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Meditations from Carol Dean Henn
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Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. Psalm 37:5
Once again, this verse seems to relate to yesterday’s reading. Having decided to “not fear or be dismayed,” what do we do then? We commit our way to the Lord – we give him our lives and ask for his will to be done – and we trust him. Simply trust him. This might seem difficult, especially if our troubles are overwhelming, but think about it. There are only two options. (God’s menus are short.) We can trust or not trust. Not trusting brings us nothing and takes away the little hope we can muster on our own. Trusting opens the door to hope, it allows us to fight for what we want, and to see the blessings in the midst of trouble. “Trust in him … and he will act.” ©Carol Dean Henn, 2017 Do not fear or be dismayed!
Joshua 8:1 A friend of mine has received terrible news about her medical problem. I want to tell her “do not fear or be dismayed,” but it feels as though I’d be saying those words into a raging hurricane. The winds would whip them away as soon as I said them. When bad news comes, or our lives fall apart in some way, it does, indeed, feel as if a storm surrounds us, and all the advice to ‘not worry’ is too flimsy to stand up to those squalls. What I can tell my friend is that fear is natural. It’s a healthy reaction to soul-shattering news. But once fear has told us ‘this is serious,’ we have a choice. We can focus on and embrace the fear, which is a way focusing on the negative and of sapping the strength we’ll need for the days ahead, or we can decide to not fear or be dismayed; to cast our lot with the God of hope and healing, of mornings and miracles. I hope my friend chooses to not fear or be dismayed. ©Carol Dean Henn, 2017 Sunday, October 29, 2017Our heart is glad in the Lord, because we trust in his holy name. Psalm 33:21 Contentment is an amazing thing. It is so simple that little children, people living with illness, and people with no worldly power or riches, can have contentment. And yet, contentment can elude people who seem to have all the money and means to obtain anything they want. Contentment doesn’t depend on winning the lottery or finding Mr. Right, getting a promotion or living in a mansion. Contentment can come to Aborigines in the Outback and to monarchs in castles. It can come to us. We know we have it when we lie down to sleep … and then wake up to a new day … feeling that “our heart is glad.” Almost always, it comes when we can finally trust; trust God. If we have such contentment, let’s savor it and be grateful for it. It is at once a common and a very rare gift. ©Carol Dean Henn Saturday, October 28, 2017 Lord, to you I have committed my cause.
Jeremiah 11:20 Little kids playing outdoors choose sides for games. In gym class, students are asked to choose the classmates who will be on their teams. We choose our friends, and sometimes even our colleagues—the people with whom we want to work. We make such choices all the time. And when challenges come in life, when our belief system is tested or our core values come under attack, we have to choose again. We can give in to those who want us to ‘go along’ and do wrong. We can deny the standards we hold, and turn away from our inherent morality. Or we could say, “Lord, to you I have committed my cause.” Giving in to pressure might seem easier, but we know better. In the long run, God’s way isn’t only the right way, it is … for us … the only way. And we know it. ©Carol Denn Henn Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Matthew 5:6 Among all the things we can seek and ask for – some of which we can be sure God will provide for us, some of which he might withhold – we can be certain that we will find righteousness. By ‘righteousness,’ we mean the commitment to live a God-centered, God-loving life. Righteousness is often thought of as perfection or purity, and certainly there is an ultimate excellence about the idea of righteousness. But for our purposes … for use by men, women, and youngsters making their everyday way in today’s world … righteousness can simply be thought of as ‘right living.’ When we aspire to that, when we “hunger and thirst” for it, we will surely receive the ability to live rightly from God himself. ©Carol Dean Henn Sorry for missing Wednesdays blog, both are below to catch up! Wednesday, October 25, 2017Speak out for those who cannot speak, for the rights of all the destitute. Proverbs 31:8 Today’s verse is a clear as it can be. We are to speak out for – advocate for, defend, stand up for – those who cannot speak for themselves: the powerless, the disenfranchised, the persecuted. We know who they are, and we often ignore them. After all, we’re busy with our lives. ‘It’s none of my business anyway’. Oh, but it is. It is, because God made it so. And if we try to determine who is or is not worthy of our help, it won’t work. We can never know the full story behind someone else’s miseries or downfall. We should also remember the words of German Lutheran Pastor Martin Niemoller, condemning the cowardice of those in Nazi Germany who did not stand up for the Jews: “When they came for the Communists, I didn’t stand up because I was not a Communist. When they came for the Socialists, I did not stand up because I was not a Socialist … when they came for the Jews, I did not stand up because I was not a Jew. And when they came for me, there was no one left to stand up.” Most of us are one mental breakdown, one catastrophic illness, one economic collapse, or one persecution away from being ‘one of them.’ When we stand up for others, we stand for us all. And for God. ©Carol Dean Henn Thursday, October 26, 2017Jesus said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
Mark 2:5 Today’s verse seems to suggest that the young man’s paralysis was his fault; the result of some sin or wrong-doing by him or his parents; a punishment. That idea fit in with pagan superstitions, and with the guilt and self-blame promoted by religious authorities. But we know that even innocent children … even the best and most blessed of people … can be born with or develop illnesses or disabilities. Jesus certainly never pointed a finger at an afflicted person and said, “That’s your fault, you know!’ So, when he really meant “Stand up, be well, you are healed!” why did Jesus say, “Your sins are forgiven”? Perhaps two things are at work here. Jesus could have been telling the young man to let go of any barriers he had to receiving healing, and –most certainly – he was defying religious authorities who believed that only God could forgive sins. Those scribes and authorities immediately accused Jesus of blasphemy, but he calmly turned from them. He had asserted his authority, his divine authority. He not only healed a man in need, he had put the scribes on notice. He was God’s own son. ©Carol Dean Henn May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another,
in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:5-6 Today’s verse follows yesterday’s reading very appropriately. When people work together in harmony and good will, on any project, that project is not only more likely to succeed, but those involved will also derive satisfaction and enjoyment from their work and their fellowship. Anyone who has ever worked in a setting in which people are quarreling and opposing each other knows how difficult it can be to get things done. When we’re in harmony, we’re also in harness with God’s greater good. Whatever we do today, let us remember to live, work, and serve in harmony with others. God will be glorified … and grateful. ©Carol Dean Henn, 2017 As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net
into the sea—for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me.” Mark 1:16-17 In the same way that most of us do not use all of our creative or analytical abilities, we also seldom strain ourselves spiritually. It doesn’t occur to us that God might have life-changing work for us to do; that we might touch others and help to transform their lives, bringing them glimpses of God’s love and power, opening their hearts and strengthening their spirits. Such powers seem to be more in the province of pastors and Popes. But when Jesus strolled along the shoreline, he called to two ordinary men, two fishermen. He chose common people for the uncommon and holy work of helping with his ministry and establishing his church. He is still choosing common people today. Choosing you and me. Let us follow him. Let us help create the miracles he has planned. ©Carol Dean Henn, 2017 My father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.
John 15:8 Wise managers and CEOs know this truth: when they allow their employees to succeed, shine, and get their deserved credit, congratulations will ultimately reflect back on the manager. God knows that the beauty and wonder of his perfect will, his loving will, is not shown only in the words or even the promises of scripture. His glory is shown in the works of his people, his children … you and me. It is shown in transformed lives and transcended limits. It is shown in the care we give to the planet and the love we show even to our enemies.It shines in mercy, kindness, generosity. The fruit we bear, in all that we do, glorifies the God who made us. ©Carol Dean Henn, 2017 His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness.
2 Peter 1:3 Deep down, we know … we know … that we have all that we need and far more than we need. If we have a roof over our heads, a place to sleep in safety, and food for today and tomorrow, we have more than many of the people on the planet. God not only provides for our material and physical needs, he provides the wisdom, humility, love, and compassion that we need to live abundantly and in godliness. There is nothing wrong with enjoying the beautiful and wonderful things available to us in the world—from art to music, from furnishings to travel. But we must always realize and give thanks that “His divine power has given us everything needed.” ©Carol Dean Henn, 2017 You shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail.
Isaiah 58:11 Surely, God has a sense of humor. He gave me this verse on a day when we’ve had torrential rains. The skies have poured water into every spot of ground and every crevice of sidewalk. If I saw my neighbors building an ark, I wouldn’t be surprised. But we’ve needed the rain. Flowers, grass, crops, and trees need rain. Water is a blessing. We humans need water, too, and not just the water that flows into our streams and reservoirs. We need the life-giving, refreshing, renewing water of life that God provides. That water “never fails,” and with it, we can blossom and thrive and be all that God in his glorious love envisioned us to be. “Thank you, Lord, thank you.” ©Carol Dean Henn, 2017 |
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AuthorCarol Dean Henn of St. John’s Windish Lutheran Church in Bethlehem, PA |