On the Way to Wonder

July 4^th stirs up many memories of tail-gate dinners at the Rose Bowl with friends while we waited to watch fireworks over the walls, free for us peons! Bar-b-ques of strips of meat “off the bone” in Kenya and hot dogs and hamburgers in the USA. Patriotic music Is on the radio. Our family tradition is to watch Independence Day and one of our favorite lines we love to banter between us comes near the end when Will Smith gets the direction backwards for flying the space craft, “Ooops, let’s try that again.” Countered with, “We have got to work on our communication skills!”

I read Luke 4:14-21 this morning and focused on the verbs used by Isaiah and quoted by Jesus as fulfilled, “preach and proclaim.” My heart pondered what words of July 4^th have deeply impacted my life. Immediately the Boston Tea Party came to mind, not the Declaration of Independence! “No taxation without representation.” Those words speak to me in ways that assure me that I, a nobody, cannot be erased from the political scene and legislated against without me having the opportunity to represent myself. The words for Isaiah give a similar message. All of us who do not have health, wealth, power, talent – all that the world values – are not erased from God’s view. I do not have to represent myself for the God of the universe has remembered me and acted for my “freedom,” “independence” from sin, and my eternal security. I will one day appear in God’s presence and will certainly have to confess that, “Oooops, I got the directions backwards” but I will also fall on my knees and request “to work on our communication skills.” Then I will have done as Proverbs 4:23 advises, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Blessings as you celebrate today!

Jesus was anointed to preach “good news” (Luke 4: 18). What good news would you or I like to receive from God today? I turned to Proverbs 3 for July 3. Proverbs 3:3 assures us, “Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.” I find it comforting that God does not require great knowledge and intelligence, great wealth and tithing, nor great deeds of bravery in the face of war. Love and faithfulness focus on our response to the challenges of the moment. Perhaps it is the challenge of keeping my eyes on God who helps me forgive and forget the imperfections of others and myself and the God who helps me persevere when I am so weary and tempted to give up. For me, today, I am grateful for that good news I can focus on before I think about the rest of Luke 4. “Favor in the eyes of God” results from the love in my heart and the faithfulness of my hands. Lord, help me today to be loving and faithful that I might gain favor in your sight. Blessings.

It seems rather poetic that as we draw near to July 4 and all the celebrations of our “independence” that I have been challenged to read Luke 4:14-21 each day this month and ponder the different ways the passage touches my heart, soul. Luke records Jesus quoting Isaiah 61, “the Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news.” Isaiah feels “anointed” by God to share his message, that Jesus said was fulfilled in him, and which the church uses today to cry for justice.

It seems to me today that one of the difference between the Declaration of Independence that professes the belief that all people are created equal “with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life liberty and the pursuit of happiness…” and our Luke text is the word “anointed.” The Declaration is a statement of belief agreed on by our founding fathers and that we are still trying to work into reality. But the good news being preached is an anointment, is a message sent from God, about a fact that happened. Both documents have very similar themes but “anointing” implies divine authorship. It talks of a reality that we may not experience but which is true and backed by a God who has the power to make it happen. Anointing is mentioned 168 times in the Bible.

Baptism is a kind of anointing, marking a child with the sign of the cross, affirming God’s declaration of faithfulness to that child, sealing a relationship. God holds on to that child and to me even when I am weak, confused, doubting and He is creating the conditions that follow. Jesus affirms, “today this scripture is fulfilled.” Perhaps as we prepare for the celebrations of this weekend and all the fireworks and concerts, we could take some time to ponder the freedoms we have in Christ. I am so faithful that my freedom of faith is “anointed” and sealed with the cross and secure for eternity. I look forward to the freedom of worship on Sunday that our government allows, even if we are sheltering! Amen! Blessings.

I woke up this morning in tears. Last night a friend called and after a misunderstanding hung up on me. I am crushed and feel “powerless” this morning. So as I opened my Bible to read again Luke 4:14-21, I was struck by the first sentence that says Jesus returned to his home area in northern Israel, Galilee “in the power of the Spirit.” Power is actually a big word in our culture right now as we talk about justice and inequality so that some segments of society have power and others do not. Fourth of July will be celebrated with powerful fireworks celebrating our independence from one of the most powerful countries in the world at that time. Illness has given institutions the power to reformat services as I had a doctor visit over the phone yesterday. I did not need to stick out my tongue or have my blood pressure taken! Power, what is it?

To my surprise the Webster’s first definition does not deal with a source of energy ie that I receive power from without. The first definition is “ability to produce an effect”, secondly “authority”, thirdly “political control or influence”, fourthly angels, fifthly mathematical powers that indicate multiplication, and not until definition six do I find “a source or means of supplying energy.” As I ponder my late night discussion, I realize I feel powerless by all definitions of power.

Proverbs 1 turns the reader away from the desired outcome of powerful actions. Fools are enticed into company with people who promise wealth and prosperity and success but that becomes a trap that ruins them. Rather, the writer challenges us to focus on wisdom, on the fear of the Lord that leads to knowledge, discretion, guidance and understanding. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” This does not mean I am right and I will probably have to eat humble pie today to repair a valued friendship but it does mean I have a source of help outside myself, that breathes into my life and will help me navigate turbulent waters. I do not know your challenge as you face today but I pray you walk with the awareness of the power of the Spirit who cares for you. Blessings.