"They make a pit, digging it out, and fall into the hole that they have made. Their mischief returns upon their own heads, and on their own heads their violence descends." (Psalm 7:15-16)
I've always been a fan of Loony Tunes, one of my favorite cartoon shows growing up. One character that I always found amusing was Wiley Coyote. As you probably recall he is always scheming and planning new ways to catch his nemesis the Roadrunner. Whether it be products from the Acme Company or his own bizarre and usually over thought traps, he inevitably winds up being the one caught by his own plan.
There are certainly instances in our lives where we have pursued some goal for all the wrong reasons or sought some kind of revenge against someone else, only to have it backfire completely. The consequences of these choices ultimately coming back to haunt us or getting us in a lot of trouble.
This of course is nothing new. Throughout human history when our thoughts seek the downfall or the hurt of others we often wind up being the ones hurt. Not because the other party outsmarts us, but because our initial impulse was wrong.
I don't personally like being trapped, not only by others but especially by own foolish plans.
How very humiliating it can be to look from a hole we dug but never expected to wind up in ourselves.
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Reflections for 3/11/14
"I do not nullify the grace of God, for if justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing."(Galatians 2:21)
At some point you have probably said to yourself, well that was a waste of time, or what was the point of that? You've gone through a very painful experience, made some kind of sacrifice for another person, and nothing came of it. You can't even look back and say, I did what I knew needed to be done.
As a Christian the greatest gift we've been given was God's grace, given freely to us because of Christ's death. Living fully into that grace filled life one would think should be easy. And yet I seem to find people wanting to complicate it all the time. If they can just put some controls on others, whip out a handy verse or two to show their correctness, all will be well, they will be justified. It is even more ironic when they choose their quotes from the Hebrew Scriptures. This happens especially in any of the cultural wars when the Bible gets quoted.
And yet here is the Bible giving us a real warning about doing that. If our justification comes through the law, or I'd add in quoting the law, then Christ died for nothing and grace is nullified.
I do think it is incredibly important to know what the Bible says. I read, mark and inwardly digest it daily. However, to use quotes from scripture as a weapon to judge others violates the integrity of the Good News and personally I won't do that.
Blessings,
Ed
At some point you have probably said to yourself, well that was a waste of time, or what was the point of that? You've gone through a very painful experience, made some kind of sacrifice for another person, and nothing came of it. You can't even look back and say, I did what I knew needed to be done.
As a Christian the greatest gift we've been given was God's grace, given freely to us because of Christ's death. Living fully into that grace filled life one would think should be easy. And yet I seem to find people wanting to complicate it all the time. If they can just put some controls on others, whip out a handy verse or two to show their correctness, all will be well, they will be justified. It is even more ironic when they choose their quotes from the Hebrew Scriptures. This happens especially in any of the cultural wars when the Bible gets quoted.
And yet here is the Bible giving us a real warning about doing that. If our justification comes through the law, or I'd add in quoting the law, then Christ died for nothing and grace is nullified.
I do think it is incredibly important to know what the Bible says. I read, mark and inwardly digest it daily. However, to use quotes from scripture as a weapon to judge others violates the integrity of the Good News and personally I won't do that.
Blessings,
Ed
Monday, March 10, 2014
Reflections for 3/10/14
" And they glorified God because of me."(Galatians 1:24)
When was the last time you can recall someone singing your praises to others? I hope that it has happened for you. I also hope it was for something that you might not have been expecting any kind of praise for.
Believing that someone might actually give thanks to God for us is often hard. Perhaps it feels to egocentric. Perhaps we feel we were just doing the right thing.
There are certainly people that I give thanks to God for, not only because of their presence in my life, but also for people who I've never met that I see doing the work of Christ in this world.
Blessings,
Ed
When was the last time you can recall someone singing your praises to others? I hope that it has happened for you. I also hope it was for something that you might not have been expecting any kind of praise for.
Believing that someone might actually give thanks to God for us is often hard. Perhaps it feels to egocentric. Perhaps we feel we were just doing the right thing.
There are certainly people that I give thanks to God for, not only because of their presence in my life, but also for people who I've never met that I see doing the work of Christ in this world.
Blessings,
Ed
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Reflection for 3/9/14
While today is officially the First Sunday in Lent, from the readings today I think it could just as easily be Temptation Sunday. Two of the readings in church today were classic stories of temptation, one ending in failure, one in triumph.
The first one was of course the classic scene from Genesis with Eve and the Serpent having a conversation about whether to eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the other Jesus being tempted by Satan after a forty day fast.
As I thought about those two stories I thought about how in most of our lives temptation always seems to show up. The Genesis story is just like having that "friend" who tells you that there won't be any trouble if you follow his lead and do something that might seem to be fun or perhaps even risky. Maybe your parents told you not to do it, but that nagging voice, perhaps even taunting you is just too much to ward off. And suddenly you crossed a line you knew you shouldn't cross. In the passage the argument was that God told the humans that if they ate that fruit they would die. The serpent of course telling them they wouldn't. In terms of a literal physical death the serpent was right, they lived. However what did die was a trusting relationship between God and those two humans. The relationship wasn't killed but it changed radically. Perhaps in the same way that our relationship with those we love changes when trust gets violated.
As I contemplated Jesus' temptation I saw that reality of how when we are physically weak, that we can be spiritually vulnerable. I doubt I would be at my best after 40 days with no food. Sometimes 40 minutes seems like an eternity. I also noticed that the devil can use scripture just as well as the most devout.
The other thing I realized is how temptation plays such a role especially in Lent. If we gave something up, something for Lent, and if it was something that we usually have or take part in, how tempting it can be to revert back. Or if you took something on for Lent, how tempting it can to do something else.
I hope your Lenten journey is one that has more time spent with God, than warding off temptation.
Blessings,
Ed
The first one was of course the classic scene from Genesis with Eve and the Serpent having a conversation about whether to eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the other Jesus being tempted by Satan after a forty day fast.
As I thought about those two stories I thought about how in most of our lives temptation always seems to show up. The Genesis story is just like having that "friend" who tells you that there won't be any trouble if you follow his lead and do something that might seem to be fun or perhaps even risky. Maybe your parents told you not to do it, but that nagging voice, perhaps even taunting you is just too much to ward off. And suddenly you crossed a line you knew you shouldn't cross. In the passage the argument was that God told the humans that if they ate that fruit they would die. The serpent of course telling them they wouldn't. In terms of a literal physical death the serpent was right, they lived. However what did die was a trusting relationship between God and those two humans. The relationship wasn't killed but it changed radically. Perhaps in the same way that our relationship with those we love changes when trust gets violated.
As I contemplated Jesus' temptation I saw that reality of how when we are physically weak, that we can be spiritually vulnerable. I doubt I would be at my best after 40 days with no food. Sometimes 40 minutes seems like an eternity. I also noticed that the devil can use scripture just as well as the most devout.
The other thing I realized is how temptation plays such a role especially in Lent. If we gave something up, something for Lent, and if it was something that we usually have or take part in, how tempting it can be to revert back. Or if you took something on for Lent, how tempting it can to do something else.
I hope your Lenten journey is one that has more time spent with God, than warding off temptation.
Blessings,
Ed
Saturday, March 8, 2014
8 "I will both lie down and sleep in peace; for you alone, O Lord, make me lie down in safety."(Psalm 4:8)
Tonight we turn our clocks forward an hour, thus loosing an hour of sleep, but tomorrow gaining more time with the sun out. I'm trying to decide if I will go to bed an hour early since I still have to wake up when the clocks say 6 am, even if my body thinks it is only 5 am.
Whatever time I choose to lie down, I hope I can lay aside the cares of the day. I know that not having a lot on my mind leads to a peaceful sleep. The CPap machine also helps.
I feel safe in my bed, safe with my wife lying next to me. And feel the safety of the presence of God in my life.
When my mind is troubled the peaceful sleep doesn't come. I've had a good run lately and I hope to maintain it.
Perhaps the key to this will be giving up the days dilemmas to God.
Blessings,
Ed
Tonight we turn our clocks forward an hour, thus loosing an hour of sleep, but tomorrow gaining more time with the sun out. I'm trying to decide if I will go to bed an hour early since I still have to wake up when the clocks say 6 am, even if my body thinks it is only 5 am.
Whatever time I choose to lie down, I hope I can lay aside the cares of the day. I know that not having a lot on my mind leads to a peaceful sleep. The CPap machine also helps.
I feel safe in my bed, safe with my wife lying next to me. And feel the safety of the presence of God in my life.
When my mind is troubled the peaceful sleep doesn't come. I've had a good run lately and I hope to maintain it.
Perhaps the key to this will be giving up the days dilemmas to God.
Blessings,
Ed
Friday, March 7, 2014
Reflections for 3/7/14
"Therefore, to keep[a] me from being too elated, a thorn was given to me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated." (II Corinthians 12:7)
Is there something in your life that is nagging at you? A part of your daily life that keeps you from being totally satisfied? When I hear Paul talking about having a thorn given to him in the flesh, I get it. I can look into my own life and see actions, people, choices or circumstances that make it hard for me to be totally satisfied.
.
That's not to say that the thorn ruins everything. It doesn't. But it keeps me very much aware of how I fall short. And that there's very little I can do about it, but keep on keeping on.
Paul doesn't tell us what his thorn in the flesh is. Anyone who claims they know what it is is guessing.
The only thorns in the flesh we can know about and acknowledge are our own. What we can seek is the best way to live with them, since they apparently aren't going away.
Blessings,
Ed
Is there something in your life that is nagging at you? A part of your daily life that keeps you from being totally satisfied? When I hear Paul talking about having a thorn given to him in the flesh, I get it. I can look into my own life and see actions, people, choices or circumstances that make it hard for me to be totally satisfied.
.
That's not to say that the thorn ruins everything. It doesn't. But it keeps me very much aware of how I fall short. And that there's very little I can do about it, but keep on keeping on.
Paul doesn't tell us what his thorn in the flesh is. Anyone who claims they know what it is is guessing.
The only thorns in the flesh we can know about and acknowledge are our own. What we can seek is the best way to live with them, since they apparently aren't going away.
Blessings,
Ed
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Reflection for 3/6/14
" I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me! "(2 Corinthians 11:1)
One of the things I committed myself to this Lent was to get back to writing these reflections. Why has it taken me this long to get back into the habit of writing, I really can't say. My heart and head could never seem to get in unison and start writing. I found other things to do.
Were all of them productive? Hardly. Were all of them necessary? Some but not all. As I reflect back on how I used my time, I'm amazed at how often I foolishly wasted time.
My hope for this Lent is to be more focused on things that truly matter and then reward myself with a little foolishness, a little wasting of time.
Has my foolishness had a price? In the big picture not really. Is there foolishness that can have dire consequences absolutely.
But perhaps in ordering my day a little better there will be time for some foolishness, some lighter hearted moments, but I will do so knowing that I've also accomplished much if not all of what I set forward to do that day.
So we'll see how this goes, I hope if you are a reader you'll bear with me and hold me accountable.
Blessings,
Ed
One of the things I committed myself to this Lent was to get back to writing these reflections. Why has it taken me this long to get back into the habit of writing, I really can't say. My heart and head could never seem to get in unison and start writing. I found other things to do.
Were all of them productive? Hardly. Were all of them necessary? Some but not all. As I reflect back on how I used my time, I'm amazed at how often I foolishly wasted time.
My hope for this Lent is to be more focused on things that truly matter and then reward myself with a little foolishness, a little wasting of time.
Has my foolishness had a price? In the big picture not really. Is there foolishness that can have dire consequences absolutely.
But perhaps in ordering my day a little better there will be time for some foolishness, some lighter hearted moments, but I will do so knowing that I've also accomplished much if not all of what I set forward to do that day.
So we'll see how this goes, I hope if you are a reader you'll bear with me and hold me accountable.
Blessings,
Ed
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