16 There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil,19 a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.
Proverbs 6:16-19 (NIV)
How do you feel about the things God hates? Does anything about the list surprise you? If God hates these things, do you think we (as God’s people) should also hate them? If so, how do you think we should express that hatred? What dangers should we avoid if we express hatred for the things God hates?
Each day (except Sundays) during Lent, we will post a Scripture for reflection on our theme, “Military Withdrawal.” Together, we will learn to walk in God’s ways of peacemaking and reconciliation. These posts are meant to stimulate conversation and interaction. Feel free to post your thoughts and comments.
Each day (except Sundays) during Lent, we will post a Scripture for reflection on our theme, “Military Withdrawal.” Together, we will learn to walk in God’s ways of peacemaking and reconciliation. These posts are meant to stimulate conversation and interaction. Feel free to post your thoughts and comments.
1 “What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? 2 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. 3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.”
James 4:1-3 (NLT)
James identifies a cycle of thinking that leads to aggression and acts of violence and “war.” What motives do you associate with “evil desires (verse 1)? What role does power have in this cycle? When have you experienced this cycle of thinking and acting? What, if anything, stopped you from “waging war?” What do you think is required to break the cycle?
7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.
James 4:7-10 (NLT)
James suggests a another cycle for ending our quarrel and fights. What do you think would happen if we all practiced the disciplines of humility, washed hands, deep grief and gloom? How do these acts facilitate reconciliation and peace?
We begin our Lenten fast, “Military Withdrawal: Studying War No More,” as a means to become peacemakers and ambassadors of reconciliation. We begin during a time of escalating tension and acts of war in Ukraine, so we invite you pray throughout the day for the de-escalation of violence in Ukraine and other warn-torn nations and a return to diplomatic negotiations, the only true way conflict ever ceases. Pray for peace and protection against the evils of war for the people whose lives and wellbeing are in danger. Though Ukraine is getting most of the media attention, it is not the only place in the world where military actions are occurring. Conflicts continue in Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Gaza and dozens of other countries. Lives are being torn apart, families are fleeing their homes, people are suffering.
The following (adapted) prayer is offered by the National Officers of the United Church of Christ • The Rev. John C. Dorhauer — General Minister and President • The Rev. Traci A. Blackmon — Associate General Minister • The Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson — Associate General Minister
Holy God, Hear our prayers for all those who will die today because of war all over this world. Grant them an end to the suffering of this world and eternal peace that is only found in You.
We pray for the people of Ukraine, Russia, and all nations — that war and bloodshed can be avoided and a new, just peace can be forged out of this crisis. We ask God grant wisdom to the leaders of nations, calling them to end provocation on all sides and invest instead in “the things that make for peace” as called for in all our faith traditions (Luke 19:41-42).
We pray for an end to the deep insecurity and mistrust on all sides, and call on leaders to build trust, based not on military might or alliances, but on the basis of our shared future and common humanity. Now is a time in which past harm should be acknowledged and addressed, and new partnerships can be envisioned.
We pray for and call on our leaders to have the courage to take small, verifiable, and independent steps toward peace, inviting others to reciprocate. Now is time to invest in conflict resolution, diplomacy and international cooperation — not more weapons which only escalate tension in the region.
Be with those suffering in ways that we cannot.
Protect them from devastation in ways those positioned in authority will not. Shield and comfort them as they confront the terror of violence that surrounds them. Hold them close to your heart and stay the hand of the enemies against them. Give us the courage and the strength to cry aloud against wickedness in high places that dare to harm others made in your image.
Comfort the children and heed their cries to be saved from harm in this world.
Make us a people who love your children, all of your children, more than we love greed, power, and control. Overturn governments of tyranny wherever they are found. Disrupt the intentions of evil and give us power to stand against demonic forces of greed and control. Grant that peace and justice come to warring nations by the hands of those courageous enough to stand and study war no more. Let Thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven, we pray. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
2022 Lenten Compact for Peacemaking and Reconciliation
People from many nations will come and say,“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of Jacob’s God.There he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths.”For the Lord’s teaching will go out from Zion; his word will go out from Jerusalem. The Lord will mediate between nations and will settle international disputes. They will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer fight against nation, nor train for war anymore.
Isaiah 2:3-4 (NLT)
Lent is usually a personal time to give up some food or beverage, focus ourselves on God, and reflect on the idols that we have been told we cannot live without. At KANSA, we invite our congregation to participate in a communal fast that focuses us not only on our relationship to God, but also on an aspect of our relationship to our communities, our nation and our world. We are calling our members and friends to a true fast – one that is not just the act of denying oneself of something – but a fast that creates justice and reconciliation, by breaking the yokes that bind us and the yokes that bind our neighbors. (see Isaiah 58:6-7)
This year, we seek to disconnect ourselves from our nation’s reliance upon and worship of the weapons of war and violence as the solution to conflict and a means of peace. Instead, as followers of the “Prince of Peace,” we will “seek peace and pursue it” through acts of justice and mercy.
Through this year’s Compact we will consider how our call to spiritual conversion demands an alternative to militarism on the national, state and local levels, and we will reclaim our role as peacemakers and living into God’s alternative vision for the world–a world where disputes are settled without violence. While we acknowledge that God’s vision of a world without war and violence has yet to fully arrive, we affirm our commitment to the vision of peace and our resolve to withdraw—pull back and disconnect—from militarism that delivers death and destruction wherever it is found.
Sermon delivered by Rev. Bruce Ray on Sunday, October 3, 2021
Today, we are concluding our series “Creation is Waiting / La Creación Espera” with a recognition of St. Francis of Assisi. St. Francis is best known as the patron saint of animals and the environment, and he is often depicted surrounded by animals of all kinds. He believed that faith and care for God’s creatures went hand-in-hand and he considered all of God’s creatures to be our sisters and brothers. Stories are told of how he would go into the forests and preach to the birds and animals and trees, calling them to love and praise their creator.
Every year on or around October 4, Christians throughout the world celebrate the Feast of St. Francis with prayers for creation and a blessing of the animals. We will follow this tradition later in our service.
I’m so glad that we shared the story, “The Tantrum That Saved the World,” with the children today. I think Sophia – the girl in the story – and St. Francis would be great friends. I think St. Francis would be very sad to see what is happening to our sisters and brothers because of climate change and the destruction of habitat for animals, birds and people. I think St. Francis would be angry that so many animal voices have been lost. One of those voices belonged to the Ivory-billed Woodpecker.
The Ivory-billed Woodpecker was the largest species of woodpecker in North America. Its wingspan was 3 ft with a flaming red crown and two white stripes down it’s side. People would see the huge, strikingly beautiful bird in the swamps and bayous of Arkansas, Texas and Louisiana and would say, “Lord God!” It became known as the “Lord God Bird.”
There is only one video and audio recording of the Lord God Bird in existence. It was filmed and recorded in 1935.
The Lord God Bird doesn’t exist anymore. The woodpecker was last seen in Louisiana in 1944. This week, it was officially declared extinct by the US Fish and Wildlife service.
What happened? The Lord God bird is no more because human greed and ignorance destroyed its home. Singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens, wrote a song “Lord God Bird” suggesting that the bird was sacrificed on the altar of the industrial god by a sewing machine. Yep. A sewing machine.
The Ivory-billed woodpecker was doing just fine until the industrial revolution of the 1800s. In 1911, the Singer Company purchased over 80,000 acres of old growth forests in Arkansas that was a prime habitat of the Ivory-billed woodpecker. The company cut down the trees to make the cabinets for their famous sewing machines. Conservationists warned that the logging would put the woodpecker in danger. But despite efforts to protect the bird and the land, Singer Company sold the land in 1937 to the Chicago Mill and Lumber Company for more extensive logging. Within 6 years, there were no more ivory-billed woodpeckers.
Now a lot of people would say, “It’s just a bird!” But after reading the Scriptures today (Genesis 7:11-16, Psalm 104:24-31, and Matthew 6:25-33), I’m reminded that every bird, every animal, every tree and every flower is part of God’s wondrous creation—made by God at creation, preserved by God during the Great Flood, cared for by God throughout time. Human beings may be made in the image of God, but that does not diminish the worth of all other creatures. They too have a purpose in God’s plan. They too are made to display God’s glory and sing God’s praise.
And as God’s “Image-bearers” we have a responsibility is to do as God would do. That includes protecting all of God’s creatures from harm and providing for their well-being. It means preserving their voices and ensuring that they call fulfill God’s command to be fruitful and multiply. It means to loving them as God loves them.
While we (collective humanity) failed to prevent the extinction of the Ivory-billed woodpecker, dozens of species on the verge of extinction have been saved thanks to one piece of government legislation: the Endangered Species Act of 1973. The Act identified threatened, endangered and critically endangered species for the purpose of protecting them and restoring them to sustainable numbers so they would no longer need federal protection.
For almost 50 years, dozens of species have recovered thanks to the Act including Humpback whales, American Bison, bald eagles, and California Condors. Chicago has participated in saving an endangered species too. We all know Monty and Rose, the beach-loving piping plovers who have returned to Montrose Harbor every year since 2019 to nest and hatch their eggs. This year, the pair successfully hatched 3 new little piping plovers, aiding efforts to ensure their survival as a species.
We’ve made progress, but there are hundreds of other species that need our protection. And progress is never guaranteed. Human greed and ignorance can reverse even the best environmental policy. So we must always be vigilant and watchful.
Creation is waiting. So on this day, let us rise up like St. Francis and pray a blessing over creation and then take action to protect the voices of our sisters and brothers. Let’s be the “righteous ones who take care of the needs of the animals” (Proverbs 12:10a). Let us pray for creation and bless our brothers and sisters, the creatures of the earth, and then go “throw a tantrum.”
Save me, O God, for the floodwaters are up to my neck. Deeper and deeper I sink into the mire; I can’t find a foothold. I am in deep water, and the floods overwhelm me. I am exhausted from crying for help; my throat is parched. My eyes are swollen with weeping, waiting for my God to help me. Psalm 69:1-3
Our Lenten Journey ends on Holy Saturday – a day of keeping vigil. Waiting… Waiting for God to help. Waiting for the pandemic to end. Waiting for justice to finally be rendered. Waiting for the walls to finally break down. Sometimes, life feels like the time after crucifixion, when it is so hard to hold on to hope and lean into the promise of a better future; when we are so tired of the struggle and we want to give up. People who have been excluded live in this waiting space constantly—afraid to hope, and terrified if nothing changes. Today, live in that space and cry out to God. Tomorrow is a new day. A new journey begins.
Prayer: O God, Creator of heaven and earth: Grant that, as the crucified body of your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy Sabbath, so we may await with him the coming of the third day, and rise with him to newness of life; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer)
On this Good Friday, take time to read the prophecy of Isaiah and/or the story of Jesus’s crucifixion from the gospel of John. Where you do you see yourself in the stories? What part of the story especially captures your attention?
Prayer: Almighty God, we pray you graciously to behold this your family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed, and given into the hands of sinners, and to suffer death upon the cross; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer)
So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. John 13:14-15
As we have gone through this Lenten season, we have confronted the walls that have been built to exclude groups of people from the fullness of God’s love. Race, Gender, Ethnicity, Orientation and Identity, class, status and more. Which wall was the biggest struggle for you to break down? How does the fact that Jesus washed the feet of Judas, who would soon betray him, challenge your ideas about who should (or shouldn’t) be included in your acts of kindness and service? What act of “foot washing” can you do today?
Prayer: Almighty Father, on the night before Christ suffered, he showed his disciples the full extent of his love by washing their feet. May we now follow his example, taking up the towel and serving those who are the “last and the least” in his name. May our love, like the love of your dear son, not be reserved for those that are like us or those the we selectively choose to like, but be lavished freely on each person we meet on our journey. We ask this for your glory. Amen.
As the time drew near for him to ascend to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. Luke 9:51
Jesus was aware of what he would face in Jerusalem. On several occasions he had predicted his rejection and death at the hands of those who rejected his message of the kingdom of heaven. Yet, he did not let that change his course. He still set out for Jerusalem with resolve. Breaking down walls is difficult work—and it is often met with opposition from those who prefer the status quo. But Jesus reminds us that the cause of the kingdom is greater than our personal comfort and safety. What cause are you passionate about? What would you be willing to “lose” for that cause? How does Jesus’s resolve give you strength in the struggle?
Prayer: Lord, we live in a world filled with inequality that causes deep pain and anguish. You showed us by your life that you are committed to God’s new creation no matter the cost. Fill us with a passion for your justice and mercy. Renew in us a commitment to the mission of the gospel – releasing captives, ending oppression, breaking down walls. Help us to resolutely follow in your footsteps on your way through Jerusalem to the reality of the kingdom of heaven, when God’s will WILL be done on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.
When they arrived back in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, and he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace. Mark 11:15-16
One of the most provocative acts of Jesus was to disrupt the economy of the temple, flipping tables and chairs of money changers and those selling animals for sacrifices. His direct action not only drew attention to the oppressive economic system, but was primarily done to advocate for the proper use of the Court of the Gentiles – the only part of the temple mount that was accessible to them for prayer. Who can you think of that doesn’t have access to the physical, mental or spiritual resources they need? What could you do to draw attention to their exclusion? How could you advocate for them?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, as you fearlessly confronted the forces of injustice – even turning over the tables of those who profited from oppression and acting boldly for the inclusion of outsiders in God’s reign – so grant us grace to courageously contend against evil and to make no peace with oppressors. Help us to employ our freedom to maintain justice in our communities and among the nations, to the glory of your holy Name. Amen. Adapted from BPC (For Social Justice)
Tongue on Fire 