New Month – June 2020 Clearer Vision Because of the Coronavirus

A couple of weeks ago, I met with some of my sisters at a reunion group meeting (Reunion groups are meetings of people who have attended a Via de Cristo weekend) some were talking about the restrictions with the Coronavirus and the negative impact it has had. I feel the opposite. Let me explain.

I feel that the institutional church has become so inverted that God is using this to tell us that church IS NOT about a building and that we are to get our butts into the world and do what he told us to. Make disciples of ALL nations. Can not really do that sitting in a pew.

I also feel that God is telling me that my gifts are for the use of building HIS kingdom not someone else’s. I have devoted so much time to the church I attend that I have actually allowed MY family and home to suffer.

Going forth I have put things in the perspective that God wants:

1. God
2. Family
3. Church

I challenge you all to use this time for clarity and a clearer vision – I mean it is 2020 so check what your vision is geared towards.

God Loves You And So Do I

 

Michele

 

 

What Can I Give Him?

We recently observed Epiphany which celebrates the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles, represented by the Magi.  If you remember the story, these wise men from the East came bringing gifts.

“On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. ” Matthew 2:11

Reading this as part of my devotions made me remember a poem by Christina Rossetti:

“What can I give Him,
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd
I would bring a lamb,
If I were a Wise Man
I would do my part,–
Yet what I can I give Him,
Give my heart.”

Then I wondered, how about each of us?  What can we give Him?  Here’s a quote by John Ellerton ( English clergyman and hymnodist) that expresses it well.

“Give yourselves anew to God and to God’s service, and He will give you the desire and the power to open your treasures;  to give to Him, it may be wealth, it may be time, it may be personal service, it may be life itself.  In His store there is a place for all, for the tears of the penitent, the barley loaves of the child, the two mites of the widow, the savings of the Philippians’ ‘deep poverty’, as well as for Mary’s ointment, for the land of Barnabas, for the gold and incense and myrrh of these Eastern sages.  And if the vision of Christ be before his eyes, and the love of Christ be in his heart, the man of wealth will give his large offering, the man of learning his dear-bought knowledge, the man of business his hard-earned leisure, for the glory of God, for the benefit of his fellow-men, for the Church or for the poor;  to feed the hungry, or to teach the ignorant, to help the struggling, or to guide the erring;  and each gift will be welcomed by Him who gave Himself for us all, and who asks in return for ourselves as a living sacrifice.”

This is a season of giving, and we all have something to give.  It’s a good time to think about our spiritual and material gifts and then decide what we can give back to Jesus who gave everything for us.

For more about the magi see these posts:

Follow the Star

Journey of the Magi by T.S.Eliot

Amahl and the Night Visitors

Extravagant Stewardship

“She has done a beautiful thing to me.  For you will always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them.  But you will not always have me.” Mark 14:7

In this passage of Scripture, an unnamed woman anoints Jesus with the costly ointment called nard.  Many of the people around him complain, finding this to be a waste of money.  After all, couldn’t the nard have been sold and the money given to those in real need?  Jesus rebukes them.  Evidently a grand gesture is sometimes appropriate.  Sometimes we’re called to give a gift simply to show our love for a particular person.  A gift like this is pure grace.

It doesn’t need to be monetary — it might be the gift of forgiving a friend or relative for a great wrong;  it might be giving time to take over a task that is burdening a neighbor;  it might be an act of kindness to a complete stranger.  The point is it’s good to sometimes give what’s unexpected, and  even unnecessary.  After all, doesn’t God give us gifts like this every day?  Don’t we get not just the things we need, but things that make life beautiful, interesting and fun?  God’s grace rains down on us, and we should spread that love and grace around!

“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of Gods’ varied grace …” 1 Peter 4:10

What are some gifts of grace you’ve received?  I’d love to hear those stories.

New Month/New Theme

This month’s theme is one that is often ignored, because we really don’t want to talk about it.  No, it’s not death, but close — stewardship:  or as Beth Anne told me, taking care of God’s stuff.  We don’t like to talk about it because down deep, we can’t bring ourselves to admit it’s God’s stuff.  We fool ourselves into believing it’s ours.  We have money because we got a good job and worked hard.  We’re talented because we recognized an innate ability and developed it.  And time!  Don’t even go there!  Surely any time we can carve out of our busy, productive life is our own.  We’ve earned the right to some relaxation!

The Bible tells us this kind of thinking is dead wrong.  We’re the managers, not the owners, of everything we have, even ourselves.  God made the world, and God made us.  He gives us our daily bread, and so much more.  He expects us to use all these things wisely.

So this month I hope we’ll see lots of posts on our time, talent and treasure.  What are we doing with them?  Are we being good stewards? Are we multiplying them or squandering them?  Are we using them to build up or tear down?  Will we hear the words “good and faithful servant” the day we meet Jesus in eternity?

Of course, at times we may be led to go off topic and post what the Spirit has put on our heart.  We are after all “free in Christ.”  I look forward to this month together.  Readers, don’t hang back.  Use your ideas to encourage us.  We want to hear from you.

The Gift of ????

I had to chuckle when I read Leslie’s post about the gift of gab ….that is so not my gift, although it’s one I admire and sometimes wish I had.  I’m a quiet introvert, so I guess my gift is …. holding my tongue?  …..listening? ….silence?  What would be the opposite of gab?

My gift can get me in trouble, too.  Sometimes I don’t speak up when I should.  Sometimes people misperceive me as snobby or aloof or unfriendly.   Sometimes I think of just the right words of sympathy or encouragement …just a little too late.

It’s easy to envy somebody else’s gift, but it’s a bad way to spend my time.  Isn’t it better to give thanks for the wide variety of talents and personalities God has created?  When we get together with someone who has different abilities than we do, great things happen.  We complement each other.  We balance things out.  We can accomplish things together that we couldn’t do alone.  God planned it that way.

“But, as it is, God arranged the members of the body, each one of them, as he chose.  If all were one member, where would be body be?  As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.”  1 Corinthians 12: 18-20