New Beginnings

January…

the month of new beginnings. Already we are 2/52 of the way into this year. 17 days behind and 348 ahead of us…but then we sit here…. in the present.

This one day is all that we can now be absolutely certain of. We can think about the future, and recall the past; yet only in this very moment is there complete certainty. That very realization can be disconcerting beyond all imagination. To live fully into that uncertainty we draw upon the strength that God gives us through the work of the Holy Spirit.

The ancient Roman god for this month in the cycle of the year was Janus.

Janus stood guard at the door of every home. Janus the two-faced god. See Janus here

On a spiritual level it is great to think about having a god able to see both forward and past, providing protection, guidance and favor. Using the representation of two faces for that aspect of the divinity conveys in a very literal way what we come to rely up for spiritual strength.  Christians, Jews and Muslims of course, all view our One True God as having those characteristics.

Who among us hasn’t from time to time wished that we could be able to foresee with perfect clarity as well as remember fully the past?

We might indeed wish to be like Janus, the “two-faced” god, but never do I want to be called two-faced.

What is it about people that are “two faced” that I am loathe to be known for? It is the inference in modern vernacular of one who is deceptive in speech, actions or both.

Scripture clearly dislikes any form of deception. The book of Proverbs describes the untrustworthy person and the propensity to behave with something of two faces. They say one thing and mean another in their heart. Keeping silence however, is a great virtue; it is something to be desired as a sign of wisdom.

Jesus tells his disciples “let your yes be yes and your no be no.” (Matt 5:37)

It seems clear that for those who seek wisdom and instruction from scripture that righteousness includes being straightforward and non-deceptive. The righteous ones also exhibit the ability to keep ones thoughts and words under control. Wisdom among humans then, is marked by a solitary face; honest statements made with restraint and self-control are the hallmarks of a person of integrity.

When we realize and live into the reality that each of us is always in some way a public person we need to ask of ourselves “what are the consequences of becoming known as a two-faced person?”

In a post on the Christian Century blog the question was asked of pastors how they managed their Facebook identity. HERE was a fruitful discussion of the problems encountered particularly by younger ministers. In the discussion which you can read for yourself, the issue is raised about integrity. The comments challenged those that felt that the best way to maintain their professional appearance was through multiple Facebook accounts. The bottomline for those that challenged the two-facebook-er’s was the issue of integrity and character.

If there is something that you would hide from some people, then maybe it just doesn’t belong in Facebook. Period. Always being a public person demands one being able to restrain oneself from behavior that would cause damage to the life of faith of a less mature person in Christ. 

For myself, I have only one facebook account…any more would just be too confusing for me. Life is complicated enough, without putting myself in the position of having to maintain multiple personas in the social networks.*

So, with the image of Janus as a guide to the spiritual tasks for January, start this year afresh with a commitment to lead lives worthy of the calling of Christ.

Deitrich Bonhoeffer would say discipleship is costly.

Very simply, the cost of being a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ is that everyone always judges our actions and words against their own understanding of the kind of life we are called to live; that judgment is made according to their own understanding of Scripture. The damage that is created by inconsistency is the potential of immeasurable loss of respect. The problem is that both non-Christians and Christians alike begin to loose respect for us when we fail to live consistent lives, damaging the prospect of opening new relationships with God through Christ because people are too prone to throw out the baby with the bath water on matters related to church.

The only cure for loss of respect is frank acknowledgment of our faults.

After acknowledgment, a course correction is required to live the life of faithful discipleship.

The psalmist writes, “Search my heart O God, and know me.”

Here is the challenge:  If, in reflection on your past, you can spot places of inconsistency, Today is the perfect day to begin a new unified life of discipleship in three steps.

Acknowledge the faults of the past.

Make amends to injured parties.

Commit anew to a life of integrity supported by the Spirit of God.

With God's grace and mercy abundant to all who call for it, I pray you will find a new and renewed sense of purpose in your call to follow Jesus.


Grace and peace,

Barbara

*I have resorted to multiple blogs for the same reason that people write many books; to keep the content relevant and related in genre.

The price of serving

This past weekend’s tragic events in Tucson have left many of us groping for answers to the why of this most recent episode of violence against one of the public figures of our nation and evokes more of a person commentary on the event and life of the public servants of our nation.

Elected officials know that they are always public people. Privacy in many ways becomes a thing of the past. Sadly, these days they also recognize that they take on certain risks.

This whole affair is a deeply troubling situation. Tikkun has reminded their community that Rep. Gifford, the primary target of the lone gunman, is a Jew.  Their concern, to raise awareness of anti-semitism and violence toward “other” should not be overlooked.

What I have found curious is the limited discourse regarding gun control. Troubling to me is the report that now, some congressmen say they will be carrying their own handgun for self protection. . . As if  Representative Gifford ever would have been able to draw and shot in self-defense... enough said.

My own heart breaks to think of the families who have already lost loved ones as a result of one man's unstable mental health. There is much brokenness in this world we walk on. Many places requiring the healing and reconciling presence of G_D.

Christians, let us not loose sight of our high and holy callings.

Always a public person

From the time I attended my field education class one phrase stuck with me.

"You're always a public person."

Yes, it's true. If you serve a church as minister, pastor, priest, or deacon, you are always a public person.
But then, if you are a leader in any civic organization, you are also "always a public person." Sometimes you are so well known that everyone refers to other family members as "so-and-so's" wife, husband, father, mother, son, or daughter.








What I wanted to do, when I conceived the idea of this blog is confront the reality that if you are a Christian you are always a public person, and you are always seen.
You are seen when you least expect it.


It amused me when I was serving as a pastor of a congregation, that people would suddenly shift their behavior when I entered into the room. They would say something to the effect, "not in front of the pastor." As if I had some tremendous power to bring judgment on them. My thinking was, if they didn't want me to see or hear what was occurring, then wouldn't they not want God to see or hear?  HELLO....God is the original "Santa Claus"... always watching... "sees you when you're naughty, and sees you when you're nice."


You are seen by God.
You are known by God.
And, most importantly, you are loved by God.


God knew you before you were born and loved you then. God loves you now.
Psalm 139 is our source for believing this.


God loves you regardless of how many times we fall short of the measure of perfection.




But that doesn't mean we can take our imperfections lightly. God accepts us now though we are imperfect, but also desires to transform us into the best that God wants us to become.


Today, start this day with the words of Psalm 139 and let this be a place of meditation.


Be still and know that you are loved, as a public person, but also as God's child.
Strive this day, to behave without any guilt.
Embark on this process of life changing transformation by inviting God to direct your steps today.


Repeat daily..


Shalom for today.