Day 30 – Body Life (Part 2)

1 Corinthians 12:24b-26 But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it,so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

God put the body together. God put it together in such a way as all members are cared for equitably. Some members need more protection. Some members need more care. Some members are more vulnerable. All members are meant to thrive. Think about your own body—what happens when you ignore a part? What members of the body of Christ have frequently been ignored, minimized or marginalized?  What harm occurs to the whole body when parts are mistreated?  

Prayer: How we praise and thank You for the diversity of gifts and graces within the body of Christ and the beautiful variety and variance of the characters, personalities, peoples, interests and activities that are represented throughout the whole Church of God. May familial love and godly gentleness be the precious garment with which we are all clothed, and may we be of one mind and united in spirit and humble in heart, having the same love, and working together with one intent, united in purpose. May each part of the body receive the care and honor it needs and deserves so that together, we can fulfill the mission of Christ in the world. We ask this through the name of the Head of the Body, Jesus Christ. Amen. 

Day 23 – The Deserving Class

Mark 10:17-22 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’” “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.” Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. 

We often read this passage assuming that the man isn’t willing to give up his wealth because he enjoyed the benefits of being rich more than having eternal life. But maybe he wasn’t willing to give up his wealth to poor people because he didn’t believe they deserved it. Maybe he looked at poor people and assumed that they were lazy and that giving them his wealth would be a disincentive to find employment.  Maybe he thought they would only spend his wealth on drugs and alcohol. Maybe he thought of his wealth as God’s reward. These are classist ideas.  When have classist ideas shaped your response to people who are struggling financially? Do you make distinctions between “deserving” and “undeserving” poor people? How do you know which is which? 

Prayer: God, we struggle over the things we have and the things we want.  We don’t want to be consumed by consumption. We don’t want our bank account to control our days and nights. We don’t want to listen to the siren call of accumulation and it’s false promises of satisfaction.  But the song is loud and it is difficult to see that your invitation to let go of what we have and what we want isn’t a threat to our wellbeing, but is an invitation to be free.  Help me loosen my grip on the things that cannot satisfy so that I can enter into the fullness of eternal life. Amen.   

At the Intersection of Class & Race

During the Year of the Pandemic, 2020, the 644 billionaires in the US increased their wealth by almost $1 trillion dollars, while an additional 8 million Americans fell below the poverty line – most of them people of color. The income and wealth gap between white Americans and BIPOC continues to grow. We often hear arguments that the disparities are related to poor choices, undisciplined behavior, immorality and other individualized factors. But is that the real cause? There’s more to the story… Solana Rice contends that the wealth gap has been created…BY DESIGN.

Day 22 – Table Talk

Luke 14:12-14 Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

Table fellowship was a big deal in Jesus’s culture. There were some people you are happy to eat with (relatives, friends, rich neighbors) and others that would make your table unclean (gentiles, sick people, disabled people).  But Jesus points out how meaningless it is to share your table with people who don’t need your food or your hospitality. Blessing comes when you share the blessings with those who have nothing except need. Your repayment will come from God, who sees who you include at your table.  

During the pandemic, food security became a huge issue. For the past year, mutual aid groups filled in the gaps to make sure families were fed.  We have become a partner with Community Dinners to provide a regular meal for those in need. Consider how you can share your food with hungry individuals and families this month.

Prayer: Heavenly Father we thank you because Your Word says that because You love us, You gave your only begotten Son to die for us. So, we thank you that Your love extends to every ethnic group, all genders, race, color and socio-economic classifications. Your love extends especially to those who are vulnerable, whom you call the “least of these:” the homeless, the poor, the hungry, the thirsty and the incarcerated.  May your love so fill our hearts that we will welcome them and care for them as we would welcome and care for Christ. We pray for divine covering and blessing upon them and for justice to rain down upon our land so that everyone will have what they need. Amen.

Day 21 – The King’s Policy

James 2:8-9 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.  But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 

First James calls us “judges with evil thoughts” when we discriminate.  Now, he calls us lawbreakers when we show favoritism because it does not demonstrate “love of neighbor” – especially our neighbors who are already disadvantaged.  Discrimination and favoritism are two sides of the same coin. Discrimination is the harmful treatment of those we consider inferior, while favoritism is the preferential treatment of those we consider superior. When we give preference to one group (favoritism), we invariably harm the other (discrimination).  Can you think of economic policies that have had this preference/harm dynamic?  How have you benefitted or been harmed by that policy. What do you think “keeping the royal law” looks like when we consider the wall of classism? 

Prayer: King Jesus, lead us in your way neighbor love. For you laid down your riches and put aside your majesty for the sake of the poor, the lost and the broken. King Jesus, teach us your definition of justice – a jubilee outpouring of grace. For you cancelled our debts and paid everything we owed so we could be rich in you, found in you, and whole in you. And you modelled for us a new way of judging that steps down from the bench to take the defendant’s place. King Jesus, have your way in us: Prompt us to pray; Lead us to give; Empower us to campaign; Strengthen our faith for change; Move us to choose to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly until the wall separating the poor from access to life crumbles, crippling debts are cancelled, and poor communities walk free into a fair and just future of opportunity. Amen.

Day 20 – James Takes Us To The Confessional

James 2:1-4 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 

Ouch. This stings! Most of us can easily recall a time that we treated people differently on the basis of how they dressed, skin tone, accent, gender, gender orientation, etc. James calls those who discriminate as “judges with evil thoughts.” Confession time: what evil thoughts have you had about people you have treated unfairly based on outward markers of class or other status?  

Prayer: God and Father of all, our world is torn apart by prejudice, arrogance, and pride. We divide people by labels that mean nothing in your kingdom.  Help us to be a bridge across different races, classes and cultures to love and understand one another better. Increase among us sympathy, tolerance, and goodwill, that we may learn to appreciate the gifts that others bring to us, and to see in all people our brothers and sisters for whom Christ died. Decrease in us jealousy, hatred, and fear, and help us to live together as members of one family at home in the world, sons and daughters of one Father who live in the liberty of the children of God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Day 19 – Something To Be Proud Of

James 1:9-11 (NLT) Believers who are poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them. And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower in the field. The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements.

Ibram Kendi writes, “Racist ideas make people of color think less of themselves, which makes them more vulnerable to racist ideas. Racist ideas make white people think more of themselves, which further attracts them to racist ideas.” We can easily see the same dynamic when it comes to class. What are some classist ideas that would make poor people think less of themselves and rich people think more of themselves? What about the gospel elevates the poor and lowers those with wealth? How does the gospel break down the wall of classism? 

Prayer: God of Justice, You have chosen the poor in the eyes of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom you promised those who love him. You have exalted the humble and sent away the rich empty. Yet, we continue to disparage the poor, blaming them for their circumstances, and we lift up the rich as examples worthy of our esteem. Remind us that the kingdom of heaven is an upside down world where the first are last and the last are first, and align our hearts to your values. Through Jesus, who, though he was rich, became poor that through his poverty, we might become rich. Amen. 

Day 18 – What You Lookin’ At?

1 Samuel 16:6-7  When he arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.” But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

Samuel was on a mission to find God’s choice to be king over the people of Israel. He was certain that  that Eliab was the man because of his appearance and height.  But Eliab wasn’t God’s choice. In our context culturally, what traits lead us to assume someone has great potential for success?  What traits lead us to assume the lack of that potential?  What happens to people who have the traits we associate with failure? Have you ever felt evaluated on the basis of your appearance?  How did that feel? 

Prayer: O God, we’ve been guilty of assuming outward appearance is indicative of inward morals. Again and again, you remind us that you look at the heart—where the fruits of the Spirit are produced.  Forgive us for only looking at the surface as if that is all that matters. Help us to remember that your Servant had no beauty or majesty to draw us to him, no outward appearance that we should desire him, yet he is our Lord and Savior. Open our eyes to the value and potential each one possesses because of your presence in their lives. Amen.