I have log-sightedness. Or wait, do I have speck-sightedness? Or both???
There’s a great image by Jesus in Matthew’s gospel where he tells his crew: “Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbor. “Let me take the speck out of your eye”, while the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.”
Yeah, it’s probably both.
I had a rough day yesterday. I had several different people point out my specks. Didn’t feel great. But most of the specks were truth, so there’s that.
If I’m honest though, what I found rising up in me as a response was anger. Anger because then all I started noticing was how many logs they had in their eyes! And now there I was hours later, focused only on specks and logs. Maybe this has never happened to you. Or maybe it has.
That could be why Jesus brings this up.
He’s speaking about judgment and the importance of making his message, that the kingdom of God is breaking in, a realistic, demonstrated and relational part of everyday life. In other words, we can’t proclaim God’s amazing and graceful love one day and then get hyper focused on specks and logs the next.
Speck-sightedness and log-vision are not the manifestation of the kingdom breaking in.
Instead, Grace is. Compassion is. Listening is. Presence is. Guiding is. Forgiveness is.
How’s your vision? May our lenses today not focus on the specks and logs, but instead, be the physical demonstration of God’s kingdom breaking in still.
The 23rd Psalm – a classic. Maybe you recognize it? Maybe you have it memorized? Maybe you have no idea what I’m talking about?
It comes up in our readings this Sunday, but I’m not really touching on it much. It’s like the elephant in the room if I don’t, so I’ll share it with you here.
Many times, it’s stereotyped as the “funeral Psalm.” And yes, often, this is the go-to section from the psalmist because it describes so many parts of life in six basic verses.
So I share it with you today to read and reflect. Here’s the reading part – Psalm 23 –
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff— they comfort me.You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.
Here’s the reflecting part –
What phrases jump out to you?
What words or images speak to your life right now?
What do you hear God reminding you about today?
This is not just a funeral Psalm. It’s a Psalm of Life – and all the parts of it.
May it remind you now of God’s presence and love in your life – yesterday, today and tomorrow..
Lord, thank you for the gift of your reminders! Amen
Whether it’s Easter or Christmas, there’s always a “break down” time where we box up or put back in the attic or basement some of the extras that make these sacred days even more special.
Without the lilies, poinsettias, Christmas trees, cross and “extra stuff”, the sanctuary looks fairly plain. Regular. Ordinary.
What’s interesting is the season that comes after Easter through Pentecost is sometimes referred to as just that: ordinary days. In fact, that’s what Christmas and Easter are more about: the extraordinary for the ordinary days.
Some days…many days..I feel fairly ordinary myself. Down. Loneliness can creep in. Far away from Easter and Christmas moments. Like a moon has blocked out the light and the clouds blocked out the moon! Down right ordinary.
But during that eclipse on Monday, even though it seemed ordinary because of all the clouds blocking my view, there was something extraordinary happening behind it all: darkness for 3 minutes, temps dropping, tree frogs starting to ribbit because they thought it was night and then the birds starting to chirp as the sun arrived back, as if it was the morning dawn.
Even in the ordinary times, the extraordinary has happened. The Word became flesh. And gave his life. And conquered death itself. And the light overcame the darkness.
If you feel ordinary today, that’s OK. Because the extraordinary still happened whether you saw it or not. So it’s OK, put the “extra stuff” away. It’s nice, but not the main part of the story. You are. And God’s extraordinary love for you.
Lord, thanks for the ordinary moments that can reveal the extraordinary! Amen
Don’t wait until your own up close and personal resurrection to enjoy it!
This coming weekend, there will be a lot less people in church. This coming weekend, there will be a lot fewer family brunches/dinners. This coming weekend, there will be less pastel colors on the kids. And probably a few less egg hunts as well.
But this coming weekend, there will still be resurrection. There will still be light overcoming darkness. There will still be new life where it looks like death has won.
And you don’t even have to wait for the weekend. Due to what we proclaimed last weekend, that resurrectiony, lighty, new lifeness is here TODAY.
Remember what the angel said: Go back into town, your daily life, Jesus is already ahead of you and there you will see him.
Don’t wait for the end of life to look for that resurrection power. Don’t only whip this good news out in the hardest of times – take it out today! Jesus spends several days post-resurrection spotting up around town and entering into the regular stuff – in houses, over meals and several places in between. To show us that this great news is meant to be experienced in the here and now. Not just at an empty tomb and not just in a crowded church.
During the season of Lent, we have a tendency to slow things down. To be a tad more intentional.
So during these “40 days” we will be adding Soup and Psalms in person at SPEC each Wednesday at 12pm. When we gather, we’ll read a particular Psalm (the same one that will come up in the weekend worship) and ask ourselves a few questions and then take time in prayer.
So I’m inviting you to do the same thing. Join us in person if you can (4007 Main St, Eggertsville NY 14226). But if you can’t, join us in spirit through email.
Here is our Psalm for the week: Psalm 31:9-16. Read it through once, giving yourself a chance to breathe after, and then read it one more time.
Psalm 31:9-16 9 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eye wastes away from grief, my soul and body also. 10 For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my misery, and my bones waste away.11 I am the scorn of all my adversaries, a horror to my neighbors, an object of dread to my acquaintances; those who see me in the street flee from me. 12 I have passed out of mind like one who is dead; I have become like a broken vessel. 13 For I hear the whispering of many— terror all around!— as they scheme together against me, as they plot to take my life.14 But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’ 15 My times are in your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors. 16 Let your face shine upon your servant; save me in your steadfast love.Then ask yourself the following: 1. What caught your attention? 2. What questions does this bring up? 3. What do you hear God saying to us through it?
Feel free to share any of our thoughts with me and if you email [email protected] before 11am Wednesdays, I will share them with the in-person group.
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