The Holy Trinity
Devotional
Streams of Living Water
Lectionary Devotional for Cycle B
Object:
Isaiah 6:1-8
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" and I said, "Here am I; send me!"
-- Isaiah 6:8
Isaiah lived through a national crisis. The beloved King Uzziah had died after a long and fruitful reign. The nation felt leaderless. When we experience the chaos of unexpected transition in our society or life, we are much more open to the prompting of God. When things are comfortable, we can become dependent on keeping things as they are. But in transition, we are more ready for the new. In Isaiah's case, he had the experience of the presence of God seeking a person to stand forth in a turbulent time. In experiencing the presence of God, Isaiah had two responses. First, he felt unworthy. Second, he experienced a sense of God's call. Isaiah's sense of unworthiness in the presence of God was cleansed by God. It is God, not we ourselves, that makes us worthy. Then, having been made worthy by God, God issues a call to us.
Our vocation is transformed into God's vocation when we allow God to cleanse us. For some it may be a complete change of direction in the same profession. Instead of fishing for profit, the purpose for fishing may be transformed into how it feeds other people. For others it may be a totally new profession. This does not invalidate what we have been doing but simply gives our life a totally new direction. In either case, it begins with the renewed sense of the cleansing presence of God in our lives.
Psalm 29
Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name; worship the Lord in holy splendor.
-- Psalm 29:2
Dietrich Bonhoeffer once suggested that each of the psalms could be heard as a development of one of the petitions of the Lord's Prayer. When you think of the petitions of the Lord's Prayer, Psalm 29 could be seen as a reflection on the doxology: "For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory." The imagery is that of a powerful storm that sweeps over land and water. The thunder (v. 3), lightning (v. 4), and driving winds (v. 5) evoke a response of awe and humility. Witnessing such a storm reminds one of the awesome power of God that makes the frequently used biblical symbols of power -- the cedars of Lebanon (v. 6) and the great oaks (v. 9) -- seem like mere playthings. This exhibition of power evokes a response from both the heavenly beings (v. 1) and those in the temple (v. 9) -- "glory."
To glorify God is to acknowledge the incomparable contrast between our earthly symbols of power and the reality of God. The storm is but a metaphor that reminds us that we have not begun to probe the dimensions of God's majesty. The flood is a symbol of chaos, yet God sits enthroned over it (v. 10). There are no limits to God's kingdom, power, and glory (v. 10). Recognizing that, all we can do is petition God for strength and peace (v. 11) knowing that, in the end, our strength and peace come from the one who holds all power, glory, and majesty in his hand. In an age when we are all too easily mesmerized by human attempts to demonstrate power, it is an important act of worship to contemplate on the absolute power of the one who created and maintains the universe.
Romans 8:12-17
For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear.
-- Romans 8:15a
We are well aware of the fear of the unknown. People will often stay in abusive relationships or dead-end jobs because of their fear of the unknown. People can be enslaved in a hurtful life because fear is their master. Paul spoke of this as living by the flesh. To live by the flesh is to be directed by the feelings and physical needs that are part of our bodies. If we are hungry, then hunger becomes the center of our existence. If we are envious, then the feeling of envy shapes our actions. The dominant power directing such a life is the fear of death. We can easily become enslaved to our immediate needs and fears. Paul spoke of the alternative to slavery as living by the Spirit. To live by the Spirit of God is to be adopted into the family of God. Fear rules you like a slave, but God treats you like a family member.
To be a child of God means to be guided in life by one who knows no fear and bids us have courage for the future. To live by the Spirit is to be directed by the pull of God's future rather than be driven by the fear of our insecurities. It is to trust that God's creative Spirit can speak in the midst of our chaos and form a new world out of nothing. It is to allow God's Spirit to shape our spirit so that we move away from fear to hope. It does not mean that we will not suffer, as did Jesus, but that in our own faithfulness, we will be heirs with Christ and glorify God.
John 3:1-17
Very truly, I tell you no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.
-- John 3:3
This whole interchange between Jesus and Nicodemus centered on a play on words. The phrase Jesus used that the NRSV translates "born from above" can either mean that or "born again." When you hear someone use that phrase, you have to decide whether they mean born again or born from above. Nicodemus, and many Christians who have been shaped by the King James Version, mistakenly assumed that Jesus meant born again. Therefore he entered this rather comical interplay with Jesus and asked, "How can anyone be born after having grown old?" (v. 4).
In order to point out the ridiculousness of this, Nicodemus continues, "Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?" (v. 4). Jesus then corrected Nicodemus' misunderstanding by pointing out that what Jesus was talking about was being born of the Spirit. To be born from above is to open yourself to the Spirit of God rather than the needs of the body and the mind in directing your life. There is a reason why allowing ourselves to be directed by the Spirit of God is difficult. Much of our life is founded on our trying to keep control or at least to be controlled by the predictable in life. The Spirit of God is like the wind: "The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes" (v. 8).
To allow your life to be directed by the Spirit is to be open to the unexpected. The only security in such a life is the security derived from your trust in God who refuses to be controlled.
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" and I said, "Here am I; send me!"
-- Isaiah 6:8
Isaiah lived through a national crisis. The beloved King Uzziah had died after a long and fruitful reign. The nation felt leaderless. When we experience the chaos of unexpected transition in our society or life, we are much more open to the prompting of God. When things are comfortable, we can become dependent on keeping things as they are. But in transition, we are more ready for the new. In Isaiah's case, he had the experience of the presence of God seeking a person to stand forth in a turbulent time. In experiencing the presence of God, Isaiah had two responses. First, he felt unworthy. Second, he experienced a sense of God's call. Isaiah's sense of unworthiness in the presence of God was cleansed by God. It is God, not we ourselves, that makes us worthy. Then, having been made worthy by God, God issues a call to us.
Our vocation is transformed into God's vocation when we allow God to cleanse us. For some it may be a complete change of direction in the same profession. Instead of fishing for profit, the purpose for fishing may be transformed into how it feeds other people. For others it may be a totally new profession. This does not invalidate what we have been doing but simply gives our life a totally new direction. In either case, it begins with the renewed sense of the cleansing presence of God in our lives.
Psalm 29
Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name; worship the Lord in holy splendor.
-- Psalm 29:2
Dietrich Bonhoeffer once suggested that each of the psalms could be heard as a development of one of the petitions of the Lord's Prayer. When you think of the petitions of the Lord's Prayer, Psalm 29 could be seen as a reflection on the doxology: "For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory." The imagery is that of a powerful storm that sweeps over land and water. The thunder (v. 3), lightning (v. 4), and driving winds (v. 5) evoke a response of awe and humility. Witnessing such a storm reminds one of the awesome power of God that makes the frequently used biblical symbols of power -- the cedars of Lebanon (v. 6) and the great oaks (v. 9) -- seem like mere playthings. This exhibition of power evokes a response from both the heavenly beings (v. 1) and those in the temple (v. 9) -- "glory."
To glorify God is to acknowledge the incomparable contrast between our earthly symbols of power and the reality of God. The storm is but a metaphor that reminds us that we have not begun to probe the dimensions of God's majesty. The flood is a symbol of chaos, yet God sits enthroned over it (v. 10). There are no limits to God's kingdom, power, and glory (v. 10). Recognizing that, all we can do is petition God for strength and peace (v. 11) knowing that, in the end, our strength and peace come from the one who holds all power, glory, and majesty in his hand. In an age when we are all too easily mesmerized by human attempts to demonstrate power, it is an important act of worship to contemplate on the absolute power of the one who created and maintains the universe.
Romans 8:12-17
For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear.
-- Romans 8:15a
We are well aware of the fear of the unknown. People will often stay in abusive relationships or dead-end jobs because of their fear of the unknown. People can be enslaved in a hurtful life because fear is their master. Paul spoke of this as living by the flesh. To live by the flesh is to be directed by the feelings and physical needs that are part of our bodies. If we are hungry, then hunger becomes the center of our existence. If we are envious, then the feeling of envy shapes our actions. The dominant power directing such a life is the fear of death. We can easily become enslaved to our immediate needs and fears. Paul spoke of the alternative to slavery as living by the Spirit. To live by the Spirit of God is to be adopted into the family of God. Fear rules you like a slave, but God treats you like a family member.
To be a child of God means to be guided in life by one who knows no fear and bids us have courage for the future. To live by the Spirit is to be directed by the pull of God's future rather than be driven by the fear of our insecurities. It is to trust that God's creative Spirit can speak in the midst of our chaos and form a new world out of nothing. It is to allow God's Spirit to shape our spirit so that we move away from fear to hope. It does not mean that we will not suffer, as did Jesus, but that in our own faithfulness, we will be heirs with Christ and glorify God.
John 3:1-17
Very truly, I tell you no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.
-- John 3:3
This whole interchange between Jesus and Nicodemus centered on a play on words. The phrase Jesus used that the NRSV translates "born from above" can either mean that or "born again." When you hear someone use that phrase, you have to decide whether they mean born again or born from above. Nicodemus, and many Christians who have been shaped by the King James Version, mistakenly assumed that Jesus meant born again. Therefore he entered this rather comical interplay with Jesus and asked, "How can anyone be born after having grown old?" (v. 4).
In order to point out the ridiculousness of this, Nicodemus continues, "Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?" (v. 4). Jesus then corrected Nicodemus' misunderstanding by pointing out that what Jesus was talking about was being born of the Spirit. To be born from above is to open yourself to the Spirit of God rather than the needs of the body and the mind in directing your life. There is a reason why allowing ourselves to be directed by the Spirit of God is difficult. Much of our life is founded on our trying to keep control or at least to be controlled by the predictable in life. The Spirit of God is like the wind: "The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes" (v. 8).
To allow your life to be directed by the Spirit is to be open to the unexpected. The only security in such a life is the security derived from your trust in God who refuses to be controlled.
