Samuel, but for now, let’s pause and consider the young boy’s answer.

Speak, he says.

I am your servant.

I am listening.

Are you willing to listen to God? Is God telling you to listen to someone in your life who needs to be heard? As God’s servant in the world, where are you being called to lead or mentor someone in their faith?

Today, may we be like Samuel and simply reply, “Speak, Lord.”

Kitty Hawk Moonlight by Lola Hilton (a Stephen Minister!)

Life Guarding

Posted on by Betsy

Memorial Day Weekend brings many things to the Outer Banks: tourists, traffic, revenue, beautiful beach days, and good times. On the Friday prior, it brings something else: the return of the Life Guard stands.

This acts as a catalyst for locals. When we see the stands coming out of storage from the beach houses and being erected, our pulse quickens. Summer is finally and officially here! Businesses prepare, restaurants shine up, rental agencies ready welcome packages, and I begin to pray.

The season we all depend on and wait all winter long to enjoy will bring another thing that we dread: ocean rescues. When we vacationed here before moving here, I used to get excited when I saw the Coast Guard helicopters flying overhead, until I realized they aren’t training…they are rescuing. I see the guard stands returning as a sure sign of summer, but now I see it with a sigh in my heart. Someone will lose his or her life here on our beach this summer.

The beach areas on the North Carolina coast are subject to undertows and rip tides that have a deadly force. Posted all along our beach accesses are signs with information on how to stay safe in the water. Unfortunately, many folks don’t read these as they trundle by with their arms laden with umbrellas, towels, shovels, and coolers. 80% of all ocean rescues involve getting swimmers out of rip tides.

HERE IS HOW TO SAVE YOURSELF FROM A RIP TIDE:

1. Don’t panic. Rip Tides are only about 20-100 feet wide. You can swim out of one.

2. Don’t swim directly to shore. When you feel the undertow pulling you out to sea, the urge will be to swim straight to shore. That will result in your being pulled out to sea.

3. Swim parallel to the beach. This will enable you to swim out of the current. Think of it like a treadmill that won’t turn off: you have to “step off the side” to get out of it.

4. If you are too exhausted, just relax and float. Tread water until the current dissipates, and then slowly make your way back, swimming parallel to the shore at an angle. Signal for help and wait for the Life Guard to come to you.

5. Learn how to spot rip tides. They look like disturbances in the wave line. They can be a flat and glossy break in the wave pattern, or a foamy one. While the waves come parallel to the shore line, rip currents run straight out to sea, cutting the wave in half.

We struggle with rip tides in life as well. There comes a time in everyone’s life when a rogue wave suddenly breaks on your shore, cuts you off at the knees, and threatens to sweep you out into the deep. Death, divorce, cancer, job loss, the discovery of a spouse’s betrayal … all the things that catch us off guard can feel like we are caught in an emotional current of foamy power, and we can’t even keep our heads up.

Psalm 46 (Common English Bible)

God is our refuge and strength,
    a help always near in times of great trouble.
2 That’s why we won’t be afraid when the world falls apart,
    when the mountains crumble into the center of the sea,
3     when its waters roar and rage,
    when the mountains shake because of its surging waves. Selah

4 There is a river whose streams gladden God’s city,
    the holiest dwelling of the Most High.
5 God is in that city. It will never crumble.
    God will help it when morning dawns.
6 Nations roar; kingdoms crumble.
    God utters his voice; the earth melts.
7 The Lord of heavenly forces is with us!
    The God of Jacob is our place of safety. Selah

8 Come, see the Lord’s deeds,
    what devastation he has imposed on the earth—
9     bringing wars to an end in every corner of the world,
    breaking the bow and shattering the spear,
        burning chariots with fire.

10 “That’s enough! Now know that I am God!
    I am exalted among all nations; I am exalted throughout the world!”

11 The Lord of heavenly forces is with us!
    The God of Jacob is our place of safety. 

But just like a real rip tide, with God’s help you can swim out of yours. Even if all you can do is tread water and float until rescue arrives, you can survive. The trick is to keep your head up. Stay focused on God’s activity in the midst of your panic. Keep praying toward heaven for help until it arrives. Lift your eyes upon Jesus and don’t look down.

No matter what it is you are floating in, God is with you. As big and frightening as your troubles are, they will not overwhelm you. You belong to God.

Rip Tide courtesy of NOAA

Being Adopted

Posted on by Betsy

Did you know that you are adopted?

True statement. Certainly, there is a percentage of readers who were adopted into their families, but in a spiritual sense, every one of us is adopted by God. This language of a familial relationship that carries a certain legal and permanent change of status speaks volumes about the love that God feels for each of us, his children.

In 1st Century Rome, adoption was a very serious matter. In adoption, a son (always a son) would be deliberately chosen to perpetuate the father’s name and his estate. Adoption provided that the son gained all new rights in the new family and all of his old life and debts were canceled. Prominent families who only had daughters could adopt a male so that their line and lineage would continue. This was necessitated by the (ridiculous) law that prevented female children from inheriting anything.

So when Paul uses adoption language in Romans, he is referencing the legal and binding relationship between Father/God and son/children:

Romans 8 (Common English Bible)

12 So then, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation, but it isn’t an obligation to ourselves to live our lives on the basis of selfishness. 13 If you live on the basis of selfishness, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the actions of the body, you will live.

Paul was always quick to point out that living for the flesh (“selfishness” … understood to mean sinful rebellion to God) would result in death. He goes on to remind us that we aren’t just saved by the works of the spirit, but we must also walk by the Spirit.

14 All who are led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons and daughters. 15 You didn’t receive a spirit of slavery to lead you back again into fear, but you received a Spirit that shows you are adopted as his children. With this Spirit, we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The same Spirit agrees with our spirit, that we are God’s children.

With joyful confidence, we can proclaim God as Abba, Father, just like Jesus did. We understand Abba to be comparable to the word “Daddy.” What does it mean to you to think of God as Daddy?

17 But if we are children, we are also heirs. We are God’s heirs and fellow heirs with Christ, if we really suffer with him so that we can also be glorified with him.

Being an heir means all of your past has been wiped out. Being an heir means all of your debts are forgiven. Being an heir means that you have a Daddy who loves you and will never leave you. Your inheritance includes the key to the very gates of heaven itself. As God’s heir apparent, how will you live out your life? In faithfulness and duty, or in rejection and denial?

God invites us to live as the children of God. May our words and choices reflect our position.

Fountain of Blessings

Walking Through Fire

Posted on by Betsy

Last week was the graduation for the Dare County Firefighters Academy. Seven brave and faithful students received their firefighter certificates after 9 months and 400 hours of classroom and onsite training. That training included 21 weekends of drills. Did I mention that this is a volunteer corps? These new firefighters will serve in Corolla, Kitty Hawk, Southern Shores, Kill Devil Hills, and Roanoke Island. The spirit of camaraderie was tangible as they coordinated both a wonderful cookout for the guests and sported very loud Hawaiian shirts for the celebration.

I am a brand new volunteer chaplain for the fire department and giving the invocation for the graduation was my first official act. Chaplains only get called out when a death occurs, and I truly hope that attending graduating and offering a blessing over a meal will be the extent of my service with them. I sat in awe of their dedication and willingness to go deliberately into harm’s way to help people, and I pray that none of them come to harm either physically or emotionally as a result of their sacrifice.

I read these words from the 43rd chapter of Isaiah to them. I hoped these words would bring comfort to the new firefighters and their families:

Isaiah 43

But now, this is what the Lord says—
    he who created you, Jacob,
    he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
    I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

2 When you pass through the waters,
    I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
    they will not sweep over you.

When you walk through the fire,
    you will not be burned;
    the flames will not set you ablaze.

3 For I am the Lord your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. I have two friends who are going through very difficult custody battles and another who may lose her job. I think of them every day and pray this over them. When things like this happen, remember that you are only PASSING THROUGH this time of your life. It won’t always be this way.

When you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. Another friend just lost his wife. Waves of grief will now come on a regular basis for a while. I pray this over him. When someone you love dies, remember that you will not be swept away by the sorrow forever; it will not always feel this way.

When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned. For all of you undergoing cancer treatments, spending another day of your life in prison, struggling to find work, advocating for your family’s rights, walking in protest, fighting your way out of abuse, overcoming addiction … I pray this for you. I pray this for all of our steadfast first responders, who run directly toward danger to protect their communities. When you are experiencing a time of great trial, remember that you won’t be burned by your journey…just keep walking toward God’s promise for your life.

This passage assures you that God had redeemed you. He has summoned you by name. You are his, so do not be afraid.

Thanks be to God.

Sky Fire by Michelle Robertson

What Does This Mean?

Posted on by Betsy

Ages ago, I was a volunteer children’s choir director in my church. My youngest daughter helped me lead music for the 3rd-5th graders. We loved it. That age group is so open and honest … even brutally so, which made me make sure I had combed my hair and considered my clothing at every practice. They will tell you exactly what they think!

One year the music director gave us a score for a song that spelled out P E N T E C O S T. The verses explained what happened at Pentecost and the kids thought that celebrating the birthday of the church meant cupcakes and ice cream. Which we did provide, by the way. For me, I have always been grateful for that song, because I remember how to spell Pentecost simply by hearing the music in my head.

This Sunday is Pentecost. It might be celebrated in your churches with lots of red (to symbolize the flames), the Scripture read in different languages (ASL is my favorite), fans and balloons (to remind us of the mighty wind that took over Jerusalem), and fiery preaching (if you have a fiery preacher). It should also include cupcakes and ice cream, as Pentecost marks the official birth of the modern church.

If you don’t get cupcakes and ice cream this Sunday, file a complaint against the management.

Acts 2 (Common English Bible)

2 When Pentecost Day arrived, they were all together in one place.2 Suddenly a sound from heaven like the howling of a fierce wind filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be individual flames of fire alighting on each one of them. 4 They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them to speak.

5 There were pious Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem.6 When they heard this sound, a crowd gathered. They were mystified because everyone heard them speaking in their native languages. 7 They were surprised and amazed, saying, “Look, aren’t all the people who are speaking Galileans, every one of them? 8 How then can each of us hear them speaking in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, and Elamites; as well as residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the regions of Libya bordering Cyrene; and visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism), 11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the mighty works of God in our own languages!” 12 They were all surprised and bewildered. Some asked each other, “What does this mean?”

What, indeed, does it mean?

First, the confusion of language at the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11 was reversed, and everyone could speak and hear in each other’s tongues. The picture of diversity in the Body of Christ cannot be overlooked here. God’s spirit was poured out on everyone … even the Cretans and Arabs.

Second, Jesus fulfilled his promise in this event to empower his followers to take the Gospel to the four corners of the earth. The power of the Holy Spirit came in a remarkable way, and it comes to us today with the same strength … if we will receive it.

Third, nobody was left out. This is a great reminder for us as we celebrate the church’s birthday. Who are we leaving out? Who needs an invitation to the party? After all, everyone likes cupcakes and ice cream.

May we celebrate a holy Pentecost! And may we arise as Pentecost people, ready to do God’s work in the world.

Pentecost Bloom by Michelle Robertson

Call the Ball

Posted on by Betsy

I did some research into the Fresnel lens used in lighthouses for a sermon I am writing and it led me down a rabbit hole about these kinds of lenses. I remembered that my husband, when he was a Navy pilot landing on aircraft carriers, used a directional system called the Fresnel Lens Optical Landing System (OLS). The light system is designed to provide a “glide slope” for aviators approaching an aircraft carrier. The lights are projected through the Fresnel lenses in three different colors, telling the aviator when the aircraft is at the desired altitude in the approach at any distance from the ship.

If the aviator sees a red light (at the bottom), it means that the aircraft is dangerously low, and the subsequent flashing red light activated by the landing signal officer (LSO) would indicate a wave-off requiring the pilot to go around for another attempt. Yellow lights means you are approaching the carrier too high and will miss attaching your plane’s tailhook on one of the four arresting wires on the deck. Green lights mean you are in just the right glide slope for a safe landing. As the pilot approaches the carrier, the LSO instructs him to “call the ball” and the pilot has to report what color light he or she sees on “the ball” (actually a nickname for calling this blob of light a meatball) on approach.

This, by the way, is why Navy pilots can’t be colorblind. 

If God, who acts as our Landing Signal Officer, commanded you to “call the ball” in regard to the quality of your discipleship, what color light would you see? God already knows. As David boldly asserted in Psalm 139, God knows when we sit and rise, he knows our thoughts from far away, and he has us hemmed in from behind and before, with his mighty hand upon us.

Psalm 139 (New Revised Standard Version)

1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
    you discern my thoughts from far away.
3 You search out my path and my lying down
    and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
    O Lord, you know it completely.
5 You hem me in, behind and before,
    and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
    it is so high that I cannot attain it.

7 Where can I go from your spirit?
    Or where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
    if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning
    and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me,
    and your right hand shall hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
    and night wraps itself around me,”
12 even the darkness is not dark to you;
    the night is as bright as the day,
    for darkness is as light to you.

13 For it was you who formed my inward parts;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
    Wonderful are your works;
that I know very well.
15     My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
    intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes beheld my unformed substance.
In your book were written
    all the days that were formed for me,
    when none of them as yet existed.
17 How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
18 I try to count them—they are more than the sand;
    I come to the end—I am still with you.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my thoughts.
24 See if there is any wicked  way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting.

Spend some time today thinking about your life and what you would see if God told you to “Call the ball.” The discipline of self examination is not just for Lent, you know! Would you see red, yellow, or green lights? Let’s face it … none of us is getting any younger. As you are descending onto the safety of God’s ship, how are you approaching? Are you too high, living a life of selfishness and luxury, focused on your own needs while neglecting the world’s needs? Are you too low, living a life of sin and separation from God, following the whims of the secular world in pursuit of pleasure, wealth, and greed? Or are you in the green zone of serving, giving, studying God’s work, and doing his will?

The good news is, as you call the ball, it’s never too late to adjust your altitude … and maybe your attitude.

My Frame Was Not Hidden by Michelle Robertson