Scripture: 1 Peter 3:13-18a
Summary: Better to suffer for doing good, rather than for doing evil. Christ suffered in order to bring you to God.
Thoughts: This scripture makes me think about our recent mission trip to Juarez, Mexico. The week after Christmas our family joined a small mission team who went to Juarez to build a concrete block house for a family living in a cardboard house. We went even though almost every one of our friends and family had urged us not to go. We knew that there had been alot of violence in Mexico in the past year, especially in Juarez. Because of the violence, I had stopped taking youth on mission trips to this area. But I was still feeling called to go to Juarez. I wanted to see all of my friends in the area and I wanted to build a house for one family. We work with Proyecto Abrigo in Juarez, a religious organization that has gone from building hundreds of houses each year with the help of volunteers, to building 15-20 houses in a year. And it's not like the violence is keeping the poor people from migrating from central Mexico to Juarez. There are still more jobs in Juarez than in the central part of the country. Since the poor people are still moving to Juarez, I wanted to show someone that we still cared about the people there. And so we went. Despite the warnings from everyone, including the US border guards. This scripture says perfectly why we went to Juarez. First, we hoped that since we were going there to do good, perhaps no one would harm us. Second, even if we did suffer, we would be suffering because we had been doing what was right. Although I am not willing to put other people in danger, I was willing to put myself in danger, for what was right. And I was willing to let my children make the same decision for themselves. Because we follow the Christ who suffered for us and we are called to follow his example.
Prayer: Christ, it is beyond comprehension why you were willing to suffer for us, the lost creatures that we are. But in response, I are called to follow you. Help me to take up my cross, perhaps suffering because of it, so that your will might be done here on earth. Amen.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Friday, March 18, 2011
1Peter 3:10-12 - Running After Peace
Scripture: 1Peter 3:10-12
Summary: If you desire life, don't speak evil or deceit. Instead do good and seek peace. God's eyes are on the righteous, God's ears open to their prayers. God's face is against evil doers.
Thoughts: Right in the middle of this scripture, I am struck by the sentence "turn away from evil and do good; let them seek peace and pursue it." The author not only encourages the readers to seek peace, but to pursue it. This emphasis on peace strikes me as interesting. Don't just look for peace. Instead you should run after it. Don't just glance around you as you go through life, looking for peace wherever you might be. Instead you should go to where the peace is. What does this mean for me in my life? I shouldn't just work for peace when it is convenient to me, but I should be going out of my way to encourage peace. I should work for peace with those I see every day. I should work for peace in my neighborhood. I should work for peace in my country. I should work for peace in the world.
Prayer: God of peace, remind me daily of my task to be a peacemaker in your world. Amen.
Summary: If you desire life, don't speak evil or deceit. Instead do good and seek peace. God's eyes are on the righteous, God's ears open to their prayers. God's face is against evil doers.
Thoughts: Right in the middle of this scripture, I am struck by the sentence "turn away from evil and do good; let them seek peace and pursue it." The author not only encourages the readers to seek peace, but to pursue it. This emphasis on peace strikes me as interesting. Don't just look for peace. Instead you should run after it. Don't just glance around you as you go through life, looking for peace wherever you might be. Instead you should go to where the peace is. What does this mean for me in my life? I shouldn't just work for peace when it is convenient to me, but I should be going out of my way to encourage peace. I should work for peace with those I see every day. I should work for peace in my neighborhood. I should work for peace in my country. I should work for peace in the world.
Prayer: God of peace, remind me daily of my task to be a peacemaker in your world. Amen.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
1 Peter 3:7-9 - Who is my Beloved?
Scripture: 1 Peter 3:7-9
Summary: Husbands, show consideration for your wives, they too are heirs of life. Be united in spirit. Don't repay evil with evil.
Thoughts: I think today I will just skip over the fact that this writer calls women the weaker sex. I'm going to tell myself that this refers to our physical strength, which is usually less than the strenght of a man! Instead I want to focus on verse 8. "Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind." If we really loved one another, even those people that we don't like, it would be alot harder to treat other people badly. For when you love someone, you want to treat them well and you want them to be healthy and happy. What if we lived as if every person with whom we came in contact was a loved one? The clerk at the grocery store, the woman with two squirmy kids in worship, the obnoxious driver on the freeway, the homeless man on the street corner. How would our attitude change toward them if we regarded them as a loved one? Perhaps I should use this season of Lent to remind myself that every human is a loved one of God and thus should be a loved one of mine.
Prayer: God, you are a father and mother to us all. But that means that all of these human beings on this earth are my siblings. Some of them are easy to love, but some are not. Help me to see the image of God in each of them, loving them with a tender heart. Amen.
Summary: Husbands, show consideration for your wives, they too are heirs of life. Be united in spirit. Don't repay evil with evil.
Thoughts: I think today I will just skip over the fact that this writer calls women the weaker sex. I'm going to tell myself that this refers to our physical strength, which is usually less than the strenght of a man! Instead I want to focus on verse 8. "Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind." If we really loved one another, even those people that we don't like, it would be alot harder to treat other people badly. For when you love someone, you want to treat them well and you want them to be healthy and happy. What if we lived as if every person with whom we came in contact was a loved one? The clerk at the grocery store, the woman with two squirmy kids in worship, the obnoxious driver on the freeway, the homeless man on the street corner. How would our attitude change toward them if we regarded them as a loved one? Perhaps I should use this season of Lent to remind myself that every human is a loved one of God and thus should be a loved one of mine.
Prayer: God, you are a father and mother to us all. But that means that all of these human beings on this earth are my siblings. Some of them are easy to love, but some are not. Help me to see the image of God in each of them, loving them with a tender heart. Amen.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
1 Peter 3:3-6 - A New Easter Dress?
Scripture: 1 Peter 3:3-6
Summary: Don't worry so much about dressing up on the outside, but instead focus on your inner self.
Thoughts: It's usually around this time of year that I begin to notice how old most of my clothes are. I start to yearn to buy new clothes or a new piece of jewelry. At the very least, I tell myself, I need a new dress for Easter! But the truth is that what we wear on the outside only impresses other people, and only for a little while. Even the best dress will get old and fall out of style. Instead this writer encourages us to "let your adornment be the inner self with the lasting beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in God's sight." It is so easy in the world in which we live, to allow ourselves to focus on external things. We all want to have pretty things around us and have nice things to wear. But what is precious to God is my inner self. That gentle spirit that can lift up others. I'm hoping this Lenten season to focus on my inner spirit, through Bible study and prayer, letting go of my desire for pretty things. I don't think that God will be impressed by a new Easter dress. Instead I want to focus on what is precious to God, my inner self.
Prayer: God, you have already given me so many pretty things, including the budding trees and the little birds who populate them. Let that satisfy my desire for beauty, so that I can spend my time focusing on my spirit as I become closer to you, Oh God. Amen.
Summary: Don't worry so much about dressing up on the outside, but instead focus on your inner self.
Thoughts: It's usually around this time of year that I begin to notice how old most of my clothes are. I start to yearn to buy new clothes or a new piece of jewelry. At the very least, I tell myself, I need a new dress for Easter! But the truth is that what we wear on the outside only impresses other people, and only for a little while. Even the best dress will get old and fall out of style. Instead this writer encourages us to "let your adornment be the inner self with the lasting beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in God's sight." It is so easy in the world in which we live, to allow ourselves to focus on external things. We all want to have pretty things around us and have nice things to wear. But what is precious to God is my inner self. That gentle spirit that can lift up others. I'm hoping this Lenten season to focus on my inner spirit, through Bible study and prayer, letting go of my desire for pretty things. I don't think that God will be impressed by a new Easter dress. Instead I want to focus on what is precious to God, my inner self.
Prayer: God, you have already given me so many pretty things, including the budding trees and the little birds who populate them. Let that satisfy my desire for beauty, so that I can spend my time focusing on my spirit as I become closer to you, Oh God. Amen.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
1 Peter 3:1-2 - Authority of men?
Scripture: 1 Peter 3:1-2
Summary: Wives accept the authority of your husbands so they may be won over by your conduct.
Thoughts: I have been tempted on several occassions to take a marker and mark out the first verse of this chapter. Just as I imagine that the last chapter we read was used to promote slavery, I believe that this verse has been used to subjugate women. We live in a world where women are treated as less than men in so many ways. In many Muslim cultures women are not allowed to leave their homes without a male escort. Many women in our country put up with abuse from their spouses because they are afraid to leave their situation. I am not aware of any profession where women make more than men, given the same amount of experience. So to see scripture that says that women should "accept the authority of your husbands" is infuriating to me. This is another moment when I remind myself that these words were written thousands of years ago, when women were property. But when I look at the second part of this sentence there is a little bit of redemption. The writer says that even if your husband doesn't obey the word (doesn't follow Christ), perhaps the way that the wife leads her life will win him over to Christianity. So perhaps I need to read this in a new light, considering how my conduct can influence those around me who do not follow Christ. Perhaps I can redeem this scripture by applying it in my own context.
Prayer: God, even in the difficult scriptures, you can find a way to give me a word. Thank you. Amen.
Summary: Wives accept the authority of your husbands so they may be won over by your conduct.
Thoughts: I have been tempted on several occassions to take a marker and mark out the first verse of this chapter. Just as I imagine that the last chapter we read was used to promote slavery, I believe that this verse has been used to subjugate women. We live in a world where women are treated as less than men in so many ways. In many Muslim cultures women are not allowed to leave their homes without a male escort. Many women in our country put up with abuse from their spouses because they are afraid to leave their situation. I am not aware of any profession where women make more than men, given the same amount of experience. So to see scripture that says that women should "accept the authority of your husbands" is infuriating to me. This is another moment when I remind myself that these words were written thousands of years ago, when women were property. But when I look at the second part of this sentence there is a little bit of redemption. The writer says that even if your husband doesn't obey the word (doesn't follow Christ), perhaps the way that the wife leads her life will win him over to Christianity. So perhaps I need to read this in a new light, considering how my conduct can influence those around me who do not follow Christ. Perhaps I can redeem this scripture by applying it in my own context.
Prayer: God, even in the difficult scriptures, you can find a way to give me a word. Thank you. Amen.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
1 Peter 2:18-25 - Who is enslaved today?
Scripture: 1 Peter 2:18-25
Summary: Slaves should accept the authority of their masters with all deference. Christ suffered for you, leaving us an example.
Thoughts: No doubt this scripture was used by slave owners who used the Bible to explain why slavery was OK It's difficult for me to read scriptures like this that tell slaves that they should accept their situation. Not only does it say that slaves should accept their master's authority, but they should do so even when their master is harsh. Ugh! There are times that I want to ignore parts of the Bible, pretending that they don't exist. But I know that the New Testament was written a couple of thousand years ago by people who were in a totally different situation than I am. And so I have to accept the fact that I am not going to be able to take everything that I read in the Bible at face value. I know that there are times when we will have to accept suffering. But that does not mean that slavery is acceptable or that it is OK for one person to hurt another. The God that Jesus Christ tells us about is a loving God who does not want any human being taking advantage of or enslaving another. Rather he calls us to free the slaves and the oppressed.
Prayer: God, we know that you desire only the best for each of your children. Help us to fight oppression wherever we find it. In your name we pray. Amen.
Summary: Slaves should accept the authority of their masters with all deference. Christ suffered for you, leaving us an example.
Thoughts: No doubt this scripture was used by slave owners who used the Bible to explain why slavery was OK It's difficult for me to read scriptures like this that tell slaves that they should accept their situation. Not only does it say that slaves should accept their master's authority, but they should do so even when their master is harsh. Ugh! There are times that I want to ignore parts of the Bible, pretending that they don't exist. But I know that the New Testament was written a couple of thousand years ago by people who were in a totally different situation than I am. And so I have to accept the fact that I am not going to be able to take everything that I read in the Bible at face value. I know that there are times when we will have to accept suffering. But that does not mean that slavery is acceptable or that it is OK for one person to hurt another. The God that Jesus Christ tells us about is a loving God who does not want any human being taking advantage of or enslaving another. Rather he calls us to free the slaves and the oppressed.
Prayer: God, we know that you desire only the best for each of your children. Help us to fight oppression wherever we find it. In your name we pray. Amen.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
1 Peter 2:13-17 - Accept the authority of the emperor?
Scripture: 1 Peter 2:13-17
Summary: Accept the authority of human institutions. Live as free people. Honor everyone and fear God.
Thoughts: It's Ash Wednesday. The day we go to church, have ashes put on our foreheads in the shape of a cross, and try to think of something to give up for Lent. So on this Ash Wednesday, I find myself thinking about what I should give up. I think of the young person who gave up Facebook last year for Lent and her testimony about how it served to show her how much time she spent on-line. Although I am tempted to do the same, instead I feel God calling me to be more intentional about getting into the Word. And so, I am going to attempt to blog each day of Lent, in order to remind myself to spend more time with Scripture.
But about today's scripture, I find myself returning to these words: "As servants of God, live as free people, yet do not use your freedom as a pretext for evil. Honor everyone." God wants us to be free. But we need to live within the laws of our system of government. Don't use your Christianity as an excuse to break the law, saying that you serve God, not the government elected by mere people. However, what the writer doesn't say, is that if the law goes against God's law, then we need to fight against it. Just as the people in Libya are fighting against those in power in their country. That's what I hear when the writer says "Honor everyone." As Christians we must find a way to live within a system that is not Christian. Sometimes that means that we should accept the authority of the emperor, but sometimes that means that we should stand up against those in power in order to be in solidarity with the oppressed. Because we serve a God of love, not a power hungry God.
Prayer: Lord give me the strength to stand up against any system which does not treat people equally and help me to do what I can to support people around the world who are doing the same. Amen.
Summary: Accept the authority of human institutions. Live as free people. Honor everyone and fear God.
Thoughts: It's Ash Wednesday. The day we go to church, have ashes put on our foreheads in the shape of a cross, and try to think of something to give up for Lent. So on this Ash Wednesday, I find myself thinking about what I should give up. I think of the young person who gave up Facebook last year for Lent and her testimony about how it served to show her how much time she spent on-line. Although I am tempted to do the same, instead I feel God calling me to be more intentional about getting into the Word. And so, I am going to attempt to blog each day of Lent, in order to remind myself to spend more time with Scripture.
But about today's scripture, I find myself returning to these words: "As servants of God, live as free people, yet do not use your freedom as a pretext for evil. Honor everyone." God wants us to be free. But we need to live within the laws of our system of government. Don't use your Christianity as an excuse to break the law, saying that you serve God, not the government elected by mere people. However, what the writer doesn't say, is that if the law goes against God's law, then we need to fight against it. Just as the people in Libya are fighting against those in power in their country. That's what I hear when the writer says "Honor everyone." As Christians we must find a way to live within a system that is not Christian. Sometimes that means that we should accept the authority of the emperor, but sometimes that means that we should stand up against those in power in order to be in solidarity with the oppressed. Because we serve a God of love, not a power hungry God.
Prayer: Lord give me the strength to stand up against any system which does not treat people equally and help me to do what I can to support people around the world who are doing the same. Amen.
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