Ruminations from the Temple

(adapted from Luke 10:25-37, NRSV) 25 Just then a woman stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” she said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to her, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” 27 She answered, “ You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself. ” 28 And he said to her, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.” 29 But wanting to justify herself, she asked Jesus, “ And who is my neighbor ?” 30 Jesus replied, “A gay man was going down from Seattle to Portland, and fell into the hands of Tradition, who stripped him and beat him, and left him for dead by the side of the road, for Tradition disregarded his humanity and worth within the community, and thus denied any gay person the same privileges of marriage as the rest of society. 31 Now by chance a pastor was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on t...

"What's your opinion? What will somebody do who has a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away? Won't he leave the ninety-nine on the hillsides and go off to find the stray? And if he happens to find it? Yes! I tell you he is happier over it than over the ninety-nine that never strayed! Thus your Father in heaven does not want even one of these little ones to be lost. "Moreover, if your brother commits a sin against you, go and show him his fault -- but privately, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother. If he doesn't listen, take one or two others with you so that every accusation can be supported by the testimony of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to hear them, tell the congregation; and if he refuses to listen even to the congregation, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax-collector." Pretty famous and oft-repeated words of the Messiah, Himself. As I have contemplated these words, a different perspe...

I have had the distinct pleasure of standing on the 'Mount of the Beatitudes'. Yes, reported to be the very place Messiah stood, sat, and taught those who gathered to hear what He had to say. I was with a tour group of devout Christians, most of whom were pastors and their wives, interestingly. At every place we toured, one of them would say a 'few words'. Immediately following a topic-specific prayer, our tour coordinator, who is a beautiful vocalist, would lead the group in the chosen and appropriate hymn. So it was on the Mount of the Beatitudes. As I listened with half an ear to the pastor chosen to speak, I looked out over the expanse that gently descended from where we were gathered down a grassy slope, ending in a banana tree grove. Beyond that was the Kinneret itself, the Sea of Galilee, in all it's sparkling glory, the Israeli sun glinting off the surface like so much diamond dust. Lost in my own thought, I contemplated the words of Yeshua spoken to both...

Have you truly ever considered, seriously, what you want? Or more pointedly, how you want to be treated? No really...think about it. What is it that you most desire in your lifetime? A better paying job or a fat bank account? A reliable vehicle, or perhaps that really cool motorcycle that you have always dreamed of? Maybe it's a college degree or a masters, or one good hair day. So many, I know, constantly think about losing weight; do you desperately desire that you could fit into those size 8 jeans again? Perhaps, what you truly desire is simply a break from everyone's expectations. Ah, now that hits close to home, doesn't it? Now, you may be thinking that what you want and how you want to be treated are two different trains of thought, but I disagree. Say you want that good hair day - why? Well, obviously you want to look good. But why? You answer, 'so others will find me appealing, attractive...' Again, I ask why? I would like to suggest that we wish to loo...

We strive for stuff. Innocent pretties, or that electronic transfer that equates to a new gadget. We take pride in our clothing, our surroundings, our transportation. We revel in our hobbies, our pastimes and our achievements... all made possible as a result of our striving. Striving for the perfect position, the appropriate look, the next accomplishment to add to the resume. We strive to learn a craft, to gain knowledge and the skill to teach it to someone else...which ultimately makes us look pretty good, right? We strive to lose weight and quit smoking. To do the right thing, or at least the clever one. We listen for opportunities to sound smart, to be funny, to be the center, to be included. Striving. We all do it. We can have so much, do so much, and know so much. Wouldn't you agree? We are blessed with the necessities and beyond more. But. "If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so a...

A man kneels before His Father and prays diligently. Before his inevitable arrest, he asks for a reprieve. He knows it's going to be bad - beyond bad. Horrific, even. But, despite his desperate request, he relinquishes control to the One he serves. He certainly knew, this man who also happened to be divine, that things had to come about as they did to complete the necessary work that was his alone to accomplish. Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus Christ) was not asking for G-d to reveal His will, but simply and willingly submitting to it. ‎"Also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will." ~Paul G-d's Will; that ever-elusive, nebulous force that moves us about for purposes that are His alone. And it often seems that way. We are unsure, really, what the will of the Almighty is, much less how to find out. So, we pray for 'His will' to somehow magically appear in our consciousness...

The unthinkable happens and emotions run high. The unwanted diagnosis. The unexpected tragic phone call.  The betrayal. Suddenly pushed out of our comfort zone, challenged beyond our perceived limits, we revert into self-preservation mode...survival.  In situations such as these, it is easy and natural to slip into behaviors that focus on our hurts. Why do we naturally default back to self-focused thoughts? We all know that children are very self-focused from the time they enter the world.  Having three younglings of my own, I have experienced this natural self-centeredness and have sought to teach, redirect and model selfless behavior to the best of my ability. It is true, the mark of maturity is a consistent and disciplined attention to the needs of others. Unfortunately, this goes contrary to our natural tendencies. Quite a number of years ago, I had the privilege of sitting under the teaching of a dear believer at a women's retreat.  For the life of me I cann...

I have a friend who just got engaged to be married. As he was detailing the way he proposed to his beloved, something he said caught my attention. In the course of his adult life, dating and living, he had promised himself that he would only use the actual word love towards the one who he was going to marry. He further explained that it was his thought that people 'throw the word love around carelessly' and that it had a special meaning, one meaning. For him, it was only to be used in speaking to his soon-to-be wife. I can see his point, especially when thinking about dating. I know it happens, all too often, that relationships proceed a little too quickly and emotions peak prompting hasty pronouncements of love and devotion only to be rescinded down the line, after the passion has worn off. Careful and introspective we must be when experiencing and building a new relationship that we don't bite off more than we can chew, so to speak. I agree with my engaged friend -...

I have always been taught that repentance is a gift from the hand of a ever-loving G-d.  I have heard it often said that "repentance is a gift of G-d, not something manufactured by the heart of sinful man."  Acts 5:31 and Romans 2:4 are cited as supporting Scripture to substantiate this statement.  However, I would like to suggest a different perspective. First, let's look at the verses used to uphold this view, starting with the text from the book of Acts. G-d has exalted this man at his right hand as Ruler and Savior, in order to enable (give) Israel to do t'shuvah (repentance) and have her sins forgiven.  (Acts 5:31, Complete Jewish Bible) The words 'in order to enable', or 'give' in other translations, could be interpreted that the LORD is giving it as a gift, as if sinful man has no way to repent otherwise.  However, on a closer look, I believe that in this passage Peter and the apostles are saying that because the Messiah is exalted at G-d...

In the book of Matthew we find interesting words of Yeshua speaking to the religious leaders of his time.  If I didn't know better, I would think that the Messiah was a little forceful with his delivery of these words to the Pharisees, his disciples and the crowd who had come to listen... Matthew 23:1-36 Then Yeshua said to the crowds and to his disciples, "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, so practice and observe whatever they tell you--but not what they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their tefillin broad and their tzitzit long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have on...

fool , noun , a person lacking in judgment or prudence. No one likes to be considered a fool and it is understandable why.  Most would hesitate to label another as a fool for fear of being judged as such; this is prudent for sure.  However, at some point honesty must win the day and you have to admit, if only to yourself, that you may be dealing with a fool.  Have you ever been in this situation? For the believing soul, being labeled as a fool is a most grievous of indictments, cutting to the heart of motivation and character.  Consider the words of the psalmist, The fool says in his heart, "There is no G-d."  They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who does good. ~Psalm 14, Psalm 53 It is a not a one-time event that would warrant the label of fool.  It would seem that it would be a habit, a way of life, a constant pattern of behavior that would lead to such a determination.  To act as if choices, actions and words are not kn...

I'm a half-full.  Well, most of the time.  At least, I like to think so. At those moments when I'm most honest with myself, though, I'd have to consider myself a realist, one who hangs out at the mid-point.  I want to be optimistic about situations, especially difficult ones, but that practical gene kicks in and I see the possibilities, both good and bad, in the harsh light of reality. Unfortunately, it may leave me appearing rather skeptical and even downright cynical more often than I'd like to admit. I have a good, very good, friend who I have dubbed my 'most optimistic' friend. She always hopes for the best and embraces the good outcome no matter what the circumstance.  I need her in my life, that's for sure! She is always fighting the good fight, walking the narrow path and just figures everyone else is doing the same.  Now, that's not to say that I don't scoff at her shining optimism on a regular basis...I most certainly do.  There are als...