To see Christ through our poverty

05 Sep 2013 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , , ,

Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.

And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness ‘sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. ~Matthew 5:1-11 (CEB)

When we are not afraid to confess our own poverty, we will be able to be with other people in theirs.  The Christ who lives in our own poverty recognizes the Christ who lives in other people’s.   Just as we are inclined to ignore our own poverty, we are inclined to ignore others’.  We prefer not to see people who are destitute, we do not like to look at people who are deformed or disabled, we avoid talking about people’s pains and sorrows, we stay away from brokenness, helplessness, and neediness.

By this avoidance we might lose touch with the people through whom God is manifested to us.  But when we have discovered God in our own poverty, we will lose our fear of the poor and go to them to meet God. ~From Bread for the Journey, by Henri J. M. Nouwen

Heavenly Father, give me courage this day to speak from my heart the things that need to be said. Where I see poverty help me to speak out of my own experiences so that I may lead others into Your light. May I not leave anyone in darkness today. Amen.

Logging

24 Aug 2013 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , , ,

“Don’t judge, so that you won’t be judged. You’ll receive the same judgment you give. Whatever you deal out will be dealt out to you. Why do you see the splinter that’s in your brother’s or sister’s eye, but don’t notice the log in your own eye? How can you say to your brother or sister, ‘Let me take the splinter out of your eye,’ when there’s a log in your eye? You deceive yourself! First take the log out of your eye, and then you’ll see clearly to take the splinter out of your brother’s or sister’s eye. Don’t give holy things to dogs, and don’t throw your pearls in front of pigs. They will stomp on the pearls, then turn around and attack you. ~Matthew 7:1-6 (CEB)

“We have to train ourselves to recognize how we’re giving an ‘affective charge’ to an offense, how we are getting energy from mulling over someone else’s mistakes. We can build a case with no effect at all. We wrap and embellish and by the time our twenty minutes of ‘prayer’ are over, we have a complete case. The verdict is in: the other person is guilty. And wrong besides. And because the other is wrong, we are right. ‘Scapegoating’ is when we displace the issue and project it over there instead of owning here, too. Only the contemplative mind can recognize its own complicity and participation in this great mystery of evil. The contemplative mind holds the tension and refuses to ease itself by projection evil elsewhere.” ~From Everything Belongs by Richard Rohr

Open my eyes O Lord to see the truth. Help me to see what work needs to be done in my own life. Help me to remove the log that is keeping me blind. Amen.

Unconditional witness

23 Aug 2013 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , , , , ,

Dear friends, let’s love each other, because love is from God, and everyone who loves is born from God and knows God. The person who doesn’t love does not know God, because God is love. This is how the love of God is revealed to us: God has sent his only Son into the world so that we can live through him. This is love: it is not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son as the sacrifice that deals with our sins. ~1John 4:7-10 (CEB)

“Good news becomes bad news when it is announced without peace and joy.  Anyone who proclaims the forgiving and healing love of Jesus with a bitter heart is a false witness.  Jesus is the savior of the world.  We are not.  We are called to witness, always with our lives and sometimes with our words, to the great things God has done for us.  But this witness must come from a heart that is willing to give without getting anything in return.

The more we trust in God’s unconditional love for us, the more able we will be to proclaim the love of Jesus without any inner or outer conditions.” ~From Bread for the Journey by Henri J.M. Nouwen

. Help me today O Lord to love as You would love. May I be a living witness of that love to every person that I meet. Help me to trust that Your love for me is unconditional so that I may better do Your will. Amen

The little things

15 Aug 2013 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, how many times should I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Should I forgive as many as seven times?”

Jesus said, “Not just seven times, but rather as many as seventy- seven times. Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. ~Matt. 18:21-23 (CEB)

“This is hard. It is perhaps not so hard to forgive a single great injury. But to forgive the incessant provocations of daily life- to keep on forgiving the bossy mother-in-law, the bullying husband, the nagging wife, the selfish daughter, the deceitful son- how can we do it? Only, I think, but remembering where we stand, by meaning our words when we say in our prayers each night ‘Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those that trespass against us!’ We are offered forgiveness on no other terms. To refuse it is to refuse God’s mercy for ourselves. There is no hint of exceptions.” ~From Fern-Seed and Elephants by C. S. Lewis

Help me to let go of those every day moments O Lord that add up to become more than they should. Help me to give the mercy I seek for myself to those around me. May I be quick to forgive and slow to anger. Amen.

Companionship

03 Aug 2013 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , ,

As Jesus walked alongside the Galilee Sea, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew, throwing fishing nets into the sea, because they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” he said, “and I’ll show you how to fish for people.” Right away, they left their nets and followed him. Continuing on, he saw another set of brothers, James the son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with Zebedee their father repairing their nets. Jesus called them and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. ~Matt 4:18-22 (CEB)

“When Jesus begins his public ministry, one of the first things he does is to find companions, those individuals who will share his life and ministry in a special way. Whenever Jesus faces a difficult situation, he gathers these companions around himself- sometimes all twelve, sometimes only a few. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Savior of the world, needed the companionship of others. Even he, as strong and powerful and food as he was, couldn’t go it alone.

We can’t go it alone either. We cannot face the challenges of life without the support of others. This need for companionship is one we must never be ashamed of. We must never think, ‘If I were more mature, I could stand on my own two feet.’ Or, ‘If my faith were stronger, I wouldn’t have to rely so much on others.’ No, our need for companionship, fellowship, friendship, is in the very fabric of our human psyche. It is yet one more way that we are made in the image and likeness of God.” ~From Abundant Treasures by Melannie Svoboda

Heavenly Father, I thank you so much for the friends You have sent to walk this journey with me. I thank You for their companionship, fellowship and friendship that they have offered me. There is no way that I could manage this life without their support. Help me to be Your image to others so that they also will not find themselves alone. Amen

Fellowship

31 Jul 2013 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , , ,

 

The believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the community, to their shared meals, and to their prayers. A sense of awe came over everyone. God performed many wonders and signs through the apostles. All the believers were united and shared everything. They would sell pieces of property and possessions and distribute the proceeds to everyone who needed them. Every day, they met together in the temple and ate in their homes. They shared food with gladness and simplicity. They praised God and demonstrated God’s goodness to everyone. The Lord added daily to the community those who were being saved. ~Acts 2:42-47 (CEB)

“The Christian life flourishes in community. Corporate worship, study, fellowship, and action are the soil in which authentic faith takes root and grows toward maturity. . . .

Worship is one of the most profound experiences of life for humankind. For Christians, gathered around the Lord’s Table, the baptismal font, and the scriptures are essential elements of an authentic life or worship. The congregation where scripture, liturgy, music, persons in quest of communion with God, and spirit-filled leadership come together will provide nurture and sustenance to all who experience its life.” ~From Spiritual Life in the Congregation by Ruben P. Job

Heavenly father, help me to live an authentic life. I thank You today that You see me for more than I am. I thank You for the Christians you have placed in my life. Help the seeds of maturity find good soil to grow. Amen.

Of service

26 Jul 2013 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , ,

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. ~ Phil. 2:1-11 (CEB)

“Jesus remains Lord by being a servant. The beloved disciple presents a mind-bending image of God, blowing away all previous conceptions of who the Messiah is and what discipleship is all about. What a scandalous reversal of the world’s values! To prefer to be the servant rather than the lord of the household is the path of downward mobility in an upwardly mobile culture. To taunt the idols of prestige, honor, and recognition, to refuse to take oneself seriously, and to freely embrace the servant lifestyle- these are the attitudes that bear the stamp of authentic discipleship.

The start realism of John’s portrait of Christ leaves no room for romanticized idealism or sloppy sentimentality. Servanthood is not an emotion or mood or feeling; it is a decision to live like Jesus. It has nothing to do with what we feel; it has everything to do with what we do- humble service. To listen obediently to Jesus- ‘If I, then, the Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you should wash each other’s feet’ – is to hear the heartbeat of the Rabbi John knew and loved.

When being is divorced from doing, pious thoughts become an adequate substitute for washing dirty feet.” ~From Reflections for Ragamuffins by Brennan Manning

Help me to live this day for You, O Lord. Even in the moments that I am tired give me the energy to serve You in all I do. Help me to humbly be Your hands of service. Amen.

All for Your glory

25 Jul 2013 Leave a comment

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God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. ~ 1 Cor. 1:9 (CEB)

“Jesus was broken on the cross. He lived his suffering and death not as an evil to avoid at all costs but as a mission to embrace. We too are broken. We live with broken bodies, broken hearts, broken minds, or broken spirits. We suffer from broken relationships.

How can we live our brokenness? Jesus invites us to embrace our brokenness as he embraced the cross and live it as part of our mission. He asks us not to reject our brokenness as a curse from God that reminds us of our sinfulness but to accept it and put it under God’s blessing for our purification and sanctification. This, our brokenness can become a gateway to new life.” ~From Bread for the Journey by Henri J. M. Nouwen

Heavenly Father, help me this day to live courageously. Help me to not run from where I have been but to embrace who I have become through trials and mistakes. May the pain I have endured be a blessing to someone today. May I use it all for Your glory. Amen.

Transmitters

24 Jul 2013 Leave a comment

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“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master. ‘If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’

“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning. ~John 15:19-27 (CEB)

“The Church is in the world to save the world. It is a tool of God for that purpose; not a comfortable religious club established in fine historical premises. Every one of its members is required, in one way or another, to co-operate with the Spirit in working for that great end: and much of this work will be done in secret and invisible ways. We are transmitters as well as receivers. Our contemplation and our action, our humble self-opening to God, keeping ourselves sensitive to His music and light, and our generous self-opening to our fellow creatures, keeping ourselves sensitive to their needs, ought to form one life: mediating between God and His world, and bringing the saving power of the Eternal into time. We are far from realizing all that human spirits can do for one another on spiritual levels if they will pay the price; how truly impossible and unchristian it is to ‘keep ourselves to ourselves.’” ~From The Spiritual Life by Evelyn Underhill

Give me strength this day O Lord, to be Your hands and feet in this world. Help me to transmit Your love to those around me. Help me to be more sensitive to others needs. Amen.

Known by love

22 Jul 2013 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , , , ,

Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. ~James 5:7-11 (CEB)

“The persons and ministries of John the Baptist and of Jesus himself, both rich in the practice of activities designed to strengthen the spirit, were held constantly before [early Christians]. So, wherever early Christians looked they saw examples of the practice of solitude, fasting, prayer, private study, communal study, worship, and sacrificial service and giving- to mention only some of the more obvious disciplines for spiritual life.

These early Christians really did arrange their lives very differently from their non-Christian neighbors, as well as from the vast majority of those of us called Christians today. We are speaking of their overall style of life, not just what they did under pressure, which frequently was also astonishingly different.’ ~From The Spirit of the Disciplines by Dallas Willard

Help me this day O Lord, to prioritize my day. May my life reflect my faith. May my actions speak of Your love. Guide me in the way I should go. Amen.

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