ps from ps… Happy Fall! It’s a season. It’s a situation. It’s an opportunity. It’s a change.
For our devotional space today, I give you a couple options for reflection. You may click on the video of Devo’s on the Go to watch the devotions. Or you may take some time of reflection on fall and faith.
Fall the Season – What do you enjoy most about his transition we make today? How is God blessing you right here and now? How does your schedule change and shift to help you see, feel and experience those blessings?
Fall the Situation. The Fall. The Original One. In the Garden of Eden. Two naked people, a snake and an apple didn’t work out so good. Left us open to pain, imperfection and loss instead of the utopia we were originally designed for. What’s going on in your broken situation right now? What is God calling you away from? What is God encouraging you not to “eat.” What pivot do you need to make for a more faithful, life-full future?
Fall the Opportunity – We trip. And we fall. And it hurts. Unless someone catches us! Who is tripping around you right now? Who’s hurt that you can reach out to? Who/what needs you to catch them? And how can you do that?
Fall the Change – Leaves and colors change every moment now. Even in the death of the leaves, beauty is revealed. Their change is a moment of blessing for us. How can you take some time to enjoy that change in creation and in life? What changes that you are in the midst of might also be releasing blessings?
Let us enter into fall today: the season, the situation, the opportunity and the change. And feel God’s blessing the whole way.
ps from ps… Well, What Would Jesus UnDo? Probably more than we think!
At St. Paul’s and through WNY Church Unleashed in the month of September, we’ve been reflecting on the idea that Jesus doesn’t want us to just “add” things to our lives. Jesus also gives clear directives that we’re supposed to “undo” some things as well.
In the past couple weeks, he’s spoke pretty clearly about undoing stigmas, stereotypes and faint hearted discipleship. And now we’ll hear this weekend that he wants us to undo the world’s understanding of greatness.
See in Mark’s gospel (chapter 9), just after telling the disciples that he’s going to give his life for the sake of the world, they start arguing among themselves about who is the greatest. I just read a professor say that “Jesus’ disciples are so dense the light actually bends around them.” Yeah, they don’t get it sometimes. And if we’re honest, neither do we.
So he grabs a child and puts that child in the highest point of honor. One to be welcomed.
When one of our important friends come over to our homes, we clean up, buy food, throw a party and make sure everything is solid. But if the kids are having one of their friends over, nothing really changes and maybe we break out some frozen pizza bites. But that’s not the way Jesus wants it. The least should/shall be welcomed. The greatest are the ones that no one at that time would expect. You want to be great? Then clean up the house and kill the fatted calf for the least, little, lonely, lost and left behind.
That’s what greatness looks like in Jesus’ eyes.
Take time this week to look around at what “greatness” is highlighted in our everyday culture. Who is ordained to be the most important and what “child” is cast aside? And as you notice those misunderstandings of greatness (from Jesus’ perspective), how can you UnDo them? How can you welcome someone differently than the world does?
Next week on Monday, we will restart God on Tap. It’s an hour of great conversation, prayer, discussions, disagreements and usually accompanied by a pint or two if that’s your thing. This month, we’ll start to take more time to name more of the things that Jesus would UnDo and see the Biblical stories where he spoke to it. Bring yours with you! What do you think Jesus would UnDo and have you heard/read a Bible story that speaks to that?
Enjoy your week of looking at greatness through Jesus’ eyes. May you see another piece of daily life that Jesus just might UnDo!
Lord, help me see what Jesus needs me to see. Amen
ps from ps… Well you had to know that my first written Devo’s back in the fall would have some sort of tie in to the soon to be Super Bowl Champion Buffalo Bills.
If you didn’t, let me introduce myself: I’m Steve Biegner, Bills fans. Been one for life. Fairly passionate about this team and region. Was thrilled to restart going to games when I returned to the city in 2002, after taking a brief nine year break while living in other parts of the country (SC, NC, Adirondacks…known as distant suburbs of Buffalo).
My sister Chris has been in a tough spot though. After college, she went right from Buffalo to Boston and has lived there for a whole pile of years. Boston is the home of the dreaded New England Patriots. Whom I passionately dislike. A lot. The Bills and Patriots play one another twice a year. And on those two Sundays, my sister has a choice to make.
For whom do I root?
Now she tells me on the phone that it’s clearly for the Bills. HOWEVER, on at least one occasion I was blown away to find that under her Bills jersey…..should would wear a Patriots shirt. Incredible. Hurtful. Sinful. (OK, some may disagree with me on one out of the last three words.)
Was she all in or not?
Just a few years before the Bills/Patriots rivalry began, Jesus said to his disciples: “Those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake and for the sake of the gospel, will save it!” (Matthew 8:27-38)
Were they all in or not?
He invited them to “Follow me.” Get behind me and learn from me. Watch what I do. See where I go. Experience what I conquer through giving my life for you.
Were they all-in on that? Or did they have their “Amen Jesus” jersey on top and a “I’m not so sure of this” t-shirt underneath?
Do I? Do you?
If I’m honest with you, I’ve worn the “two shirts” more than I care to admit. I have a cross around my neck, and then have acted life a jerk to my family. I’m holding the “Jesus is #1” foam finger, and then not sharing my financial resources enough. I’m preaching on Sundays about welcoming the stranger, and then not preparing the church enough on Monday-Saturday to potentially help Afghan refuges coming into 716.
How many shirts am I wearing??
And yet the grace-filled, forgiving Savior continues to say to me: “Follow me Steve.” I’ve been invited to follow this all-in Savior. And I’ve been invited to an all-in lifestyle. And that type of “all-in-ness” doesn’t match the way our culture normally does stuff now. So it’s hard. But it is possible.
So let me invite you to take some time of reflection this week asking yourself: am I wearing multiple shirts? Am I ready to bail at a moment’s notice? Where is faith easy and am I ready when it’s hard? And do I fully realize how “all-in” Jesus was for me? This might be hard. But it’s possible.
Lord, thank you for the invitation. Help me fully live into it. Amen
2 PPS’s from PS
9/11 – My guess is that you will see an increased amount of media this week on the coverage of 9/11/2001. Please be smart and know what is healthy for you and what level will bring up challenging emotions. Surround yourself with love this week. Remember with me the 343 and the thousands of others that died and their families that were changed forever. And shut media off if it’s too much!
ps from ps… Last weekend, Michelle and I got away with a couple good friends to the Allegheny National Forest in PA. And when I say away, I mean our cell phones went out of service and then we drove and kayaked another 18 miles into the woods. Off. The. Grid. Just some hammocks, hiking shoes, kayaks and food.
It was needed. And it was beautiful. And it was healing. “And you will find rest for your soul.”
It happened to be a few “extra demanding” days before, but that wasn’t the reason it was so healing. It was healing because it was a time for self-care, adventure, quiet and space. Those are four things that often get pushed out of our dailyness. And those four things helped me reconnect to the beauty of the world, my wife/friends and God’s creation that is right around me all the time.
It’s always interesting to me when I’m first in the woods how many times per hour I reach to check my phone. Even though I know it doesn’t work where I am. “My phone” is sort of a symbol for me of focusing on “everyone else’s everything” instead of just being mindful and in the present moment.
Our gospel this weekend starts: “Jesus went home; and the crowd came together again so that Jesus and the disciples could not even eat.” Jesus didn’t have a phone but he did often get pulled into everyone else’s everything. Maybe he was heading home to reconnect with family, to go for a leisurely hike, to have some of his mom’s cooking or to rest from his ministry? Who knows. Yet we do know that the demands of the world were constantly in his face and needing his goodness and his god-ness.
Is your ministry demanding right now? Is everyone else’s everything pulling at you so hard that you can barely eat? Have you given yourself time of rest? Time to reconnect? Time to heal?
Then, get in your woods! It doesn’t have to be the National Forest. It doesn’t have to be kayaks and hikes. But it should be time and space just to be present, care for yourself and allow the recognition of God right there with you to wash over you again.
This summer at St. Paul’s, I want to pay special attention to that – resting in God. I want to allow more space in worship to just be in God’s space. Even at church, we get to rushing around and cramming things in and missing out on the rest/sabbath/healing component of worship. This summer we will open ourselves up to worship differently. I would encourage you to come to church at St. Paul’s, or wherever you worship, with a mindfulness toward rest. Toward space. Toward recovery. Toward inspiration. Set your intentions to be with God.
Your ministry can be demanding at times: your work, your parenting, your caring for your parents, your battling illness, your showing compassion, your mission pulling at you so much that you can barely eat.
Get in the woods. For a couple days. For an hour at lunch. For an early morning walk. For a phone call to a trusted friend. For a time of worship in community.
ps from ps… Ever been through a power failure? They are fun and exhilarating…until they aren’t.
In all the storm induced power failures I’ve been a part of, I really prefer the short ones that happen in the summer. Like 24 hours is perfect. Just enough time to get creative with cooking and lighting and not lose everything in your freezer and refrigerator. It’s the ones that last 4-7 days at 35 degrees outside that test your patience and nerves, along with tempting you to look around at your family and start to ponder who you will eat first if you run out of food. (Not that this has ever happened…much)
When the power doesn’t work though, you have to have a secondary source. Like generators. Or solar. Or candles. Or propane stove. You need to switch over, especially when things are extra challenging.
And this is what Paul was telling the church in Rome. You can no longer operate by the flesh (human thinking, self-ish thoughts), but instead live in the spirit (God-centered thoughts and movements). In other words, he was telling them to switch power sources, especially when things got tough and decisions became harder and circumstances were more demanding. Be God-centered and not human-motivated.
When it’s easy, it’s easy right? When the normal power is flowing and we’re not pressed, we’re at our best…hopefully. But when things are more demanding (read: needing to forgive one another, battling prejudice thoughts or actions, welcoming those who are different than us, reaching out to the family member whose lifestyle we don’t agree with, sharing our blessings with those that aren’t as fortunate, etc), we need to switch power sources.
And the beautiful thing is, through the gift of the Holy Spirit, God invites us to do just that. Living as God’s missionary in the world becomes a perpetual process of switching over. Time and time again.
What situation in your life today is calling for that power source change?
I hope you have a beautiful transition into summer. I hope on many levels you don’t lose your power…kinda. However, I hope you do switch your power source from flesh to spirit in any and all circumstances.
God gives us the opportunity and Paul invites us into it! May our summer be powered by this Source.
Lord, be my power source this summer. Amen
Still in One Peace, ps
“PS from PS” update: Written devotions will be a bit sporadic through May. May will be some creative time for a new offering: Digital Audio Guided Devotions. These audio guided dofferings, created by PS and engineered by Andrew Gruszka, St. Paul’s new Director of Digital Ministry, are designed to be used on 30 minute walks or runs over the summer. As you “abide” this summer, Steve wants to invite you to be more and more active and allow your faith journey and devotional time to sync up with your activity time. So, we’ll test run several by the end of May and send you links to try them out.
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