Month: May 2023

Categories
Religious

When the Door Remains Closed

“Meanwhile, Peter remained outside, knocking at the gate.”

Acts 12:16a Common English Bible

Here is a story for everyone; a story of someone who tried and failed, but refused to give up. Peter was one of Jesus’ disciples. At a critical hour, he failed Jesus by denying him three times. But Jesus never failed Peter. Following Jesus’ resurrection, his continued embrace and love for Peter launched Peter into a preaching ministry of considerable zeal and devotion. Up and down the countryside, Peter gave witness to the power of the risen Christ to change lives. Peter’s primary exhibit for his testimony was his own life. Soon he found himself enmeshed by hostile forces and, finally, preached himself into prison.

Prayers were made for Peter by the Christian communities that he started and were now growing, as a result of his preaching. One night an angel came to Peter, placed the prison guard into a deep sleep, released the chains from Peter’s hands, and opened the prison doors. An important detail of this miracle story is that the angel instructed Peter to place on his sandals. The angel was able to place the guard into a slumber, release Peter’s hands from the chains that held him, and open the prison doors. Yet, the angel holds Peter responsible for placing on his own shoes. Apparent in this small detail is that God will always do what we cannot do, but God will not do for us what we can do. Peter was capable of placing upon his feet his shoes.

Peter, now freed from prison, goes out into the dark, hiding in the thickness of the night from Roman soldiers, and makes his way to a home where he hoped to be received and cared for. When Peter knocked at the outer gate, a female servant went to answer. Recognizing Peter, and overcome with surprise and joy, the servant runs back into the house with the grand announcement of Peter’s release. Yet, in her amazement and delight, she forgets to open the gate and let Peter into the residence. “Meanwhile, Peter remained outside, knocking at the gate.”

Peter does not shrug his shoulders and walk back into the night, commenting, “It’s no use.” Peter continues to knock. Peter is resilient. He will not give in or give up. Through his persistence, Peter reveals the grandeur of his trust in God’s continuing presence and care. Many of us will stand—at some moment in our life—before a closed door. The closed-door may be a job opportunity that never materializes, a romantic relationship that is never found, or an illness that lingers—health seemly more and more elusive. Before that closed door, life asks, “Will you continue to trust God in the face of bitterness and disappointment?” Peter stands before a closed-door unafraid, determined to see it through. His strength is located in God’s fidelity, demonstrated in his past. That same strength is available to us when we stand before a door that is closed.

Joy,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

To read more meditations by Dr. Doug Hood, you can purchase

Nurture Faith: Five-Minute Meditations to Strengthen Your Walk with Christ

from Amazon or your favorite online retailer.

Any royalties received support the mission and ministry of

First Presbyterian Church of Delray Beach.

Categories
Religious

Speaking Wisely

“Do you love life; do you relish the chance to enjoy good things? Then you must keep your tongue from evil and keep your lips from speaking lies!”

Psalm 34:12, 13 (Common English Bible)

It is a rhetorical question, of course. Who doesn’t want to be thoroughly alive, enjoying all the good things that life has to offer, to be lifted above the plane of mere existence? To live a large life, a life of spacious activities and with a grand purpose captures our imaginations. This is a life of abounding energy and possesses a deep awareness of the things that bless—both personally and those around us.

The Psalms offer treasured insight for such a life, insight for embracing a spacious life of blessedness, of extracting the secret flavors and essences of things as we live into each day. Very specifically, we are instructed in the wisdom of many who have traveled before us; we are told to exercise wise government over our tongues. Relationships with one another rise to unimaginable heights as the tongue is disciplined and directed to build, edify and, exalt those who hear us. It is as though life receives its nutriments from careful and blessed speech.

Our speech is too often destructive. Poison-soaked speech first poisons the speaker. “Every word we speak recoils upon the speaker’s heart, leaves its influence, either in grace or disfigurement,” writes that wonderful preacher, J.H. Jowett.[1] Where the tongue is untrue the heart is afraid of exposure. Life is diminished. One may also argue that such speech is lazy speech. Where there is no exercise of restraint or government of the tongue; it is free to roam at will. Therefore, urges the Psalms, to keep your tongue from evil and speaking lies. The tongue that is held in severe restriction, the tongue that only shapes words that are good and encouraging to others results in quiet and fruitful happiness.

Undisciplined tongues seem to flourish today. And the world is the poorer for it. Yet, our own lives may move to a higher plane simply by a personal revolt from the disorderly conduct of tongues. The best way to affect a departure from the guile and venom that flows freely around us is to exercise one’s self in active good, of words spoken kindly, with pleasantness and grace. The fragrance of our speech will tickle the hearts of others. It may invite them to share in the same wisdom of the Psalms, an invitation to experience a blessed life, full, safe, and abounding in good things.

Joy,

[1] Jowett, Thirsting for the Springs, 188.

Categories
Religious

Difficulties With Prayer

“In the same way, the Spirit comes to help our weakness. We don’t know what we should pray, but the Spirit himself pleads our case with unexpressed groans.”

Romans 8:26 (Common English Bible)

A parishioner in a former congregation talks about her struggle with prayer this way, “I have absolutely no idea what I am doing!” It is a common refrain I have heard in my thirty-six years of ministry. What I once assumed would be one of the most accessible practices of the Christian faith is, in fact, among the most difficult. Those who are honest, those who are unafraid to express the vulnerabilities of their faith, speak to me of their difficulties with prayer. I always begin by affirming how delighted I am to hear that! If anyone is experiencing difficulties with prayer, what they are telling me is that they are wrestling with it rather than abandoning prayer to the professional clergy. There are three difficulties that are spoken of most, and identifying them helps in understanding this teaching from Romans.

The first difficulty that is mentioned is, perhaps, the one that requires the most courage to confess: the absence of appetite! Simply, there are people who have no driving hunger for going to their knees or closing their eyes to speak to God. We understand them when we contrast this lack of appetite with the strength of other appetites, such as that for good food, or the enjoyment of rare and expensive beverages, or the pursuit of some interest, such as golf. A genuine appetite has about it a mighty dynamic that requires little discipline. When they turn to pray, it is often out of a perceived compulsion; a requirement to be a “good” Christian. More time is spent in guilt for the lack of enthusiasm for prayer than the practice. The duty of prayer becomes oppressive.

A second difficulty that is heard is a weakness of faith. Questions fill the mind and heart about the effectiveness of prayer. This is particularly true after prayer has been reduced to “asking” God for something. Though Jesus does encourage us to ask for anything that we might need, Jesus also demonstrates in his own life a richer dynamic of prayer—simply enjoying a relationship with God. That relationship is identical to one we may have with a spouse or a friend. We gather simply to enjoy one another, to share joys and struggles with each other. When prayer is limited to requests, it is easy to dismiss prayer when there isn’t a pressing need. God is dispensable. Absent is any notion that we are turning to God in the quiet assurance that we are drawing near to one who cares for us deeply.

Finally, the difficulty of knowing what to pray for generates hesitancy. Many days present problems and challenges to which we see no solution. In a critical moment, we are unable to discern which direction to take or course of action to pursue. We are stumped and are unable to fashion a reasonable request before God. It is here that we require wisdom that is from another source—a power beyond our capacity. These three difficulties open us to hear the gracious promise presented here in Romans: “the Spirit comes to help our weakness.” The Holy Spirit clarifies and strengthens our prayers. Additionally, prayers that may be short-sighted or are made without an understanding of God’s work are corrected. The Holy Spirit intercedes for us, and feeble efforts to pray become sufficient before God.

Joy,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

To read more meditations by Dr. Doug Hood, you can purchase

Nurture Faith: Five-Minute Meditations to Strengthen Your Walk with Christ

from Amazon or your favorite online retailer.

Any royalties received support the mission and ministry of

First Presbyterian Church of Delray Beach.

Categories
Religious

Destructive Regrets

“Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died.”

John 11:21 (Common English Bible)

Here is an example of the destructive nature of regret. Martha has lost her brother, Lazarus. Rather than accepting that death is inevitable for each of us, that Lazarus’ death was not the result of an unfortunate accident or tragedy, Martha begins to question what could have been done; what might have been executed differently that would have prevented this loss. Martha has engaged in the most common form of grief, the “If only…” cycle of questioning that impedes healing. We are familiar with this form of grief; “If only you had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died.” “If only I had arranged things differently.” “If only I had made a different choice, taken another turn.” We recognize Martha’s sentiment as our own. It is a response that flows from unnecessary and harmful personal responsibility.

This appearance of grief is usually born on the morning after a loss or crisis. And it sometimes continues until we draw our final breath—holding us in an unwarranted prison of self-blame. It is a sorrow that drains away vital strength, a grief that consumes our life. The crippling result is the loss of an inward peace and the capacity to meaningfully to live for others. Others who love us, who look to us for encouragement, strength, and direction are deprived of our friendship. We are simply crushed under needless regret. “If only I had called the doctor earlier.” “If only I had noticed the signs, had paid more attention.” One devastating loss now precipitates another. We may still have breath in our lungs but no longer do we bring value to our homes, our communities, or to our network of relationships.

Suppose for a moment that there was something we could have done. Suppose that we could have made a different choice or might have taken another course of action. What then? The question that presses from this passage of scripture is, who is our God? Martha identifies Jesus as, “Lord.” What does the lordship of Jesus mean for us. Martha’s profession of faith, of her belief in Jesus’ capacity as Lord startles. It is a faith in a lord that has limited ability. She confesses—though unintentionally—a belief that Jesus’ redemptive power is only available while Lazarus remained alive, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died.” But her brother has died. Hope in anything more is abandoned. Nothing more can be done, apparently even by Jesus. Jesus didn’t arrive in time.

The Bible tells us that Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus. There has been considerable conjecture as to why Jesus wept. The Bible remains silent on this question. Some have suggested that Jesus simply gave expression to the natural human response to the loss of a dear friend. Others have offered the suggestion that Lazarus’ death provided an entrance into paradise, to everlasting life with God and now, Jesus was about to take that away by bringing Lazarus back to life. Each of these suggestions completely ignore what Jesus heard from the lips of Martha, “if you had been here.” Jesus heard an incomplete faith, “if only.” The very gospel of Jesus’ power is that things that are broken are repaired. If unintentionally we have gone astray, Jesus is the one who makes the crooked straight and gives life where the world only sees death.

Joy,