House Divided

Posted on by Betsy

I am sure you are familiar with the famous phrase used by Abraham Lincoln that proclaimed that houses that are divided against themselves are unable to stand. He said this in his address in 1858 when he was chosen to be the Republican candidate for the United States Senate, representing Illinois. The issue at hand was slavery. Lincoln maintained that slavery would destroy the unity of the United States. He postulated that the union could not be maintained with half of the states allowing something that the other half vehemently opposed. He was prophetic in his words, and the Civil War broke out in 1861.

But not only was he prophetical, but he was also biblical. The warning about a house divided is found in three New Testament books. We see it in Mark 3:25, in Matthew 12:25, and in today’s passage from Luke. Jesus warned that a house that is torn apart by divisions will collapse and cautioned that kingdoms involved in civil wars become wastelands.

The issue in this passage was the reaction onlookers had when he threw a demon out of a man who was mute. The Jewish leaders could also cast out demons but believed that it could only be done if you called out the demon by name. Because this demon caused muteness, they thought the man couldn’t be healed. Jesus’ actions caused many in the crowd to accuse him of partnering with Satan to accomplish this.

Luke 11 (Common English Bible)

14 Jesus was throwing out a demon that causes muteness. When the demon was gone, the man who couldn’t speak began to talk. The crowds were amazed. 15 But some of them said, “He throws out demons with the authority of Beelzebul, the ruler of demons.”16 Others were testing him, seeking a sign from heaven.

17 Because Jesus knew what they were thinking, he said to them, “Every kingdom involved in civil war becomes a wasteland, and a house torn apart by divisions will collapse. 18 If Satan is at war with himself, how will his kingdom endure? I ask this because you say that I throw out demons by the authority of Beelzebul. 19 If I throw out demons by the authority of Beelzebul, then by whose authority do your followers throw them out? Therefore, they will be your judges. 20 But if I throw out demons by the power of God, then God’s kingdom has already overtaken you. 21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his possessions are secure.22 But as soon as a stronger one attacks and overpowers him, the stronger one takes away the armor he had trusted and divides the stolen goods.

Jesus employed strong logic and clever rhetoric when he pointed out that if he was in league with Satan and yet cast a demon of Satan out of a man, Satan’s entire enterprise would be at war with itself and collapse. No indeed, it was the power of God that accomplished this.

This is such good news for anyone who finds themself in bondage today. In many ways we all find ourselves facing inner demons that threaten to undo us. But hear this good news! There is no demon of temptation, self-destruction, addiction, sin, grief, abandonment, or failure that God can’t overcome.

23 “Whoever isn’t with me is against me, and whoever doesn’t gather with me, scatters.

Who will you stand with? Who stands with you? There is only one answer. Jesus is the stronger man who disarms even the strongest of Satan’s attackers. Jesus engaged Satan in a battle and showed without question that he is the stronger man. He defeated Satan and disarmed him. At the end of the passage, Jesus reminded us that we are either for him or against him. There is no middle ground. If you stand with Jesus, you will be released from your bondage. Praise be to God!

Path to the Sun by Ginger Endreson

Competition

Posted on by Betsy

Competitiveness is experienced in every profession, classroom, sports field, corporate board room, and even among churches. It is easy to see someone doing the thing you do well and instantly feel threatened. Even if you are very confident in your abilities, it is hard not to look at someone entering your arena of expertise and not feel annoyed and maybe even a bit envious. You rally your gang around you and a dynamic of “us versus them” takes over. Competition can be good when it leads to improvement and innovation, but it can take a toll on the participants.

I think John was struggling with feelings of insecurity and competitiveness in today’s passage. The twelve disciples had been given the authority to cast out demons and heal people. Jesus gave this to them in the beginning of Luke, Chapter 9, and by the end of the chapter they were feeling threatened when suddenly someone else had co-opted their gig and was able to do what they assumed only they had been authorized to do.

Luke 9 (Common English Bible)

49 John replied, “Master, we saw someone throwing demons out in your name, and we tried to stop him because he isn’t in our group of followers.”

50 But Jesus replied, “Don’t stop him, because whoever isn’t against you is for you.”

Jesus assessed the evidence by the results. The offender was effectively casting out demons in Jesus’ name. People were being healed and Jesus’ name was being taught and learned. Jesus seemed to be inviting John and the rest of the disciples to have a more generous spirit. Soon the church would be born and the power of the Holy Spirit would be cast wide. They were already experiencing the effects of their evangelism: The Good News of the arrival of the Messiah had been heard and received and was now taking on an energy of its own. It is significant to note that this event occurred after the feeding of the 5,000..Jesus’ miracles, teachings, healings, and authority were being broadcast across the land by eye-witnesses, and no one could stop its power. Indeed, Jesus didn’t want to: This was the whole point of his coming. Paul dealt with the same issue years later, as recorded in Philippians 1:18: “What do I think about this? Just this: since Christ is proclaimed in every possible way, whether from dishonest or true motives, I’m glad and I’ll continue to be glad.”

This is a lesson for us today as we struggle with denominationalism. We may bristle at the actions of people outside our particular realm of thinking but if the name of Jesus is being lifted up, if lives are saved and changed for the better, and if Jesus himself would put them in the category of “not against you” then we must embrace these brothers and sisters as people who are for us. As Paul said, in every case we should rejoice that Christ is being preached.

Rejoice! By Michelle Robertson

Of Lice and Men

Posted on by Betsy

Anyone who has had a child in public school has likely dealt with a lice infestation. My youngest came home from school nine times in her first grade year with the dreaded “lice outbreak” notice in her backpack. Since she was a very social child, can you guess how many times she got lice? Yep: Nine. The process of removing lice involves using a strong chemical shampoo, fine-tooth combing, washing all jackets and clothing, spraying all stuffed animals and putting them in a plastic bag for 48 hours, laundering sheets at a high temperature … it was exhausting. Finally, in deep frustration, I visited the classroom to talk to the teacher to see if there was anything to be done. Imagine my surprise when I walked in the room and found groups of children lounging together in BEAN BAG CHAIRS during reading time. I was a little like Jesus, throwing bean bag chairs out of the temple that morning. And the lice notices instantly stopped. Imagine that!

Today’s passage takes us back to the battle of God versus Pharaoh. The weapon of choice in this particular battle was lice.

Exodus 8 (Common English Bible)

16 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your shepherd’s rod and hit the land’s dirt so that lice appear in the whole land of Egypt.’” 17 They did this. Aaron stretched out his hand with his shepherd’s rod, hit the land’s dirt, and lice appeared on both people and animals. All the land’s dirt turned into lice throughout the whole land of Egypt.

18 The religious experts tried to produce lice by their secret knowledge, but they weren’t able to do it. There were lice on people and animals. 19 The religious experts said to Pharaoh, “This is something only God could do!” But Pharaoh was stubborn, and he wouldn’t listen to them, just as the Lord had said.

The lice infestation was the third of ten plagues. God knew that Pharaoh would not listen or give in. Indeed, in Exodus 3:19, God told Moses that he was sure that Pharaoh would not let the people go. Free enslaved labor for decades was something Pharaoh could not give up. Even in this passage we see an acknowledgement that producing lice was something only God can do, yet it took seven more plagues and the parting of the Red Sea before Pharaoh understood the power of God in all its might. Of course by then it was too late.

Before we indulge in too much eye-rolling at his stubbornness, let’s stop for a moment and think about our own behavior. Do we ever underestimate the power of God in our situations? Have you ever doubted God’s interest or intention in your time of need? Have you ever felt that your sins have disqualified you from a right relationship with God? Most of us have. But we need to remember that Jesus died on a cross for the very thing you did that has made you feel disqualified. Remaining stubborn about God’s power to forgive and redeem is like saying what Jesus did at the crucifixion didn’t count. And that is heresy.

So relish the power of God and what only God can do in your life. Jesus died for it! Embrace it and live.

Early Light by Michelle Robertson

Damage Control

Posted on by Betsy

Did you know that the phrase ‘damage control’ has been used in popular language since the end of the Second World War? The United States Navy developed damage control protocols after suffering massive attacks in battles. They had to move fast in an effort to contain or limit the amount of collateral damage that these events would bring. Now the Navy has a position for damage controllers on ships whose job is to assess a situation and limit destruction and mishaps. The phrase was picked up by the medical profession, which established a system of prioritizing treatment based on lessening the risk of death when dealing with multiple injuries at once. Today, we see government officials engaged in damage control when a scandal breaks out and every institution has a process for reacting to negative reports quickly in hopes of containing the bad press.

1 John 3 is a kind of literary damage control. Traditional thinking teaches us that the writer was the same John as the Gospel writer, but others think it was a follower of John known as the Elder. In any case, John was a man of advanced age who had oversight of the house churches near Ephesus. There was dissension among the members, (can you imagine??) and some had pulled away under the influence of an agitator named Diotrephes. John the Elder wrote to a leader of the congregation named Gaius with instructions and encouragement. Specifically, the subjects of righteousness, sin, spiritual parentage, and love were addressed.

1 John 3 (Common English Bible)

8 The person who practices sin belongs to the devil, because the devil has been sinning since the beginning. God’s Son appeared for this purpose: to destroy the works of the devil. 9 Those born from God don’t practice sin because God’s DNA remains in them. They can’t sin because they are born from God. 10 This is how God’s children and the devil’s children are apparent: everyone who doesn’t practice righteousness is not from God, including the person who doesn’t love a brother or sister.

The notion of the apple not falling far from the tree applies here. Those born of God don’t practice sin, but those born of the devil are neither righteous nor do they love their brother or sister. We understand righteousness in this context to mean being in right relationship with God, God’s creation, and God’s people. Righteousness involves obedience to God’s will and purpose for our lives: Not just avoiding sin but pursuing goodness. Habitual sin can be overcome by the blood of Christ, who came for the purpose of destroying the devil. The point is clear: Real righteousness is the greatest love we can experience, and real love is expressed in righteousness. Righteousness without love just makes you a Pharisee.

Is God trying to do damage control with your soul today? Are you lost in your practice of sin with nowhere to turn? Jesus was born so that the works of the devil could be destroyed in our lives once and for all. Is it time to get right with God? You can be a damage controller in your own life.

God’s DNA by Becca Ziegler

Where Are You?

Posted on by Betsy

My running partner and I ran the Flying Pirate Half Marathon a few months ago and we enjoyed reading the homemade signs that people held up along the route. People and local businesses really go out of their way to create fun and encouraging signs for the runners. Of all the great race signs I have read, the one that was outside the Kitty Hawk Police Department one year was the best. It read: You can run, but you can’t hide. Best of luck from the Kitty Hawk Police! Well played, officers! It is not only funny, it is biblical.

Today we go back to the beginning of everything and learn what happened when man tried to hide. This very familiar story of the “fall of man” takes us to the cool of the evening when fellowship with God in the garden was a regular thing. But right away we know that something is very wrong, as God called to the man and his wife and asked, “Where are you?” Surely God knew where they were and even what they had done. But the question was more theological than geographical. Where is your head? Where is your heart? What were you thinking?

Genesis 3 (Common English Bible)

8 During that day’s cool evening breeze, they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden; and the man and his wife hid themselves from the Lord God in the middle of the garden’s trees.9 The Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”

10 The man replied, “I heard your sound in the garden; I was afraid because I was naked, and I hid myself.”

A classic definition of the word sin is “separation from God.” They had eaten the fruit that had been forbidden and now they had to face the consequences of their actions, so they separated themselves from the Lord by trying to hide. But notice that the man compounded his sin with blame-casting. Not only does he blame the woman, he blames God for giving him the woman.

How often do we do this as well? Do you ever try to cover up your sins by blaming someone else? We spend a lot of time trying to teach our children to resist peer pressure, but many of us succumb to it. It is so easy to slip into backbiting, gossiping, name-calling, and hate speech when we see our friends and neighbors engaging in that kind of behavior. We live in a world where finger pointing has the favorite exercise of the day.

11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat from the tree, which I commanded you not to eat?”

12 The man said, “The woman you gave me, she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate.”

13 The Lord God said to the woman, “What have you done?!”

And the woman said, “The snake tricked me, and I ate.”

God’s gentle question, “Where are you?” is an effort to show the man how lost he had suddenly become. God is hoping to hear his confession so that he can offer repentance. We can almost sense God’s sorrow over the broken fellowship; no longer will the three of them walk in the garden together. This passage shows us that God will always pursue us, no matter what we have done. And we will always be found, thanks be to God! Yes, we all have to answer to God, but when we come clean, we are forgiven. God acted with patience and caring as he personally came along side of the man and woman to speak the truth in love to them.

The snake did not fare as well. It is the perfect image of Christ’s defeat over Satan. Look at verse 15. God puts enmity between Satan and the “woman’s offspring,” a prophecy of the virgin birth. Many regard this as the first Gospel preaching in the Bible, calling this verse the proto evangelium. But bearing those offspring would bring great hardship to women and men would now have to till the land. And while the land would be filled with thorns (NIV) and thistles, Christ would come in due time and wear those thorns as a crown on his head when he took the sins of the world upon him. All of the earth was redeemed by his death and resurrection.

14 The Lord God said to the snake,

“Because you did this,
    you are the one cursed
        out of all the farm animals,
        out of all the wild animals.
    On your belly you will crawl,
        and dust you will eat
        every day of your life.

15 I will put contempt between you and the woman,
    between your offspring and hers.
They will strike your head,
        but you will strike at their heels.”

16 To the woman he said,

“I will make your pregnancy very painful;
            in pain you will bear children.
You will desire your husband,
        but he will rule over you.”

17 To the man he said, “Because you listened to your wife’s voice and you ate from the tree that I commanded, ‘Don’t eat from it,’

cursed is the fertile land because of you;
        in pain you will eat from it
        every day of your life.
18 Weeds and thistles will grow for you,
        even as you eat the field’s plants;
19     by the sweat of your face you will eat bread—
        until you return to the fertile land,
            since from it you were taken;
            you are soil,
                to the soil you will return.”

So the question remains. Where are you? Where is your heart? What are you thinking? Remember, you can run, but you cannot hide. Maybe it’s time to be found.

Kitty Hawk Police Department Facebook page

Venting

Posted on by Betsy

Are you old enough to remember a time when the “comments section” didn’t exist? Believe it or not, there once was a period of civility when commenting on everything wasn’t a thing. If you had a beef about something that had been written, you could write a letter to the editor. That was your only chance to be heard if it was published, which was often days or weeks after the article had been published. Now, every type of media offers a comment section, and many people go straight to the comments rather than read the article. Opinion now overrules fact-based reporting in most mainstream media.

Social media gave birth to this kind of “venting,” offering a public forum for unchecked negativity, whining, and accusations. I can remember when my hometown newspaper offered a new column called “The Vent” and I was dismayed one day to read an anonymous attack on my church. We were involved in a huge building campaign that included moving our campus to a 63 acre plot of land. The neighbors near that location vented loudly about our plan, and one wrote about the nefarious and questionable intentions of “Pastor Chuck Charming” (our senior pastor) and “Estelle from the Estates” (which would be me, as I lived in a neighborhood called Bradford Estates). We were accused of seeking fame and glory by building a huge megachurch just to satisfy our overblown egos. As if!

Today’s psalm includes venting but offers a beautiful example of how to vent well. This psalm of David came after he had been harshly attacked by his enemies, and David teaches us the perfect way to respond to accusers: In his words, “they accuse me—but I am at prayer.”

Psalm 109 (Common English Bible)

God of my praise, don’t keep quiet,
2     because the mouths of wicked liars
    have opened up against me,
    talking about me with lying tongues.
3 Hateful words surround me;
    they attack me for no reason.
4 Instead of returning my love, they accuse me—
    but I am at prayer.
5 They repay me evil for good,
    hatred in return for my love.

“I am at prayer.” Just pause for moment and think about how much better the world would be if anger, disappointment, false accusations, and outright hatred would be answered not in inflammatory retorts that escalate the situation, but by the falsely accused turning quietly to prayer instead of retaliation. What if the comments sections ceased to exist all together?

6 “Appoint a wicked person to be against this person,” they say,
    “an accuser to stand right next to him.
7 When the sentence is passed, let him be found guilty—
    let his prayer be found sinful!

David shows us a better way. He turned to God for vengeance against his enemies. David surely knew how to act on his need for justice and had the skill and courage to defend himself. But he turned to prayer instead and asked God to help, not based on his own righteousness but based on God’s faithful love and mercy for him.

26 Help me, Lord my God!
    Save me according to your faithful love!
27 And let them know that this is by your hand—
    that you have done it, Lord!
28 Let them curse—but you, bless me!
    If they rise up, let them be disgraced,
        but let your servant celebrate!
29 Let my accusers be dressed in shame;
    let them wear their disgrace like a coat.

How do you deal with your enemies? Do you publicly curse them or privately pray for them? Jesus made it clear that we are to pray for our enemies and allow God to have vengeance on our behalf. Venting to God is the only way to vent and we can be assured that God stands right next to us in our distress. So next time you are attacked, take it to the Lord in prayer.

30 But I will give great thanks to the Lord with my mouth;
    among a great crowd I will praise God!
31 Because God stands right next to the needy,
    to save them from any who would condemn them.

Bloom in Love by Becca Ziegler

Walled In

Posted on by Betsy

Do you live in a gated community? I do. The access to Colington Harbour is controlled by a gate guard. You have to have a bar code on your car to get the green light to enter. Contractors may get a day pass by giving the address of their worksite. Like most gated communities, we have shared amenities like a pool, club house, tennis courts, playgrounds, and basketball courts. Neighborhoods that are gated offer their residents privacy, protection, and security behind their walls. Home owners associations are active in keeping these perks in shape on behalf of their residents.

The downside of gated communities is that they overtly establish a line where you are either in or out. This can impact the larger community in a negative way if inhabitants define neighbors as only those within the walls at the expense of folks living on the other side. It can be easy to become blind to the needs of the area if people wall in their compassion and care to only those like them.

Such was the conundrum of Jesus and a legal expert as they debated about the definition of “neighbor.” The legal expert was well versed in the rabbinical Mosaic law but very ignorant about the law of mercy. Jesus set him straight with a story that is commonly known as the parable of the Good Samaritan.

Luke 10 (Common English Bible)

25 A legal expert stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to gain eternal life?”

26 Jesus replied, “What is written in the Law? How do you interpret it?”

27 He responded, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.”

The lawyer was correct in referencing Leviticus 19:15-18 and Deuteronomy 6:4-9. The rabbinical Law emphasized giving God your everything and loving people as God loves. However, he got caught up on the definition of neighbor, incorrectly assuming that the Gentiles and the pagans surely were not under the care or concern of this law. Jesus’ response of creating a parable that clearly demonstrated that everyone is our neighbor was brilliant and decisive.

28 Jesus said to him, “You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live.”

29 But the legal expert wanted to prove that he was right, so he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

30 Jesus replied, “A man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. He encountered thieves, who stripped him naked, beat him up, and left him near death. 31 Now it just so happened that a priest was also going down the same road. When he saw the injured man, he crossed over to the other side of the road and went on his way.32 Likewise, a Levite came by that spot, saw the injured man, and crossed over to the other side of the road and went on his way.33 A Samaritan, who was on a journey, came to where the man was. But when he saw him, he was moved with compassion. 34 The Samaritan went to him and bandaged his wounds, tending them with oil and wine. Then he placed the wounded man on his own donkey, took him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day, he took two full days’ worth of wages and gave them to the innkeeper. He said, ‘Take care of him, and when I return, I will pay you back for any additional costs.’ 36 What do you think? Which one of these three was a neighbor to the man who encountered thieves?”

We can assume that the hearers at the time were scandalized by the notion of the priesthood prancing by the hurt man without so much as a backward glance. But don’t we do the same thing? Aren’t we also guilty of filling our heads with convenient excuses when we stumble upon someone in need? “Oh, somebody else will take care of this …they didn’t really ask for help … I don’t even know first aid … I’m just one person …they brought it on themselves …” And Jesus responds with a lesson on mercy. The Samaritan was able to overcome centuries of prejudice to help the man.

37 Then the legal expert said, “The one who demonstrated mercy toward him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

We are called to stop and help. Jesus requires that we break down our gated walls and accept everyone in need as a neighbor. Is God calling you today to assist someone in need? Go and do likewise.

Plantation Walls by Kathy Schumacher

Look Up

Posted on by Betsy

Sunrises and sunsets in the Outer Banks of North Carolina are nothing short of spectacular. The morning glow appears from behind my westward-facing bedroom and awakens me every day with its pink enticement to arise. The evening splashes of deep oranges are just steps away from my front or back door. While my house on a point in the water is perfectly situated to easily observe these things, I have to make an effort to go and see them. The sunset view from my driveway or back dock is best, and the sunrise view requires a trip to my home office. It is funny and somewhat shameful that many days I don’t make the tiny trips to the best vantage points of these spectacular events. Caught up in work and duties, I often realize hours later that I didn’t pause for that brief moment to move my focus to where I could see God at work.

That serves as a kind of metaphor for how many of us live our lives. We are focused on responsibilities to the point that we miss what God is doing right in front of us. Our passage in Deuteronomy is a reminder to look and see God and consider what is required of us. Moses delivered this message to the people of Israel on the plains of Moab as they stood at the threshold of the Promised Land. He wanted them to shift their focus to see what God had done, and what God now wants from them.

Deuteronomy 10 (Common English Bible)

12 Now in light of all that, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you? Only this: to revere the Lord your God by walking in all his ways, by loving him, by serving the Lord your God with all your heart and being, 13 and by keeping the Lord’s commandments and his regulations that I’m commanding you right now. It’s for your own good! 14 Clearly, the Lord owns the sky, the highest heavens, the earth, and everything in it. 15 But the Lord adored your ancestors, loving them and choosing the descendants that followed them—you!—from all other people. That’s how things still stand now.

The Lord requires our love, service, and obedience to the Word in exchange for all the glory and promise that fill the world. The sky and heavens are right there to assure us of God’s power and presence in our lives but most of us are distracted by looking down. In our time it is because we are usually staring at our phones.

16 So circumcise your hearts and stop being so stubborn, 17 because the Lord your God is the God of all gods and Lord of all lords, the great, mighty, and awesome God who doesn’t play favorites and doesn’t take bribes. 18 He enacts justice for orphans and widows, and he loves immigrants, giving them food and clothing. 19 That means you must also love immigrants because you were immigrants in Egypt. 20 Revere the Lord your God, serve him, cling to him, swear by his name alone! 21 He is your praise, and he is your God—the one who performed these great and awesome acts that you witnessed with your very own eyes. 22 Your ancestors went down to Egypt with a total of seventy people, but now look! The Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the nighttime sky!

When we do look up, we can see God’s great and awesome acts with our own eyes. Moses focuses our attention to God’s impartial justice and love for orphans, widows, and immigrants. We are called to love and prioritize these things, too. We are instructed to cut away the exterior covering of our distracted hearts and cling to God and revere God’s name. God is our praise! This is an invitation to inner transformation that only God can bring, one which will enable us to see everything God is doing.

May we look up and see! God is right here, right now. Do you perceive it?

Dock View

Love List

Posted on by Betsy

Raise your hand if you love a good list. I mean, who doesn’t? We all feel better when we create a list and then check things off as we accomplish them. I have even been known to write my list after I am finished a task just to check it all off. And it is fun to check out Top Ten lists and use them as a guide. My husband became a pilot at age 28 and his life was ruled by the all-important flight check lists which enabled him to do his job in the air safely. A lot of couples like a good “Honey-Do” list of chores that keeps a household running. And if it weren’t for a weekly grocery list, most of us would have to make multiple trips to the store to purchase things we forgot.

Our Scripture today is a kind of list. It gives very clear instructions on how the Israelites were to love their neighbors. From justice issues, to gossip, to holding grudges, this list is a cohesive compilation of mandates from God on how the community should behave.

Known as the “Holiness Code,” these instructions were given to Moses on Mt. Sinai after God had rescued the nation of Israel from slavery in Egypt. God began this code by stating that Israel was called to be holy “because I your God am holy” (Leviticus 19:2). This reveals both the nature and intention of God. To be holy means to be separated out and set apart. God intentionally commanded the people to be separated from the other peoples around them so that the influence of pagan ideals would not permeate into Judaism. They were called to live in that world but not be of that world, much as Jesus commands us today.

Leviticus 19 (Common English Bible)

15 You must not act unjustly in a legal case. Do not show favoritism to the poor or deference to the great; you must judge your fellow Israelites fairly. 16 Do not go around slandering your people.  Do not stand by while your neighbor’s blood is shed; I am the Lord.17 You must not hate your fellow Israelite in your heart. Rebuke your fellow Israelite strongly, so you don’t become responsible for his sin. 18 You must not take revenge nor hold a grudge against any of your people; instead, you must love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord.

As you read through the list, what commands stood out to you? Caring for our neighbor involves treating everyone equally, defending their lives, not taking revenge on them, or holding a grudge. This is challenging in today’s world where social media is just one big gossip fest and hating those who don’t hold your political views seems to be accepted in society. The call to be holy in today’s environment is even important than ever. People might only see Jesus in how Christians treat their neighbors, so if love isn’t found in the neighborhood, Jesus isn’t found either.

What does it mean to you to love your neighbor? May we practice this list until we get it right.

This Neighborhood Rocks! by Kathy Schumacher

With All That I Am

Posted on by Betsy

Wedding season is upon us and I am remembering all the weddings I have officiated in the past. Couples really want to put their own stamp on the ceremony, but most will request the more traditional elements of the wedding such as Scripture, prayers, and vow exchanges. In our United Methodist wedding service, we actually do vows twice. The first is the standard “I do” sayings of commitment, and the second are the ring vows taken as the couple exchanges wedding rings. The ring vows get me EVERY TIME. Even though I have officiated hundreds of weddings, (this is where you end up when you are 1. old and 2. live in a popular wedding destination) I still tear up every time I instruct the couple to repeat this after me: “I give you this ring as a sign of my vow and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you.”

With all that I am.

With all that I have.

Those simple phrases contain a tremendous pledge of commitment, stating that the couple are head over heels, completely sold out, one hundred percent, IN.

Our scripture today is known as the Shema in Hebrew. Shema means “to hear.” It is a declaration that the Lord is the only one true God and we are instructed to be all in with God and God’s Word. With all of your heart, your entire being, every ounce of strength, you are commanded to be solely dedicated to God and God alone. Like a poker player pushing all his chips across the table, there is no turning back.

Deuteronomy 6 (Common English Bible)

4 Israel, listen! Our God is the Lord! Only the Lord!

5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your being, and all your strength. 6 These words that I am commanding you today must always be on your minds. 7 Recite them to your children. Talk about them when you are sitting around your house and when you are out and about, when you are lying down and when you are getting up. 8 Tie them on your hand as a sign. They should be on your forehead as a symbol.  9 Write them on your house’s doorframes and on your city’s gates.

Teaching the children about the Lord is an important part of this passage. It is good for parents to realize that the task of educating their kids about God’s Word is not just the work of the church, but must be done at home every day. Parents, are you doing that?

In the Jewish tradition, the instruction to tie God’s words to your hand resulted in the use of the phylactery, a small leather box that contained a parchment of Scriptures that was tied with leather straps. Similarly, the mezuzah was created to post Scripture on the doorpost of the house. It was a long leather box with a parchment rolled up inside. These are intended to be visible signs of a household dedicated to studying Scripture every single day. It was God’s intention that the words be inscribed on the head and heart in such a way that the student would never stray from them. Constant repetition is how we learn, and the Shema is recited twice a day for this reason.

This passage reveals the very nature of God. God is love, and so God’s children, made in God’s image, are commanded to love. Jesus called the commandment to love God with all your heart the greatest commandment in Matthew 22:37-38. And the second greatest commandment naturally follows: Love your neighbor. (Matthew 22:39)

When we learn to love as God loves and love whom God loves, then we will truly be all in. How about you? Do you love the Lord with all that you are and all that you have? May we grow deeper in our understanding of this commandment.

All In by Kathy Schumacher