Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life. ~ Romans 6:3 - 4 I remember years ago the scene of a terrible auto accident near the place where I worked. It caused the morning rush to be brought to a complete stop for nearly two hours, and then a crawl. Each of us guilty of looking at the scene as we drove by it. Pieces of the cars involved strung out for hundreds of feet in all directions. The scene was horrific, and several people lost their life. On the way home that evening, there were cars parked along the edge of the road. Several people had gathered and were placing a cross near the feeder marking the spot where the accident had occurred, and flowers were being brought to the site. For us, these scenes are not uncommon. We live in a society that erects crosses where tragedy has struck. Mary, the Disciples, and who knows how many saw THE cross erected, where the tragic death of a son and friend was witnessed. When I think of "Holy Saturday" as many call this day, my mind thinks of the scene where Jesus' death occurred, and the tomb where he was hastily laid as the sun set on that tragic day. I doubt many gathered at the cross or the tomb, as it was the Sabbath, and whether Jew or Gentile, soldiers would have regarded the gathering of any person as an act against Rome, and the person may face a similar fate of Jesus. I always have wondered, however, about one person. Lazarus. One person who understood what it meant to die, and to be placed in a dark tomb. Did Lazarus, with the crowd that had gathered, watch as his friend, the one that others had referred to as "the one he loved," stand and watch as well? Did he follow and watch as his friend was placed into the tomb, and did he listen as the slam of the stone met the the stone entrance, scraping just a bit, before settling into place? Did he watch as soldiers were instructed on where to stand and what actions were to be taken with anyone who tried to approach? I wonder if while he watched, did he call out in his mind, or vocally, "Jesus, can you hear me? Please come forth, just as you called me, I need to see your face?" Did he continue to remain close, as he watched those who took Jesus to the tomb, slowly walk away, holding one another? Did he feel as the earth seemed to tremble with each step, shaking from this event still? There were no birds singing, as people returned to their homes to light candles and pray. The ground was damp, from the horrific storm, and the whole world seemed to be silent. For Lazarus, and many others who had walked with Jesus and shared so much more, this silence had to remind them of their lives before meeting Jesus. On this "Holy Saturday," we now try to fill the day with events, like Easter Egg Hunts, or decorating sanctuaries with Easter lilies and gardens with bright blooms, but while all of this is going on, there is this that I ask, "Have you felt the earth tremble? Have you thought of the tomb holding the body of Jesus? And have you thought of what your life was like prior to meeting and knowing who Christ is in your own life?" While we search, we know that in our own relationship God is always present. BUT, on this day, God seemed to be absent for people like Lazarus, and others, who looked, and wondered, "What just happened?" The time in the tomb was necessary. It is also necessary for us. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 Dear God, today I pray for the silence that the world felt the day that you died. For each of us who seem to feel the need to remain busy to avoid the thought of Your death upon the cross. Help us to keep You holy on this sacred day. Amen.
0 Comments
When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. ~ John 19:30 Years ago now, while I was serving as a chaplain, there was a child and her mother that I will never forget. The child had a very rare cancer, and she and her mother had traveled a great distance to come to the hospital I served. The child had just celebrated her eighth birthday. Birthday balloons floated among the ceiling tiles, and cards from classmates and family were taped all around. On this day it was not a celebration that I was being paged to attend. There were no "Happy Birthday" medleys or laughter. The girl had survived a tricky surgery and was in her room recovering. Her mom by her side, where I had often seen her. This time, she was standing at the foot of the bed as doctors, frantically searching for an answer as to where fresh blood was coming from. Without notice, the child had begun to bleed uncontrollably. I was being paged to be with the patient's mother, as doctors frantically tried to see where the blood was coming from. It was the hospital's policy that family members could remain in the room, and it was this mother's decision to stand and watch. There was no time to get the patient to surgery. The room suddenly filled to capacity, as doctors and residents, along with nurses and surgical team members rushed in. One of the doctors looked at the mom, then at me, and asked, "Would you step out of room." The mother stood watching. I reached for the mother's shoulder to help turn her away from watching her child bleed to death while incisions from her recent surgery were opened up. "No, I promised her I would not leave her side, and I am not leaving now. If she is dying, I want to be here. I am her mother!" There was no more time. No more attempts to remove her from the room, and as a chaplain, my role was to be with this mother as she took me with her on this journey. I stood with her, and watched, as every attempt failed to save this child. A sense of hopelessness seemed to overpower the room, even while balloons still danced across the ceiling, and celebratory cards, several now on the floor, were covered with blood from the attempts to save this child. The doctor, with tears in his eyes, looked at the mother, who was still standing and watching, as a blanket from the hallway warmer, was brought into the room, and laid across the child. The journey had ended. It was finished. There is not a Good Friday that goes by that I don't think of this mother, watching her child die, while she could do nothing but stand and gaze at the efforts being made to save her child's life. Unlike this mother who was in a clean hospital room where people who surrounded her tried desperately to save her daughter, today we remember the events of Jesus' final hours, and his mother, who remained by his side, as the crowd shouted, a sign proclaiming King of the Jews was made, and this man looked on. Just days before, people celebrated her son with palms that now were on the ground, and were covered in blood by a man who now had nails in his hands and feet, and struggled to breathe, while no one did anything. Clouds encircled the scene, and a great darkness covered the land, as if God attempted to shield others from viewing. The final words of Jesus are forever in our minds. A mother watched as her child died, and with the scene, the voice of the mother that I stood beside in the hospital years ago, is the voice of the mother I imagine each Good Friday standing next to her son as he hung on the cross dying. "I am his mother!" While disciples flee, and soldiers gamble, aged wine that had turned to vinegar is offered on the tip of a branch fashioned with a sponge, that was probably caked with dirt from those who had wiped their brows from sweat and the stains of blood that had splattered with each swing of the hammer. It is the last thing of this life that he takes in, and his mother watches. "It is finished," are his last words. Nothing more. His mother remains and watches. The young woman who magnified the Lord with the news from an angel that she had found favor from God now watched as the earth shook, and the heavens rumbled. She remained as the child she gave birth to breathed his last breath and died. There is nothing more to say. Jesus has died. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 Dear God, I can't explain why it is that I feel the way I do, but I feel a sense of sorrow that I know You understand. While I know that Jesus came to give life, I am sorry that Jesus died. The plan is perfect in Your eyes, but it is painful. Today, Lord, help me to stand with others who have experienced pain like this, and may I have the courage to remain. Amen. I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread, and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes. ~ 1 Corinthians 11:23 - 26 There were no more ordinary days for Jesus and the twelve. Living in chaos, with unknowns around each turn, and a cloud of anxiety had covered the land, allowing dark shadows to crawl deeper into the light, and become known. For Jesus, there is no denying, the sense of urgency must have been felt. While the Son of God knew that he would die, it is the process I wonder if he worried about? Someone asked me once what I thought the most miraculous act of Jesus was during his lifetime, and my response was, "He died." While the death of Christ is part of the foundation of our faith, there are the hours leading up to that moment, and then the hours following. It is an identified event on the timeline of humanity, and I can't help but think that even within the heavenly realm that all eternity can point to this moment as well. Once again, I doubt that Jesus was sleeping much this week. While being fully Divine and fully dust, there would be a duality that I'm not sure if Jesus even had learned to fully understand. Being told you have a terminal diagnosis can be shocking, and yet it happens to people everywhere every day. Knowing the time you have "left" can bring about many changes. Some people create lists that they term as a "bucket list" of things they wish they had done before surrendering their lives to the next. I knew a person who was terminally ill who before she became confined to her bed, threw an amazing party. Rented a beautiful boat, flew in all of her family and friends, and went out into the Gulf to celebrate with food and wine. She said everything she wanted to say, and saw everyone for "one last time." Just three weeks later as she died, she announced that she had lived a "great life." This was not going to be the case for Jesus. Seriously, have any of us really looked at the life of Christ? He was born out of wedlock under interesting circumstances. He and his family fled to another country and became immigrants, and didn't return until we hear of him teaching back in their hometown in the Temple. His mother pretty much makes him perform his first miracle while turning water into wine and a family member's wedding. From there he hangs out with a cousin that eats locusts and honey, dresses in camel hair, and proclaims the Kingdom of God is at hand, and then baptizes Jesus before a small crowd, and the sky opens up and the voice of God declares that "This is my son." I start to think he is a loner, until he begins walking up to complete strangers and saying, "Come follow me." His "Disciples" as they become known as, then watch as he does some pretty amazing things. Blind see. The paralyzed walk. He even raises a man from the dead! At one point, Luke remembers, "We have seen great things here today." He then becomes so popular that the leaders of his community become fearful of what he could lead others to do. People are leaving the faith to follow this man, and soon there is no venue large enough to hold the crowds that want to hear how the "meek shall inherit the earth." Then we reach this time in his life, when a great celebratory homecoming seems to have taken place, unlike any seen in some time, and the thought that someone from the lineage of David might actually assume the throne again, and they are all looking to Jesus. One of his closest friends, then makes a choice between the friendship and his ability to earn some money, but first, they must eat before the events that will cause him to never experience another sunrise or sunset. And so Jesus gathers the Disciples together. Knowing he would soon die, he doesn't create a bucket list. They come together and eat. He explains that his body would become broken and that he would bleed. While this seems to be another one of "those" stories he often would tell, he is describing for them what they are about to witness. It is like the doctor describing to the patient what to expect as the disease process continues of the dying patient. They listen, and they are told to "remember." It's not the sunny days, or the times they fished together on lakes that were sometimes filled with crashing waves, and some as calm as a sleeping child. It's not the campfires that reflected in one another's eyes each night as they spoke of the events of the day, or how Jesus would lay under stars that he helped to create, as he may have spoken of the day the sun rose for the first time upon creation. He instead speaks of a body that would bleed, and how in his brokenness his presence would be felt, and that this is how he wanted to be remembered. This is our Jesus. The One we have journeyed with through this season of Lent, and who will will continue to embrace as nails pierce him and hold him until he announces that "it is finished." This is our Jesus who knew what it meant to be different, while struggling with others to make sense of why there are imperfections within the creation that was pronounced "good" by a God who loved us so much that the journey was created so that we might better understand just what that love looks like. Today we gather, and we remember, while we remain in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 Lord, while we break bread and drink from the cup You have provided, let us fully remember the body that was broken and the blood You shed. Let us remember Your life, Your death, Your resurrection, and that ONE DAY, we ALL will see You face to face. Amen. Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over. ~ Matthew 26:14-16 By this time it is obvious that the King that many people thought Jesus to be, is not the King that Jesus was. I can't imagine the emotions that must have been felt among his close circle of friends, and those that continued to wave their palms, maybe not as they did just days before. Imagine the team that is used to winning each game, and to enter into the final moments of play, several points behind. The once enthused crowd, waving arms and holding up signs, now are sitting, and the arms have moved from waving in the air, to hanging to the side, or worse, crossed in disgust. Something had to change. We all know that by this time each Disciple had to have thought what life would be like without Jesus. The priests had been so very critical of this man's teachings. Waiting for any moment that might even so much as muddy the law, that there might be "something" that they could act upon. The crowds have grown, and now have grown impatient. No longer simple fish and bread, or for that matter, water into wine. No, they wanted it ALL! Increasingly Rome saw this group as a threat. What better way to control a people than to cause confusion among it's people. What better way to cause confusion than to cause it's religious leaders to become instruments of their message. What better way to destroy a close group of people than to find the weakest link and play the person. Like a modern-day Shonda Rhimes script, this wasn't something even the Disciples expected. Except for ONE. Jesus. "Go and do what you must," will be the permission that will set this entire plan into motion. We all would like to think that there is nothing that can cause the intentions of our lives to be changed. While working with the homeless on the streets of Houston, I learned that even those with the best intentions, when desperate, will sometimes do desperate things. There was a lot of desperation surrounding all of this. Rome, religious leaders, and the people had become desperate. Even Jesus will enter into the garden to pray and ask that this cup pass from him. There is great desperation, and now, betrayal. One of the most painful expressions of hurt that any of us can experience is the thought, or worse, the act of being betrayed. The human condition has known this since the serpent. It was closely followed by the blood of one brother on the hands of another. For Jesus, it begins with one person, and greed. For years a debate has surrounded the actions of Judas as being part of God's plan, or a demonstration of how much evil there can exist in the world. To me, it doesn't matter. The life of a man would soon end because another man made this decision to betray and surrender to the plan of someone else. This exists as the instrument of the coming pain and destruction of the hopes that others were dreaming of. Of crowds that waved palms and hands in the air, who would all soon be part of a desperate plan, and who will soon turn the waiving of palms into the shouts of angry people who all will have felt somewhat betrayed. May we remain in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 Lord, while I hope to always remain within Your plan for my life, help me when I feel that I have been betrayed by others, or even when I have forgotten the plans You have for me. Amen. "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God --- even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ." ~ I Corinthians 10: 31-33; 11: 1 About this time in the life of Christ, I begin to see the pressure build all around him. These must have been sleepless nights. Knowing the will of God, while understanding the unwillingness of others. Let's face it, there are twelve other people that are feeling the pressure as well. There are all kinds of stories being shared. Some are true and some, well let's just say, were not. Let's face it, there wasn't just the promise of the Messiah circulating. This would also mean a new King in the eyes of the Jews, and the lifestyle of religious leaders and rulers would be called into question. Something would have to be done, and if just one or two of those who followed Christ would turn on him, or be convinced by some other means, then the Messiah, or the idea of the Messiah, might be changed. The efforts by those who wish to do harm, rather than good, are having their effects. There are hurt feelings among those who are following him. Judas, for one, has already spoken out against Mary washing the feet of Christ with expensive oils. He declares before everyone that they should have sold these oils so that they could give the money to the poor. Jesus reminds that the poor will be with them always, but that Jesus would not. There is silence. For any of us, silence can also be a sign of being hurt. These relationships are being challenged in ways that pulls the men apart, and in the next few days, these relationships will be tested over and over again. So what happens when you find that you can't find the strength to rise above feelings such as being hurt, depressed, or simply just not able to move beyond a particular issue in your life? I believe that I'm asking a question that all of us may have experienced. The spiritual life in Christ can and does possess times that can and are challenging. At this point in the life of Christ, the need to go off an be alone must have been overwhelming. Not every conversation, or moment, is recorded. If Christ were both human and Divine, the reality is that Jesus surely must have known these moments as well. Any of us are capable of causing others to stumble when we are not honest with our feelings. We almost create a false ceiling. In order for us to be a true witness to our relationship with Christ, then we must be willing to show our complete self. A testimony to what God can and will do in our life must have moments that possess not only the mountain top moments, but also when we experience valleys that not only contain darkness, but feelings that we often don't talk about. It really is a disservice to others if we don't talk about both good times and bad. When we experience the lows, we must acknowledge them in a way that we can have others reach out, but also so others can see how those times were encountered and processed. The defeating moments are when others don't allow for us to go through the moments. It's one thing to not want the person to struggle, but sometimes it's worse not walking through those valleys with. It's not only denying the opportunity for God's true blessings, but also a much more meaningful relationship with those that struggle, when the situation has changed, and all emerge together on the other side. While life may have challenges, remain in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 Dear Lord, through all the times of our lives, may Your overwhelming presence bring a sense of belonging and need to be present for one another. Amen. "You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me." ~ John 12:8 Have you ever had one of those days where so many things occurred that when you finally lay down to sleep at the end of the day your mind can't seem to rest? The whole time you keep thinking, "Did that really happen today?" I have a sense that the night following Christ's entrance into the city, with the crowds welcoming him with shouts, that no one really slept well. A lot was changing all at once. The intimate circle of friends was now filled with the lives of many. The group decides to stay with Lazarus and his sisters, like that is going to be a place of calmness? Jesus decides to stay at the epicenter of one of his greatest miracles, and you think that there will be rest there? Jesus has a good idea that things are not going to be going well. Judas and he have a public disagreement over the use of oils that Mary uses to wash his feet, and the leaders of the community not only talk of arresting Jesus, but also plan to find a way to put Lazarus to death as well. Lazarus is telling others of his experience with Christ, so many people are leaving the faith of the land to now follow Jesus. Nothing seems to be normal about any of this. It is all very chaotic for all involved. We have these moments as well. Corporate environments no longer seem to be loyal to their employees for the sake of profits. Government leaders debate health care while children still go to bed hungry. Widows, orphans and strangers remain in the world, and the poor meet us on every highway exit intersection with signs reminding us that "anything will help." We lay awake with these visuals fresh in our minds. This is Jesus' world then, and our world now. The need for a Savior and King was what the people were looking for, and it remains our focus today. While we wrestle to make sense of things, there is One who has experienced these things and still has a message of hope, love and peace. As we awaken from our sleep, our minds turn to these things once again. Jesus reminds that they will be with us always. Not just the poor, but the struggles of life. His presence at that time was limited by time, but not now. The eternal purpose of Christ is for each of us, and Christ's presence is real. Christ's perseverance is life-giving, and life-changing. Praying that as we remain in God's grip, that we recognize the Christ in one another and find hope and peace. G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 Dear God, please, just hold me a little tighter when the problems of the world seem to be overwhelming. When things seem to be out of control. Remind me that You are still there. Amen. They began saluting him, "Hail, King of the Jews!" They struck his head with a reed, spat upon him... Mark 15: 18-19 The stage was set, the atmosphere was nothing short of a world-class sporting event, and the entrance was going to change everything! This was what everyone was waiting for.
It's not that there hasn't been enough already. Water had been turned to wine. The lame were now walking streets. The blind were now yelling, "Look!" What was expected to be the arrival of the most incredible change since returning from Egypt turned out to be.... a man on a pony. How could this be? This was not the entrance, if I were present, of what a king, Messiah, or the next block president would look like! While the stories could not be disputed. There had been incredible events leading up to this moment. Even the dead could not remain in darkness. Into the light Christ rides in, and the people go wild! This was nothing short of a legend among the Hebrew people that seemed to be coming into full life. Let me take this to a different thought. A baby was born, and the heavens celebrated with a star shining bright. Strangers travelled great distances and brought gifts. While a ruler declared that every male child would be put to death, the young fanily is brought through the wilderness and survives. And yet, while still a child, the wisdom of this child brings new life to a seemingly aging and traditiinal faith. He follows a man, though family, was considered to be strange. He asks to be washed and upon leaving the baptismal waters, a declaration by the heavens declare just how amazing this man is. The twleve he would call would rhen be followed by thousands who hunger and thirst. Stepping out to cross a ragung sea, he calls out to others to step out and to be bold in their faith. While people shout as the not-so-common man enters on this day, it is the stark reality of the simple presence of an amazing God, walks into our lives each day. Without shouts of praise. Without fanfare and palms. Each day God enters and hopes we will welcome. While on a colt that day, today God makes God's appearance through you and me. We are not just vessels, we are the simple entrance of God in a world who is still seeking. It does not require much. Only our love for one another being expressed and received. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.” ~ 2 Thessalonians 3:16 Saying goodbye to someone is sometimes a difficult situation. As a young teen, my grandmother was diagnosed with cancer. It was a brief illness, and at one point, my grandfather revived her at home after going into cardiac arrest. My sister and I were flown to their home to visit them within the next week. Although she was quite ill, the mood of the visit was lighthearted and we even talked of making plans for the next summer with she and and my grandfather. For my sister and I, as well as my grandparents, we simply didn't talk about "what if?" There are simply times in our lives when we would rather weigh on the side of hope. This was one of those times. As we arrived at the airport, and got out of the car to leave for home, it was as if we would see them both again in just a few months for the summer, as we always did, and the mood was reflective of that feeling. To this day I can now fully describe what I "wish I had said and done." I turned and looked back one more time as we walked away. My grandmother sat, facing forward in the car, wearing a jacket because she was chilled, and for some reason, her hands were folded in her lap. As an adult I understand the need to be stoic and put on a "good face." I just remember smiling, while on the inside I was crying out. For many years I regretted not breaking free from this strong appearance and run to her, while telling her everything I was feeling, and to embrace her and tell her how much I loved her. While my grandmother died peacefully with my grandfather by her side, my mind moves to Calvary and the sights and sounds of the final moments in the life of Christ. For those who had walked beside him for the last few years, I wonder what they truly wanted to say? And yet, there is not a lot written about what they were feeling. We know of the last words of Christ upon the cross, but what other discussions were there and the words that each disciple may have shared? We know that they were gathered together and were all told the news that "He is Risen!" together, but what were the words they shared prior to fallen into sleep after such a traumatic experience? If there is one thing that Lent should provide for each of us, it is the need to be open to sharing ourselves more with one another. The understanding that we are Ecclesiastical people with many endings and new beginnings. The importance of saying "hello" is as important as saying "good bye." Just as it is with a prayer, the "Dear Lord" beginning is completed with an "Amen." For any of us, may our ability to not just say "hello" but also "goodbye" provides for greater relationships in our lives. While we are not always given the opportunity to know when our goodbye may be the last, there is comfort in knowing when we have shared ourselves with one another. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 Dear Lord, in Your mercy, may we learn to express ourselves in a way that there are no regrets for not having said what we were truly thinking or feeling, when we leave the side of someone else. Amen. "My cup runneth over." ~ Psalm 23:5 Years ago the Psalmist penned the 23rd Psalm. It is read at most funerals, or in time of great challenges. At one point David writes that the Lord, who is the shepherd, sits him at a table with all of his enemies, and anoints his head with oil, and then fills his cup until it is overflowing. For me, this Psalm provides a lot of comfort. As a chaplain, I memorized this Psalm years ago, and because it does often bring comfort, I would recite this in the hospital room. It's amazing that even in some of the most challenging circumstances, those in the room might join in. I will sometimes ask a person what this Psalm means to them, and what fills their cup? The thought at first is that this cup is overflowing with blessings, but for many, the cup is filled with pain, sorrow, and worries. Sometimes our sorrow, or the events of this world, overwhelms us so much that we no longer can believe in joy. Life just seems to be a cup filled to the brim with war, violence, rejection, loneliness, and endless disappointments. It is these times that we must be reminded that crushed grapes can produce tasty wine. It might be hard for us to trust that any joy can come from our sorrow, or pain. It makes me wonder if I were to change certain habits in my life, would I begin to notice a new aroma coming from my cup of blessing? I love the song, "The joy of the Lord is my strength." It serves as a reminder to me that the things I seek out is what fills my cup. Though the joy that seemed to be lost may be found again, the things of the world, and the things that create sorrow, which we really can't seem to ignore, may actually become livable. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 Dear Lord, while I know You seek after me when it comes to goodness and mercy, may I look at my cup before me and discover that You have filled it with love, peace and joy. Amen. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. ~ Isaiah 41:10 We are a people who live by the calendar. Our seasons, even the day that we are born, are marked on a calendar. We spend time planning schedules that are often so tight, that I have even heard of people scheduling how many hours a day they get to sleep. I have often wondered what will become of people who have lived by such a full schedule when they die? Is there an Eternity 101 class that every incoming member of heaven must take? Let's face it, we live according to the time the sun rises, sets, and the clock on the wall. All of which are a human construct in order for us to know when to do many things, and to guide our days. While Lent is a journey with a beginning and ending, the God that we focus on has been living eternally. I once had a young child in one of my youth groups ask me who God's parents were? Let's face it, I think all of as one point or another have tried to embrace the idea that God just always has existed. How is that possible? Being a visual person, I would love to see a timeline of what eternity looks like! Why can't we just pull up a calendar from over the years and point to a day and say, "So this is the day God was born. Here is when God first thought of saying, 'let there be light', and this is the day that God created the first human being and decided it was all good." While I struggle to understand eternity, or a place where there is harmony always, filled with the sounds of "Hallelujah" for all time, I am held to a mindset that I only have the present. Our journey with God has always been. Scripture reminds us that God "knew us" even when we were in our mother's womb. How amazing to think that our God has always been with us! Not just prior to our first breath, but through every moment. While for some that may be hard to understand, especially if bad times, poor health, or a number of other things that can often leave us broken, our significance in the eyes of the Creator remains. Today as we journey, may the idea of eternity enter our daily life, and the knowledge that God will be with us always. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 Dear God, in our search to understand eternity, may Your presence be felt always. Amen. The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, "I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore... and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me." ~ Genesis 22: 15 - 18 One of the things that we witness today is the covenant that God made with Abraham all those years ago. Even before Isaac had been born, and prior to Sara giving her handmaid servant, Hagar, to her husband, God had made a covenant with Abraham that his descendants would number the stars. After he took Isaac into the woods and prepared an altar, and was willing to sacrifice his son to God, an angel appeared to Abraham and reminded him of the original covenant. God's covenants with humanity are as vast and great as God's options for us. One of the greatest joys that any of us can have is when we encounter the reality that God will never abandon us, and that God will always love us. Don't get me wrong, I don't believe that God is always pleased with our efforts! Let's face it, there are some pretty frightening things going on in the world. For me to believe that God loves the people who are causing wars, and other acts that leave people fragmented and broken, I struggle to remember that they too are God's creation and children. Scripture reminds us that when God makes a promise with us, God keeps it! Rarely do we talk about the God of the Jews and Muslims as being OUR God as well. The promises of God and for God's children remain, and some are long-lived. For instance, after the flood God promises to never flood the earth again and places a rainbow in the heavens to remind us of that promise. Abraham, years ago, sends Hagar and her son out into the desert when Sara becomes jealous. The two do not die. God remains faithful, even to them, and the promise that God made with Abraham concerning the number of descendants is fulfilled. One of the promises that God has made with us is one that I hold in my heart with each breathe, and that is, "I will be with you, ALWAYS." (Matthew 28:20) For any of us, the promises of God are our promises. They are greater than the promises of humanity, and will continue unto eternity. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 Dear God, help me to remember that promises that You have made with humanity also includes me! Amen. Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour. When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." ~ John 4: 6 - 10 We all know something about what it means to be thirsty. With so many options available to us to "quench our thirst," even being able to define what we are thirsty for has many options. On this day in scripture, however, only water was available. So it seems. You would think that the thirst would be obvious. Getting a drink during the hottest part of the day, especially for one who has been walking dusty roads, and who did not own a home where he could enter a cool space, and relax. No, Jesus and his nomadic lifestyle, and this woman, someone who enjoyed the company of different men, and found going to the well during the hottest part of the day, so she would not be the focus of other women, and those who might cast more than just shade looks would be absent. This was purely an unexpected meeting. Well, in Biblical perspective, there isn't necessarily ever the unlikely when God has a message, or a plan. There is simple talk. Not so much about the weather, but the obvious. She was a Samaritan, He was a Jew. She was a woman, and he was a man (even with their cultural differences, this was a common thread, and even talking was questionable.) The talk turns to thirst, and then it gets interesting. Subsequently he tells her things about herself that are both revealing and embarrassing at the same time. It's similar to a "This is Your Life" game show without all of the guest appearances. The thirsty Jesus meets the woman at the well who has obviously thirsted for other things. I think that people are often hard on this woman when the story is told. I grew up in a household with a single mother during the 1970's when women were being vocal about equal pay, equal rights, and many other issues that effected women directly. Television shows painted single women with children as somewhat powerless, but yet, they used their intuitive prowess, and let's face it, if you find that you are just surviving, survival mode can look very different for others who have not had to resort to such things. I'm not saying this woman didn't sin. But according to scripture each one of us have sinned and missed out on something. It's not that this woman was a Samaritan, a lover of many men, and the subject of controversy. She is us. Our lives are challenged each day by roles that might not be what God wants for us. The message is clear. We must thirst for God's presence, while realizing that we have sinned, and that like the woman, each day we are challenged to go and "sin no more." I find it amazing that no matter how "wrong" this encounter may have looked, it was the encounter that she needed, and that God provided. While we walk down valleys where we encounter darkness, God still seeks after us to provide goodness and mercy. To provide living water when we thirst, and shows up in the places where we least expect the encounter. That's how much we mean to God. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 Dear Lord, as I encounter You today, may I not be shocked at the where, but be ready to drink in Your living water. Amen. I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh. ~ Genesis 9:16 In today's climate, where we talk about laws being broken and contracts being renegotiated, long before all of this there was a sacred agreement called, "Covenant." God is not in the business of creating contracts with humanity. When God makes a covenant with us, God says: "I will love you with an everlasting love. I will be faithful to you, even when you run away from me, reject me, or betray me." In the last few years, when I talk to a couple seeking to get married, I no longer focus on the marriage license purchased at the County Clerk's office, simply because if I talk about marriage as a contract, then I am basically telling the couple that when they enter into the contract of marriage; I am affirming that this marriage will remain as long as the parties involved will remain in contract as long as each person is fulfilling their part. When you don't live up to your end of the bargain, then I no longer have to live up to mine. Contracts are often broken because the partners are unwilling to remain faithful to the terms of the of the contract. Instead, I talk to the couple about covenant. A covenant is a faithful promise to one another, sanctified and holy, with God as part of the agreement. God does not make contracts with humanity. God has created a covenant with us, and I believe that God wants our relationships with one another be reflective of just that. Marriage, as well as friendships, our life in community, and our relationships with one another should reflect the language of entering into a covenant with one another. The covenants that we create are the visible presence of God's faithfulness in our lives with one another. Each day the covenants that God have created remain true. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 May our lives be reflective of the covenant that God has made with each of us; to never leave or abandon us, even unto the ends of the earth. Amen. Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it, he said, “This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. ~ John 11:1-6 There are times when I read a story I know so well, and suddenly, I read it again, and have a new understanding. This is one of those times... literally. One of the things that so many of us are challenged by is God's timing. It goes back to the old familiar stories of the person who prayed for patience... RIGHT NOW! I don't want to say that I have "never" asked God for this very thing, but I have learned to be more patient with God before asking. If we could just live everything with a clear picture of what it is like to see the big picture as God sees it. Jesus delays two more days before returning to his friend, and he dies. Jesus proclaims that the illness was not about death, but that God may be glorified. Never do we really get the Lazarus side of the experience. The being ill. The dying part. The lying in the tomb awaiting the words of Jesus to "come forth." The life experience of returning to life after death. The times when people may have asked, "Aren't you that dead guy that came back?" The list can go on and on. The whole idea of being ill and dying for the sake of the Gospel story doesn't always fare for a "feel good" moment. To think that something bad happened so that something good may emerge is something I struggle with. It's not that Jesus wasn't present... physically. Because I still believe that God is with us always. It wasn't that Jesus didn't care, for we know at the tomb he "wept." Even the disciples were a bit concerned with even his decision to return. They were afraid of going back and being stoned again by the people in the community, and they knew they were still present. I wish I could explain why this time, and like so many other times for other people, that God seems to respond in a "God's timely manner." While we know that the season of Lent has an end date on the church calendar, and that we will soon be returning to our daily activities, there becomes this clearer understanding that God does not conform to the very thing we live by, and that is time and our sense of urgency. Oh, there are those stories of God protecting in the lions' den, and those three in the fire. Not to mention a sea opening up so that a group of people could make the final escape from a group. The very day we were born, God sensed the urgency, as the mother senses the need to push to give birth. God's availability is not necessarily based on our urgent plea, it is simply the way that God works. There is no historical Biblical response. It is our faithfulness that proves the power of each moment, by inviting God to be the sustaining presence, and to be the essence of each breath we take. Being sustained. Being affirmed. Being a child of God. All of which we are... ALWAYS. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 Dear God, when I find that I struggle with patience, and waiting for Your answer, help me to be sustained in my faith. Amen. Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe. ~ Proverbs 28:26 April Fools Day...a day in which nonsense abounds, truth seems to go much further, and the hope to temp someone seems to be a challenge. I must admit, I have fallen for a few April Fools jokes over the years. I can tell you, I'm a gullible soul. Well, sometimes. Have you ever found that you have been tricked? Not only tricked, but you took the bait, hook, line and sinker? One of the only times I bought a lottery ticket, a friend exchanged it out with a printout of the results from the day before. Not realizing that he had switched things out, I was looking online and was getting very excited. Every one of my numbers matched! I can remember getting so excited, and not really believing what I was seeing. Well, there was a reason for that. It was a trick! While I was busy trying to figure out what to do first, he was off in the corner enjoying the reaction I was producing. Finally, he couldn't conceal the switch he had made, and of course, my ticket had not even one single correct number. One thing I'm grateful for, is knowing that God doesn't trick us. While the rest of the world may discover that today contains 24 hours to lead you down another rabbit hole, God just simply doesn't find foolishness to be a common practice. The one thing I have discovered, is that even the foolish person at some point, realizes that God never plays tricks on us. I'm grateful for that... Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 Dear God, don't let my own foolishness trick me... You are always with me, through every moment, and every decision. Help me to be wise enough to know Your voice through each day. Amen. |
AuthorRev. G. Todd Williams is the author of the book, "Remember Me When..." and is a former hospice chaplain and pastor. Archives
February 2024
|