Saturday, May 5, 2012

Perfect Contradictions

Scripture:  I John 14: 17-21

Love is perfect and fearless.  God loves us and we respond by trying to love God back.  The commandment we have is that if we love God, we must love our brothers and sisters.  Loving our neighbors isn’t something we always do well on our own.  We must be honest with ourselves when this happens.  When we can’t find it in ourselves to love another, we can draw from the wells of love that God provides for us.  We are willing to receive that great and wonderful love that God offers to us.  Are we greater than God that we don’t have to extend love others the way that God has loved us and equipped us to love others?

The truth is that we see a lot of hate in the world today.  We have candidates running for political office and in the campaign process, their insults and accusations toward one another have become so common that we come to expect it.  It grieves our spirit when we see people acting intentionally cruel and hateful toward one another. 

In the world, we can expect to be criticized and condemned.  In the church we are called to the standard set by Christ.  In Christ, we are called to share in his sufferings and to love as he loved.  We don’t get to pick and choose who we love.  God loves all people.  If we are to abide in God, to claim to be Christian people we must love all people – everybody!

Prayer:  God of Justice and Love, Help the children of God to love all people in spite of ethnicity, skin color, orientation, gender, class, or any other thing that would never keep you from loving your children.

 The Reverend Josefina Perez

Friday, May 4, 2012

Know Suffering, Know Love

Scripture:  I John 4: 14-16

Do you know true love?  True love manifested itself when God came to us through Jesus, born in Bethlehem.  The life laid out for him was not comfortable nor glamorous.  It was challenging and difficult right from birth, and would lead him straight to much suffering, crucifixion and death.  Jesus suffered deeply.

In spite of his difficult life, the way that Jesus lived and loved was perfect.  Everything he ever said or did was driven by love, mercy, and justice.  He understood suffering and he modeled genuine compassion for the poor, the sick, and the lonely.  Through the eyes of Jesus we see love so great that it births miracles, breaks down the walls that separate us from one another and from God. 

If we live as Jesus did, we will love as Jesus loved.  Chances are we may suffer deeply, too.  Many have suffered for the cause of Christ, even unto persecution and execution.  It seems, however, that these people who loved and suffered so greatly discovered a level of faith so deep that they were willing to lay their lives down for the cause of Christ.  Our modern day complaints pale in light of our early church fathers and mothers! 

And yet, our suffering is real.  When we embrace the things that cause us fear and pain, we experience God’s great love in a deeper manner.   As we lend ourselves to the love that we were created for, even while suffering deeply, the dynamics of love and suffering together make us able to see life in ways we never would have considered before.  To know suffering and to know love is to grow in Christ.

Prayer:  Dear God, I long to live inside of the great love you have for me.  When the great difficulties of life come, hold me close to your heart and fill me with your Holy Spirit so that I might trust you and rest in your love, no matter what happens.

 The Reverend Josefina Perez

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Impossible Love, True Love

Scripture:  I John 4: 7-13

We Are One In the Spirit

God’s love is a noun and a verb.  It’s what God is and does.  True love is God’s movement toward us.  Born of God, love dwells within us and we are able to love even those who are difficult to love.  Because we live in Christ, we can resist the temptations of sinful thoughts, feelings, or actions toward others and love them instead.  John is clearly steering us toward love so that we might resist turning away from one another the way the world does.  To reject another is to reject God, who created and loves each one.

Love is a great gift, and if we look closely at the price tag, we can’t even begin to comprehend the depth of it.  It’s given with abundant and undeserved generosity.  Not to mentions it’s a gift that forgives every mistake, every fault, every offense we have ever committed.  Therefore, as love is freely given and freely received, we must also give love to all people.  

Our existence was born out of love.  God loves made a way for us to live into the hope that comes through the resurrection of Jesus Christ!  The story of Jesus teaches us how to love. The way that we love is the way that we respond to God’s love.  It becomes evidence of our relationship to Jesus Christ.

We live in the experience of being loved by God and loving one another.  The purpose of the incarnation was so that we might be in a relationship with God where we would know true love, and be able to truly love one another.   At the center of everything is God and love.  If God did not love us first, this would all be impossible.

Prayer:  Awesome God, thank you for the gift of your amazing love.  I desire to love the way that Jesus loved when he walked this earth.  I pray that as I come to know your love for me every day that I will be able to love others more.

 The Reverend Josefina Perez

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Raise us Up Again

Scripture:  Psalm 22: 29-31

Our God Is An Awesome God

The nation of Israel suffered much oppression and they desperately needed to be rescued from bondage.  How deep was their disappointment when their weeping and crying out to God seemed unheard?  Why wasn’t God coming to save them from their enemies?

Conditions worsened and the community fell apart under the pressure of trying to survive the cruel conditions of exile.  Still, they feared the Lord and continued to seek God.  As they travelled through times of spiritual wilderness, they discovered that God had been there all along!  They remembered the faith of their ancestors and they began to look forward to the great gathering that was waiting for them.  

In spite of the enemies who had oppressed them and caused great suffering for generations before them, they would be the ones remembered by the Lord.  Those who abused earthly power and indulged in oppressing Israel will bow down in dust while the children of God feast at the table prepared for them by the ruler of all nations.

There are times when we feel like our world is just crumbling down around us.  We beg God to repair what is broken, heal what is sick, calm anxiety, and stop whatever is causing our grief.  This is when we must make the time to be still, be quiet, and confess our pain and our doubt.  As we remember our past, where can we recall the times God has been faithful.  How many other times have we felt as though we couldn’t continue, and yet – here we are.  God will raise us up again.

Prayer:  Loving God, I want to feel peace and I want to be hopeful.  I will meditate upon your ways, remembering that you are always at work in my life, even in the secret places where I cannot see.  Raise me up again, and thank you for your faithfulness.

 The Reverend Josefina Perez

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Coming to Our Senses

Scripture:  Psalm 22: 25-28

The children of Israel were able to look forward to God’s deliverance by hoping in the teaching and promises because of their past.  Psalm 22 is progressive and exciting, as the Psalmist calls upon the faith of the “fathers” who trusted in God to save them.  In a similar way we look to the future with hope.  However, it is not difficult to “lose our Christianity” from time to time if we are confronted with enough adversity. 

 

Like the Israelites, we sometimes forget that God’s presence is everywhere.  We barely feel it when things are good, and we doubt it when things are bad.  When we feel surrounded by darkness and abandoned, we finally break down and cry out to God for help. 

 

Crying out is only the beginning of freedom.  It’s like waking up and coming to our senses.  Our mourning turns to dancing as we begin to give God thanks.  We focus on what is good and start making better decisions.  We begin to dream and we hope again.  A shift begins to take place, and we overcome the symptoms of past traumas and move forward.  All of this is because we remember that our God is with us.

Prayer:  God Almighty, I want to remember that you are always with me.  Forgive me for the times when I live as if you do not exist and thank you for bringing me to my senses with your love, patience, and kindness.

The Reverend Josefina Perez

Monday, April 30, 2012

Wilderness Roads

Scripture:  Acts 8: 26-40

An Ethiopian eunuch had gone to worship in Jerusalem and was now traveling a wilderness road that went from Jerusalem to Gaza.  He was returning to “a land shadowed with buzzing wings beyond the rivers of Ethiopia”.  This same day an angel of the Lord sent Philip to the same road.  Once he reached this road, the Holy Spirit told him to go over to the Ethiopian man’s chariot and Philip obeyed and joined him.  

The man had been reading writings of the prophet Isaiah, but didn’t understand who the lamb being led to slaughter was in the passage.  As they traveled together, Philip was able to interpret the passage to the Ethiopian man, proclaiming the good news of Jesus.  He literally accompanied the man from a wilderness road into the waters of baptism!

All Christians are called to reach out to others the way that Philip reached out to the Ethiopian man.  How can we take the message of hope and healing to the wilderness roads of the world if we don’t travel them for ourselves first?  Once we’ve experienced the presence and power of God during our own times of struggle and grief, we can reach out to others who are seeking truth and hope with answers to their questions.  

Philip knew it was the Lord telling him where to go and what to do the day he met the Ethiopian man.  The Holy Spirit is speaking to the church today and telling us to go and “proclaim the good news”.  We don’t enjoy the times of struggle in our lives, and yet, it is where we learn to recognize the voice of the Lord and to trust God.  These experiences empower us to proclaim the good news with the boldness and authority as Philip did. 

Prayer:  Help me remember that I am not alone when I travel a wilderness road.  May each struggle and each victory give me the desire to boldly share my faith, proclaiming the message of your grace and love!

 The Reverend Josefina Perez

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Lead by the Good Shepherd

Scripture:  : John 10:11-18

There is a difference between a rancher and a shepherd? A rancher drives cattle from behind, but a shepherd leads sheep in the front. Shepherds led their sheep out on the hills where there is green grass and water to nurture and protect them. Jesus is willing to lead us and all we have to do is follow. 

When I was growing up there was a game we played called, “follow the leader.” The object of the game was to do everything the leader did. If you missed a step, arm wave, hop or whatever you were out.  When we follow the leader with Jesus as our Shepherd, if we step out of line we are not casted away. You see Jesus has two sheep dogs, called Goodness and Mercy. They come for us to usher us back into the flock.  They follow behind keeping the sheep in line and safe so they do not get lost. The Good Shepherd heart is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness.

I can relate to the Good Shepherd somewhat, because of my role as a mother and grandma. There is a special bond between a mother and her child. Having a child does not make a woman a mother.  The hired help did not have a bond with the sheep. Being a mother is a 24/7 job that starts at birth and never stops. The Good Shepherd cherishes every stage in our development and is great multitaskers.   A mother (good Shepherd) is a selfless person who always put her children first. The maternal instinct is strong, she know each one of her children names and personal needs. She will fight to the death to protect her children. Jesus laid down my life for the sheep.  Jesus says “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.”

Prayer:  Thank you God for loving us so much that you gave us Jesus. It is comforting to know that our Shepherd is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. Knowing Jesus can warm and gladden our hearts in every situation. Amen.
Prayer:  Thank you God, you continue to allow us to ask for more of you. Fill us up completely with your anointed Spirit. Let your Spirit overflow all over me. Send your anointing to heal broken hearts and lives, to tear down the walls of this generation, to take away the pain and fears of this world, and to restore your people. Amen.

The Reverend Betty A. Brown