Above

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. - James 3:17-18

It would be so easy to read the list of great attributes found in this passage (pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere).  And indeed they are all aspects of living we should strive for I guess.

But it might be easy to overlook the most important part of the passage.  James writes, “But the wisdom from above….”

You see, I’d like to strive for purity, peaceableness, gentleness, reasonableness, mercy and good fruits, impartiality and sincerity.  And I do.  And far too often, I fail at one, two, or all of these. At one time or another anyway. 

Here’s the point. James makes it clear at the beginning of his list that these things are “wisdom from above.”  In short, James saying these things are what are gifted, offered, from God above.  And his essay states that there are plenty of these gifts to be had. But, there is a caution, for not all gifts are good.  Just before the passage listed above, James had written, in stark contrast, this:  “But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.” (James 3:14,15)

We can strive for wisdom, but perhaps it is more important to seek the source of the gifting. And discern where our wisdom is coming from…and from whom.  Is it from above?  Or is it earthly, unspiritual, demonic?  Failings to live by the wisdom from above is likely caused by the yearning we all have for earthly wisdoms. Wisdoms that sound so good. Wisdoms that will fail us when push comes to shove.

What wisdoms have you been seeking, what wisdoms have I?  The answer needs to be directional.  From above please. Ask for the gift.

Oso

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven. - Ecclesiastes 3:1

 I've shown this photo before. This is our much loved cat, Oso. She's 11 years old; we originally brought her with us from California. Yesterday we received the news that most likely (90%) she has cancer with 2 or 3 weeks to live. In this season of change for us, this is not one we were expecting obviously. Some change is good, even very good, some, not so much. But...we know there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. Still...sigh.

Gift

“…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus….”  - Romans 3:23-24

This is a most familiar passage. Many of us can recite “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” fairly much by heart. As bad as I am at memorizing Scripture, this is one that I can always easily recall.  Probably has something to do with how much I can very personally relate to the fact that all (especially and particularly me) have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.   Yep, ahem, that is me.

But the passage that came in my email the other morning does not stop where most of us do when reciting it.  It included, after that rough admission of how fallen we really are, a wonderful grace note.

Yes, we all (and there are no exceptions) are sinners that fall short of the glory of God.  And if you are like me, who I suspect most of you are, we fall short of that glory rather repeatedly and at times, spectacularly. And yes, there is no excuse for what we do.

Yet.  The verse’s grace note states we “are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus”

The word here that jumps out at me…is ‘gift.’  Gift.  The word gets defined in English (it’s an old Norse word) as “something given voluntarily without payment in return, as to show favor toward someone, honor an occasion, or make a gesture of assistance….” The Greek word here (δωρεάν) (dorean) simply means “at no cost”

Yes, we have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God…yet He has gifted us with a grace given at no cost to us, through the redemption (which indicates a great cost) in Jesus Christ.

Do we deserve it? Honestly, I should not even have to ask the question. But the cost has been paid and the results are given freely.

Live freely, live deeply, rejoice in Jesus.  We have been gifted. There is nothing more we could ask for. There is nothing more we need.

Change

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.   James 1:17

I don’t know about you, but I don’t like change.  Change is never easy.  I like the comfort of routine and repetition; many pastors do.  Sometimes the ruts just guide you to where you want to go.  Again and again and again.

Yet, it is a season of change for Susie and me.  As uncomfortable as it may be.

I have announced to my congregation, Third Presbyterian Church in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, my plans to resign as pastor, effective May 1.  It’s been an always interesting and at times extremely rewarding ministry over the past almost nine years.  In some ways I do this coming off maybe one of the better years (at least numerically) of my ministry.

Yet.

It is time for a change.  We’ve known that for almost a year now.  And we couldn’t ignore it.  The Spirit has been nagging on us.

Even in the midst of change, and we all go through it, I take great comfort.  So should you.  No matter what you are going through, the God of “every perfect gift” does not change no matter what the circumstances you find yourself in today.  Or what they may be tomorrow.  In our God we have One in which “there is no variation or shadow due to change.”    

This Sunday is Easter, although I prefer the phrase “Resurrection Sunday.”  We celebrate the unchangeable truth of what Jesus has done for those who are willing to believe and trust in Him.  As millions have done through the centuries, we shall gather and give thanks from the bottom of our hearts for this “perfect gift.”   The good news does not change. We might; our circumstance certainly will.  But He won’t.  That is a change…or lack of…that you can count on.  Forever.

P.S.

Please be in prayer for Susie and I as we meander about 90 miles to the north and east to start ministry at Marion Presbyterian Church, in Marion Center, PA, at the end of May. Also, please be praying for the congregation at Third Pres.  It is a time of excitement and certainly some sorrow.  Change is never easy.  Did I mention that?

And let’s all be grateful for the One who never, ever changes.  

Commandment

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. - Matthew 22:37-39

The context of this statement by Jesus was a trick question asked of him by a Pharisee who “was a lawyer.” The question he asked was this: “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” Trick question. The evidence is that scribes held to there being a total of 613 laws, with 248 being affirmative and 365 being negative. According to one author I read, some Pharisees even argued that the commandment to wear fringes on the garments was the greatest of the 613!

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”

You have to love Jesus’ answer. In a brilliance only the true Son of God could muster, he succinctly summed up all of the law (all 613 of them) by saying two things: First, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.”

And then he continues by saying, “And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Jesus’ ministry was one that made things rather simple.  Sum up 613 laws with two.  The heart of the Christian faith is so unpretentious.  Do two things…and everything else will fall into place.  Maybe even all 613 laws.

OK, let me admit, even Jesus’ two simple commandments, however, may not be so easy to do. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  There are three alls in that sentence.  All my heart, all my soul, and my mind.  That is a lot of everything.  Then there is this love your neighbor as yourself.  Right. Jesus never met my neighbors! (just kidding, by the way).

But as we drift deeper into the season of Lent, hopefully one spends more time thinking about what all Jesus went through for each of us, the persecution, the pain, the cross.  And how ultimately unworthy any of us are.  And that just makes me love him more and want to know him deeper. (visit Philippians 3:10)  and, it also makes me want to share his love and grace and truth any all that I come into contact with. 

And if that is where my heart truly is, and even though I may fulfill my desires in an incomplete manner, is that not still what “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself, all about?

I want to know him more; and I want to share him.  Do two things…and everything else will fall into place.  Can it be that simple?

I’m fairly sure the answer is yes….

Chosen

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,  - Colossians 3:12

So I look at this verse, and a lot jumps out at me. 

The first is this.  I am, apparently, one of God’s chosen ones.

Now we can argue till we are all blue in the face about how one becomes one of God’s chosen ones – and admittedly I would come at this from a decidedly Reformed point of view, but that is not the point of my writing…nor do I think that’s the point the apostle Paul’s writing here.

The point being that if you are a truster and believer in Jesus Christ, then somehow, someway, you have become one of God’s chosen ones.  Relish in that fact. Rejoice in His grace. Sing His praise. Shout your alleluias.

But.

Read the remainder of this verse.

As one of God’s chosen, holy and beloved, put on compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience…. There is more to Paul’s thought, but that is for another time.

With God’s choosing, comes responsibility. Jesus put it this way, “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.” (Luke 12:28)

Chosen one, God is has given you much, in return, Paul says, “put on compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience….”

It is, in many ways a short list.  But it is all encompassing. It is about our personal relationships, but also about the stranger that we meet on the street. Towards all we are to show the traits of “compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience….”

Tall order.  And there is no way we could do it on our own power.  But, “as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved” anything is a possibility.

And imagine those possibilities in your life.  For today and for tomorrow.

Dear “God's chosen ones, holy and beloved….” 

Go and be a blessing.