Healing Rays of Righteousness

Last Sunday we heard Pastor Dustin say that “Great things can come out of our wilderness experiences.”  I agree with him and wish to share a painful wilderness experience that had a major and significant impact on my life and ministry.  Let me begin by briefly describing how very blessed I was in the years leading up to my wilderness journey.

Life was good.  Dottie and I married in 1959, and were blessed with four children, Nelson, Karen, Sharon, and Carolyn.  I was ordained as minister at Metzler Mennonite Church in 1966.  During the next 10 years, I pastored a white, conservative congregation, a mixed black/white congregation in a Harrisburg black community, successfully graduated from Goshen Biblical Seminary, and was installed as pastor at Frazer Mennonite Church. 

In the year prior to my wilderness journey, our oldest child, Nelson, graduated from Goshen College and was hired as the Director of the Umble Center on campus.  Our second child, Karen, graduated from the Nursing program at Hesston College and was married on the same day.

Life for me was incredibly good and satisfying.  But I, like most of us are probably inclined to do, was enjoying this good life wrapped in a world of assumptions.  We go to bed at night expecting the sun to rise in the morning.  We wake up in the morning and assume that life will be much the same as yesterday.

Like most people, I had somehow convinced myself that tragedy is what happens to other people and not to me.  And when it did happen, my friendly and comfortable world was blown to bits and I was torn apart by a whirlwind of intensely painful emotions of confusion, uncertainty, and God forsakenness.

While serving as pastor of the Frazer Mennonite Church,  I worked half-time as chaplain on the newly formed hospice team at Paoli Memorial Hospital, beginning in 1980.  During the next four years I was privileged to become a well-trained chaplain and confidently ministered to the  terminally ill and their families in their journeys of grief through dying and death.  

I had been taught much about “end of life” death and grief from expert seminar lecturers, training studies, and through many bedside experiences .  And I was being invited to lead training seminars and grief support groups at the hospital and in our Lancaster conference churches.

Even so, I was not prepared for the telephone call that I answered during the late evening of May 1, 1984, informing me that our 23-year-old son, Nelson, was dead. 

I still remember the conversation and the feelings that followed.  “Hi Ray.  This is Lawrence Burkholder, president of Goshen College.  How are you and Dottie doing this evening?  I said that we were doing well and watching the story of Helen Keller on TV.  He then said, “I have some very sad news to tell you.  Nelson was playing in a practice soccer game, when he collapsed on the field with a heart attack and is dead.” 

After a brief silence, he continued with additional details surrounding Nelson’s death, and asked for permission to request an autopsy.  He expressed his condolence and promised to pray and to be in touch with us during the next few days and ended the conversation. 

Suddenly, time came to a screeching halt and my world seemed unreal.  Nothing made sense.  My mind was in turmoil, struggling to accept the tragic news as fact.  I so much wanted it to be a bad dream from which I would soon awake. 

Dottie came into the kitchen where I was, wanting to console me, thinking that one of my parents had died.  I sobbed on her shoulder until I was able to tell her it was Nelson.  After more sobbing we realized we needed to tell Carolyn, who was still watching TV.  This was followed by sobbing phone calls to our other two daughters, Sharon, and Karen, and then to our families.

I felt so weak, empty, and out of control as I tried to think what next needed to be done.  I felt numb, dazed, and functioning in slow motion as we planned for a funeral, responded to the many friends and neighbors who stopped by to embrace and pray with us in the week that followed.  The day of funeral service and burial seemed so unreal and almost a blur as we were being comforted by an unexpected crowd of people sharing with us their condolences and memories of Nelson. 

About 3-4 weeks later the emotional numbness gave way to a heavy weight settling in my stomach, crushing and squeezing the breath and life out of me.  I later described the feeling as having my heart ripped out of me and leaving a ragged bleeding hole in my chest.

The intense pain of loss and grief with its whirlwind of emotions, began to seep through my whole body, causing my mind and heart to cry out, “Oh God, why have you forsaken me.”  It was an unrelievable, indescribable pain that I never knew was possible to humanly experience.

The death of one’s own child is most difficult because the child, regardless of age, is a part of the parent.  This child, Nelson, is my child, my flesh, my future, and it seemed impossible to fathom that he is gone.  It soon dawned on me that I was needing to “walk the talk” of my chaplaincy training and teaching.

Even though there many people and many life experiences  that shaped my spiritual outlook on life and my relationship with God, the sudden death of our son was probably the most pivotal in my spiritual journey. 

Nelson’s death caused major demolition to my previous understanding and experience of God.  What I thought was a well-constructed Anabaptist perspective of Christian theology and faith, now lay broken into a pile of scattered debris at my feet.   

The meaning and purpose of my whole life, past, present, and future, now hung upon a fragile lifeline, and I had to make a choice to either become bitter toward God and spiritually die or find a new, better way of understanding God and relating more intimately with Him.

I chose the latter, and even though I was feeling forsaken by God,  I somehow knew that I was not, and chose to believe and cling to his promise, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Heb. 13:5). 

In my search to rebuild a more authentic and stronger relationship with God, several passages became especially helpful to me.   Lamentations 3:22 – “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

And verses 32-33, “Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love.  For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone.” 

These verses and many others from the Psalms and book of Job, which I slowly read and studied, anchored my faith, and deepened my relationship with God.  This in turn, enabled me to reframe a more authentic, compassionate theology of God, built on a much firmer foundation in Jesus Christ.

Thanks to the emotional support and genuine caring love of many persons in our church and Christian community, I began to slowly formulate a new understanding of who God was, and his expectations for intimate relationships with us by creating us in his image and likeness. 

In this searching for a better understanding God, I discovered a deeper purpose and direction for my life and ministry.  It is spoken by Paul in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 – “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we  ourselves receive from God.” 

This “ministry of comfort” became my life’s mission statement as I pursued further training in Clinical Pastoral Education at Philhaven Hospital.  This training equipped me for full-time chaplaincy ministry at Menno Haven Retirement Community and Chambersburg Hospital for more than 20 years.

During those years I continually gained new insights and real-life experiences into God’s view of suffering and his faithful enabling presence through such journeys.  My relationship with God has richly deepened and my ministry as chaplain was graciously blessed as I ministered emotional and spiritual consolation and encouragement to those suffering distress and fear in their journey through grief.

And so, I present my testimony this morning as an offering of thanksgiving and join the psalmist in praise to God as recorded in Psalms 139:14, 16-18 – “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful,  I know that full well.  … Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.  How precious  to me are your thoughts, God!  How vast is the sum of them!  Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand – when I awake, I am still with you.”                    

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – March 3, 2021

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Ray M. Geigley

In her book, At Home in Mitford, Jan Karon writes of a time when Father Tim, an Episcopal priest, heard a horrible scream from the sanctuary of his church.  As he came closer, he began to understand the anguished words that made up the scream:  Are…you…up…there?

“Father Tim slid into the pew across the aisle and knelt on the worn cushion.  “You may be asking the wrong question,” he said quietly.  Startled, the man raised his head.  “I believe the question you may want to ask is not, ‘Are you up there?’ but, “Are you down here?’”  

This may be the question seeking an answer in our heart and mind as we journey through Lent with its focus on our wilderness experiences and relationship with God. 

For a few weeks following the birth of Jesus, we focused on the coming and nearness of God being with us as declared in his name, Emmanuel.  But now, as we move back into our daily routines, Christ’s presence seem more distant, once again up in the heavens.  He seems no longer to be the Word made flesh and no longer the Word that dwells among us, full of grace and truth.  Such feelings may haunt us as we journey through Lent with its various wilderness experiences.

Before Jesus was born, God would visit His people by performing mighty and miraculous works.  Whenever He made such visits, God’s people would stack stones or build a monument or erect a synagogue in honor of God’s visit.  The erection of material monuments and buildings was their way of saying, “God was here.”  The power and presence of God had visited them in a place, and so in order not to forget the event, they constructed a visual reminder.

But when Jesus entered the world the verb tense changed from the past “was” to the present “is” tense.   Jesus stepped down out of heaven and made His dwelling among us.  He moved into our neighborhood.  He took up in-flesh residence on this planet earth so we could better understand and know God.

In writing his Gospel account, John introduces us to Jesus by telling us that this “Word” Jesus who was in the beginning and was with God and was God, became human flesh so we could better understand and have relationship with God.  “The Word was made flesh and made his dwelling among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (1:14).

Christ “the Word” certainly is “up there,” but we must never forget that he is also “down here.”  Because of Jesus’ birth, because of the incarnation of God, we now say, “God is here.”  In Jesus, God “made his dwelling among us.” and in Jesus, God came into our world and into the everyday, mundane things of life.

Believe it, my friend, Jesus was not an idea of God, nor a picture of God, but God Himself embodied in human form and flesh.  He came to assure us that we have God’s full attention and love.

The story is told of a little girl who was frightened one night during a loud thunderstorm.  She cried out to her Daddy, “Help me.  I’m scared.”  Her Daddy comforted her and said, “Honey, you don’t need to be afraid.  God loves you and he is here with you in your bedroom, and he will take good care of you.”

The storm continued and after a few minutes, another bolt of lightning and clap of thunder caused the frightened girl to yell again for her Daddy.  Again, her Daddy’s response was the same.  But the girl replied, “Daddy, I know that God loves me and is here with me, but right now I need someone with skin on to stay with me.”

When Jesus stepped down out of heaven and became human flesh, he was God, “full of grace and truth” with skin on.  In His act of becoming human, God experienced and shared in all the pains of human life on planet earth.  He felt the pain of loneliness, the hurt of rejection.  He felt the pain of grief in losing a loved one to death.  He felt the pain of mental and physical abuse. 

And because God became human in Jesus, He understands and empathizes with us completely, feeling our every pain.  God is here and He feels, He hurts, He cries.  Because Jesus became human like us, we can now experience God down here, living in our midst and being lovingly present with us in every joy and pain.

We could never reach Him up there, but in love He came down here to us.  “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  We have seen His glory…”  Thanks be to God who loves us so much that He lives within us and shares in all our life experiences.   

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – February 24, 2021

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Ray M. Geigley

Henri J. M. Nouwen wrote just several weeks before his death in 1996 that “Lent is the most important time of the year to nurture our inner life.  It is the time during which we not only prepare ourselves to celebrate the mystery of the death and resurrection of Jesus, but also the death and resurrection that constantly takes place within us.  Life is a continuing process of the death of the old and the familiar, and being reborn again into a new hope, a new trust, and a new love.”

The whole of written Scriptures tells us that God deeply loves us and eagerly wants our love in return.  God poured his eternal love into us when he created us, desiring above everything else that we choose to be in an intimate relationship with Him.  The 40 days of Lent annually offers us an opportunity to review our relationship with God, repent of all that distracts from that relationship, and return to deepen our love relationship with God, who is LOVE.

In the book of Joel, God’s people had experienced massive devastation from swarms of locusts.  As a spiritual leader, Joel knew the remedy was to call God’s people to return to Him in a sacred assembly of united repentance.  When the people responded, God heard, forgave, and restored the land (Joel 1-3).

We, the people of United States, have experienced immense physical and emotional suffering, destruction, and death during this past year due to the Covid-19 virus, destructive storms, and violent political extremism fueled by deceptive Qanon lies and conspiracies.  Is not this prime time to call God’s people in our churches and communities to tearful lament and repentance? 

“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.”  Rend your heart and not your garments.  Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.  … Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly;

 … Let the priests, who minister before the Lord, weep between the portico and the altar.  Let them say, “Spare your people, Lord.  Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations.  Why should they say among the peoples, “Where is their God?”  (Joel 2:12-17). 

In her book, Preaching from the Minor Prophets, Elizabeth Achtemeier responds to these verses.  “Even now, in twentieth-century America and in all the years to come; even now, in our situation, marked as we are with disdain for our neighbors’ needs and neglect of the will of our God; even now, in the midst of our fears, our sufferings, our guilts, and our ignorance, the God of all mercy holds out to us the opportunity for repentance and return, that we may stand and know salvation in the Day of the Lord.”

Joel calls us to rend our hearts because he knows that the source of sin is our evil hearts, as God stated in Genesis 6:5.  “The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.”  And Joel knew that true repentance must begin with a rending, that is, a sorrow-filled breaking of our heart.  

The three-lettered word “for” in verse 13,is so important because it gives the reason why we can and should return to the Lord in repentance.  It is because God “is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love,” and willing to take back his planned judgment on his people.  This characterization of God’s nature is confirmed throughout the Old Testament.

Joel believed that the severe agricultural devastation was a loud trumpet call from God, giving his people an opportunity to repent and return to Him in trust and faith.  And yes, I too believe such times of loss, grief, or devastation continue even today to become times of God calling us to sorrowfully repent, and acknowledging our failings and sin, to return to His love for us.

I repeat what I said earlier.  God poured his eternal love into us when he created us, desiring above everything else that we choose to be in an intimate relationship with Him.  May we say with the psalmist  – “I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. … The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.” (Psalm 116:1,5).       Amen!

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – February 17, 2021

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Ray M. Geigley

Leviticus 19 begins with God telling Moses, “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.”  The Bible usually uses the word “holy” as a description of God or places and things that relate to God.  However, the word is used in Leviticus in much the same way as Jesus used the word “perfect” in his Sermon on the Mount, when he said, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Mt. 5:48).

Both words, “holy” and “perfect” beg the question, What does being holy or perfect look like?  But that is probably the wrong question.  If we listen carefully to this reading in Leviticus and to the teachings of Jesus, we soon discover that the words “holy” and “perfect” have much more to do with how we act rather than how we look.

In Leviticus 19 the command to “Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy” is followed by a listing of specific instructions about living together in community.  This immediately undermines the popular notion that to “be holy” means separating myself from others and living isolated as a hermit or monk.  Instead, being holy has everything to do with how I relate to and act toward others in my community and world.

Specific instruction is given about not harvesting the fields and vineyards bare, but to leave the gleanings for the poor.  Another instruction forbids stealing and lying.  Yet another warns against taking advantage of people who are deaf or blind.  Furthermore, justice is to be administered impartially, and people should not slander, nor seek vengeance against one another.  God then sums up these instructions with the command “but love your neighbor as yourself” followed bythe phrase “I am the LORD.” 

This leads me to believe that God’s command to love one’s neighbor as oneself is to be observed because loving one’s neighbor is the essence of being holy.  The Scriptures show and tell us that God is all about love, “God is love.”  And then when we become his people, this divine quality is gifted to us.  And it is God’s intention that we stamp upon our society and community this God-like imprint by living together in community with sharing, caring love.

When Jesus was asked by a Pharisee lawyer about which commandment was the greatest, Jesus answered by quoting directly from Leviticus 19:18, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind,” and, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  Jesus said that upon these two commandments hang all the rest of the Hebrew Scriptures (Matthew 22:40).

Jesus again quoted this verse in his conversation with the rich, young ruler when he asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” (Matthew 19:19);  and it is quoted in his parable of the Good Samaritan when the law expert asked, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:27).

Likewise, the apostles Paul and James quoted this verse from Leviticus in their letters.  Read Romans 13:9-10, Galatians 5:13-14, and James 2:8-9.  Some commentators think that the book of James is a sermon based-on Leviticus 19.

Furthermore, in his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus broadens this command to also include our enemy.  “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven” and concludes with this command “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:43-47). 

Undoubtedly, to “be holy” or “perfect” cannot be rolled up into a single pious activity or be reduced to a way of dressing.  Neither can it be expressed by lugging a Bible with you everywhere you go.  Nor does regular church attendance by itself make you  a holy person. 

Rather, the imprint of God that he commands us to make upon our society happens only by our attitudes and actions of kindness, justice, mercy, generosity and compassion.  From God’s perspective, loving our neighbor, and even our enemy, is the essence of holiness.

As Christians, we often find it easy to embrace the love of neighbor in our faith statements but struggle when it comes to actual practice, especially when that “neighbor” represents a social, cultural, or political offense to us; and it is even more difficult if the “neighbor” becomes the enemy.

And yet, in all of Jesus’ life and teachings, he intentionally destroyed any excuse for divisive and conditional response to his command “love your neighbor as yourself.”  Yes, God daily calls us to “Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.”  I know I must do better.  What about you? 

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – February 10, 2021

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Ray M. Geigley

Anne Frank was a young, Jewish girl living in Amsterdam when the Nazis came to power.  She was no longer able to play along the beautiful canal outside her home.  She had to go into hiding, never leaving her neighbor’s apartment.  Many of her friends were rounded up and sent to death camps.  Anne lived under constant threat of being discovered.  One day she wrote in her diary, “I just heard the church bells ring.  I believe they are saying, ‘there are better days ahead!’”

This is the message the prophet, Isaiah, shared with his people – the people of God who have been torn from their homeland, Israel, and now living in exile in Babylon. “Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth.  The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.  But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy.  I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more.” (Isa. 65:17-19).

It is the message the apostle Peter wrote to his persecuted and suffering fellow-believers in his day.  “But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and new earth, the home of righteousness.” (2 Pet. 3:13).  “There are better days ahead.”

And, it is the message of apostle John, banished on the isle of Patmos, and writing to the persecuted, suffering Christian churches of his day.  “There are better days ahead.” 

The book of Revelation records the heavenly visions God gave to John as encouragement for the Christians of Asia Minor who were suffering much pain and persecution.  In chapters of 21 & 22, John looks beyond the agony of human history, as seen in chapter 20, and receives a vision of a new reality.  He sees “a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.” 

The amazing affirmation of Revelation 21 & 22 is that God, having created a new heaven and a new earth, will return in majestic victory over all evil, pain, and suffering, to intimately dwell with all humankind eternally.

Do you remember what Jesus told his disciples after announcing that he was leaving them and that they could not follow him?  “Do not let your hearts be troubled.  You believe in God; believe also in me.  My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (Jn. 14:1-3).  “There are better days ahead.”

And do you remember the angels message to them in?  “Men of Galilee, …why do you stand here looking into the sky?  This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11).

John describes the holy city descending like a bride, beautifully adorned for her husband.  The “new Jerusalem” is seen not as a place, but rather as a metaphor for God’s people, in whose midst God dwells, even as the old Jerusalem metaphorically stood for the whole people of Israel, and the temple represented and made real God’s presence in their midst.

The central and most fundamental language of this new reality is “relationship” language.  God comes down  to have an intimate relationship with us, like he did in the Garden of Eden.  Intimate relationship with us has always been his desire and creative purpose.  And nothing is more intimate than wiping tears from the face of someone who is in deep pain.  Imagine the glorious, almighty, holy God now living among us and wiping all tears from yours eyes.

In his vision, John sees heaven as a glorious place and describes it with vivid images.  Paul says heaven will be better than our wildest imaginings and quotes an unknown writing: … “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived – the things God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Cor. 2:9).

In her book, Joy in Our Weakness, Marva J. Dawn, writes, “Whatever description we might offer of what it means to be in the presence of GOD after our death will be grossly inadequate.  It is not the place we are interested in, after all, nor some sort of spectacular final event.  It is our encounter with the Person, the Lord of lords and King of kings. (p.201).

Imagine being greeted by Jesus and hearing the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.  …Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.”  (Mt. 25:21, 34).  Yes indeed, “there are better days ahead!”

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – February 3, 2021

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Ray M. Geigley

“And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.  Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”  (Romans 5:2a-5).

In many church and non-church conversations I hear a lot of despair and hopelessness being verbalized.  To speak of HOPE and the possibility of overflowing with HOPE seems to these people to be just a lot of wishful thinking.

I concluded last week’s meditation by encouraging us to resist leaning into uncertainty and fear by leaning more seriously into the HOPE given us through Jesus’ death and resurrection.  But what is this HOPE that the biblical writers speak of?  How is it characterized?

There are several different meanings to our contemporary use of the word “hope.”  I am convinced that he hope being expressed by the biblical writers is not “wishful thinking” as in “I hope it doesn’t rain on our picnic.”  This is probably the most popular use of the word “hope.”

 And neither is it an expression of “reasonable expectation” as when the doctor says to the family “We have every reason to hope for full recovery” after medical/surgical treatment to the patient.The doctor’s past experiences with similar cases makes it possible for him/her to offer this reasonable expectation of recovery to patient’s family.

The hope we hear expressed by the biblical writers is a dynamic word of “confident assurance.”  It is the confident assurance of a promised future of personally sharing in the glory of God.  That is, we will share and participate in God’s triumph over sin and death.  This is the strong, sure hope that God has given us in Jesus’ death and resurrection.

There are two additional things we must remember about Christian hope.  First, it is not born from our circumstances, but from our faith.  Hope is closely related to faith in the New Testament.  The Hebrew writer spells it out for us in chapter 11, verse 1, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

Remember, Jeremiah had no external reasons to trust that things were going to work out for him.  Human reason and wisdom could only say, “Give up!  Quit!”  This was not a purchase that showed great promise.  All Jeremiah had was God’s assurance and a commitment to act in faith.

Despite what his neighbors might say, despite of what appeared to be irrational and illogical, Jeremiah trusted in the power of God to work for good, even in the circumstance of darkness.  Jeremiah realized that faith is indeed “confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” 

Secondly, Christian hope is expressed in deeds, not in thoughts and words.  Jeremiah did not shout his hope-filled thoughts from behind the bars of the prison.  He did not send messages out to declare his hope.  Instead, in obedience to God’s word to him, he bought a field.

Hope is looking forward with confidence to the future for something better, something good.  When we hope, we anticipate that something that God has promised to us can indeed happen and will happen.

It is hope that gives voice to the Old Testament prophecies that we read during the Advent season leading up to Christmas.  Christmas Day is the proclamation that this God of hope is birthed into our world and lives in our midst now in the person of Jesus and His Holy Spirit.

Easter’s Resurrection Morning is the proclamation that God has given us an assured hope that our life does not end in death.  Peter proclaims the good news; “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.  This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:3-5). 

It is this living hope that gives music to our praise, wings to our prayers, and anchors our salvation.  And I believe that this living hope is the one counter-cultural difference that catches the most attention from our neighbors.  I believe it is this Christian hope-filled response to life’s difficulties and sufferings that is most likely to open doors for conversation and witness with our neighbors.

Paul concludes his letter to the Romans with this benediction in 15:13, and I offer it to you for today and every tomorrow.  “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – January 27, 2021

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Ray M. Geigley

Seated at a table in the restaurant reading the morning paper, a man punctuated his reading with deep groans of dismay and discouragement.  Each page of the current national and international news brought a more profound sigh from him. 

The young waitress became very concerned, and so, as she poured him another cup of coffee she asked, “Is everything alright, sir?  You seem to be terribly upset about something.”

The man replied, “You bet I am!  Haven’t you read the morning paper?  I’m sick to death of all the bad news!”  The young waitress timidly stated, “You’ve got to have hope.”  To which the man asked the classic question of pessimistic frustration, “Hope?  How can you have hope in a world like this?”

In the days of the prophet, Jeremiah, many residents of Jerusalem were expressing a similar hopelessness.  Jeremiah is often called the “weeping prophet” and for good reason.  If anyone had reason to cry, it was Jeremiah.  God had promised them so much and the people had such great possibilities as a nation.  But now, their city was surrounded by the treacherous Babylonian army.  The future for God’s people living in Judah appeared to be dark and hopeless.

Sadly, two weeks ago we witnessed a similar darkness in our nation’s capital on Epiphany, the day the Christian church celebrates the great revelation of Jesus as divine light and truth to the Magi and the world.  On this day of Epiphany 2021, Satan attempted to extinguish this magnificent light in our nation by uprooting and deceiving with his evil lies and conspiracy theories the Trumpian mob crowd that violently stormed the capital with destruction, injuries, and death.   

Some of us may be tempted to give up on our commitment to Christian faith and discipleship, to call it quits and throw in the towel.  But that is not what Jeremiah did.  Instead, he listened to and believed God’s word of hope to him and prepared to purchase a field at Anathoth, his birthplace.

Shortly thereafter, Jeremiah’s cousin, Hanamel, visits Jeremiah in jail and asks Jeremiah to buy the field he owns in the village of Anathoth.  The field earlier belonged to Hanamel’s father and Jeremiah’s uncle, Shallum.  And the Levitical law of redemption meant that Jeremiah had the opportunity to purchase Hanamel’s field.

Consider the circumstances.  Anathoth is a little village out in the countryside.  Not much of a place for business or farming.  And with the Babylonian army threatening to confiscate every bit of private property, who is going to risk plowing and planting the field?  Furthermore, Jeremiah himself was in jail.  So why would he act on such craziness?

But God instructs Jeremiah, “Take these documents, both the sealed and unsealed copies of the deed of purchase and put them in a clay jar so they will last a long time.  …Houses, fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land.” (vv. 14-15).  God is saying that even this darkest hour will pass and invites Jeremiah to show great faith by believing that the people of Israel will once again flourish.

We are to believe that Jeremiah bought the field, not for any earthly purpose, but for a heavenly purpose of demonstrating his faith in a God who remains faithful to his people.  Jeremiah affirmed his hope for the future in the purchase of land.  He was saying by his purchase, “Houses, fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land.”  God will restore the devastation.  Crops will again flourish.  Families will return to their homeland.  The good life of community will take precedent over tragedy and sorrow.

And after Jeremiah had given the deed of purchase to Baruch to put into a clay jar so would be preserved for a long time, he prayed, “Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm.  Nothing is too hard for you.” (v.17).

That was Jeremiah’s faith.  He believed that God was not yet finished with his people in Judah.  So, he invested in the future.  Seeing the possibilities beyond the immediate difficulties, he purchased the field.  He wholeheartedly believed that nothing is too hard for God.  Such faith amid much pain and seemingly hopeless situation is astounding. 

Hope is that which energizes us and enables us to envision possibility, that is a “way through” that shapes our activity.  When we hope, we expect the future to somehow be much better, no matter what our present condition may be.  Hope energizes and gives meaning to life, whereas hopelessness drains us of the energies of life.

Last week I asked how should you and I, who claim to have faith in God, respond to such threatening situations?  The continuing tense and threatening situation in our nation can cause many of us, even though deeply rooted in the Jesus way of Christian faith, to lean into uncertainty and fear.  But rather than leaning into uncertainty and fear, I think it better for us to lean more seriously into the HOPE given us through Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Please join me on this Inauguration Day of new national leadership, in celebrating the blessing of Almighty God who favors neither political party nor race but is alive in our world and rules with love, truth, and justice for all mankind.  He is the basis of our hope for today and tomorrow.  Amen!

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness”  – January 20, 2021

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

What happened last Wednesday in our nation’s capital was despicable as a violent attempt to destroy our nation’s foundational constitution and democracy.  It was an ugly and destructive  effort to overturn the fair and factual results of our presidential election.  It was a declared war on truth by the president and  those who have chosen to believe lies and conspiracy theories because they do not like nor accept a reality of truth and facts. 

Most grievous is that many who supported and participated in the awful frightening event call themselves Christian and followers of Jesus, whose teachings and behaviors are antithetical to what they had chosen to believe and do. 

In personal conversations I have warned of the dangers of QAnon and its insidious influence in the Christian church.  QAnon evangelists have been successful in attracting and capturing the Christians whose primary  interest is in discovering signs of  “end time” events.  By framing their deep, dark universe of lies and suspicions with biblical apocalyptic scriptures, QAnon has made their deceitful and dreadful message exciting and believable to many, including Donald Trump.

How should you and I, who claim to have faith in God, respond to these threatening situations?  The events of last week  and the continuing tense and threatening situation in our nation can cause many of us, even though deeply rooted in the Jesus way of Christian faith, to lean into uncertainty and fear.  In such times, I find strength, encouragement and resolve in Psalm 46.

This psalm is a statement of faith declaring God oversees history, and that he is more than adequate for every difficult and threatening event of life, so we do not need to be afraid.  This psalm encourages us to always trust God in every circumstance, including the difficult ones.

The writer of this psalm reckoned with the possibility that God may allow the worst to happen in our world and life.  Nevertheless, he renounces fear and reaffirms faith with three great affirmations of faith that can keep us from being robbed of the hope, peace, joy and love that Jesus brings to us in his promise never to leave us nor forsake us. 

The first affirmation is regarding God’s POWER in verse 1-3; “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”  No matter what storm rages, the almighty God is present in the midst of the trouble to help us.  God’s strength will surround our weakness and protect us.  Therefore, we will not fear, even if the worst is happening.

The second affirmation is regarding God’s PRESENCE in verses 4-7; “There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.  …The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”  The powerful, loving presence of God gives us confidence, no matter the tumult swirling around us and threatening to destroy us.  Therefore, we will not faint, nor fall.

The third affirmation is regarding God’s PEACE in verse 10; “He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”  When we look up and see God’s sovereignty, we can rest in confidence of God’s exalted power and presence.  When we believe with certainty that God is present, powerful, and provides all the resources we need in the situation, God’s gift of peace settles upon us and calms our hearts.  The psalmist concludes in verse 11, “The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”  Therefore, we will not fret.

Martin Luther was going through a personal storm when he meditated on Psalm 46 and was inspired to write the hymn, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.”

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing. Our helper he amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing, for still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe.  His craft and pow’r are great,and armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing, were not the right man on our side, the man of God’s own choosing.  Dost ask who that may be?  Christ Jesus, it is he! Lord Sabaoth, his name, from age to age the same, and he must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, we will not fear, for God hath willed his truth to triumph through us.  The prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him.  His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure.  One little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly pow’rs, no thanks to them, abideth.  The Spirit and the gifts are ours, through him who with us sideth.  Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also. The body they may kill, God’s truth abideth still.  His kingdom is forever.

If we can trust the God that this hymn exalts, I believe we will also discover the secret of living with a calm confidence while in the midst of frightening uncertainties.  Amen!

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – January 13, 2021

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

As a young man, former President Jimmy Carter graduated from the Naval Academy and served as an officer on a nuclear-powered submarine.  However, before he was able to assume that position, he had to have a personal interview with Admiral Hyman Rickover, the man who is said to be the father of the nuclear navy.

Carter was understandable nervous, knowing how much was at stake and that only the best, most disciplined officers were chosen to serve in this prestigious force.  As he stood before Rickover, it was soon obvious to Carter that the wise admiral knew more about nearly every subject discussed than he did. 

Finally, Rickover came to the last question on his list,  “Where did you finish in your class, young man?”  Pleased with his accomplishments and thrilled to be asked a question he could easily answer, Carter informed the Admiral that he had finished 59^th out of a student body numbering 820.  Then he waited for a commendation from the old sailor, but it never came.

Jimmy Carter later recounted that the question that broke the uncomfortable silence between the two men was, “Did you always do your best?”  Carter thought a moment and then cleared his throat and hesitantly replied, “No sir, I did not.”  At that point, Rickover turned he chair around, signaling the interview was over, and asked, “Why not?”

This is a good question to ask ourselves as we reflect on our activities during the past year.  How would we evaluate what we have done during past year?  Would we regretfully say poorly, so-so, or just adequate?  Or would we dare to say good, exceptionally good, or outstanding?

Being Christian, we profess that we are committed to excellence.  But then we hear Jesus telling us that “excellence” is measured by our relationship to God and others.  “’You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Mt. 22:37-39 NLT).  And then in his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus expands neighbor to include our enemies and concludes with this measure of excellence, “But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (Mt. 5:43-48 NLT).    

Wow!  That raises the bar immensely, and begs the question, “Did we always do our best?” We cannot hide from that question, for God says, “I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close.  You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me.”  (Rev. 3:8, NLT).  I may be stretching the context of this promise but wish to suggest the open door is that possibility of forgiveness and opportunity to begin again in behaving better.

The beginning of each new year offers us a time to reflect on our past, regret our mistakes and failures, contemplate the future, and make resolutions.  I think most people want to do and be better.     But there is usually something about the past that troubles us, even if it is nothing more than the nagging belief that we could do better if we had another go at it.

Many years ago, Louisa Fletcher Tarkington, wrote a perceptive poem entitled, “The Land of Beginning Again.”  It begins and ends with a verse which is almost a universal wish.

•             I wish there were some wonderful place
•             Called the land of beginning again
•             Where all our mistakes,
•             And all our heartaches,
•             And all of our poor selfish grief,
•             Could be dropped like a shabby
•             Old coat at the door,
•             And never be put on again.

Mistakes and regrets of the past can and often do become heavy baggage for many of us.  This baggage is real and cannot be easily waved aside, for it represents the residue of mistaken judgments and unwise decisions that have left scars and, sometimes, openly deep wounds in our relationships with God and others.  Have we always done our best?  Probably not.   Have any of our conversations and actions caused unnecessary pain.  Probably so.  Do regrets weigh us down?  Most likely. 

The Bible is filled with the idea of forgiveness and beginning life over again.  The possibility of new beginnings is God’s good news to us.  Whatever loose ends may be lying out there in the past, God can help us gather them up into new beginnings.  God assures us that forgiveness is for the asking.  “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”  (1 John 1:9 NLT).   

The psalmist prayed, “O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help.” (Psalm 86:5 NLT).  Instead of fretting, let us find forgiveness and move forward through God’s open door of “Beginning Again” toward excellence.

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – January 6, 2021

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

The prophet, Isaiah, was writing to God’s people in a time of deep darkness and despair, most likely gloomier and more desperate than that in our present time.  The return trip to their homeland in Israel, after 70 years of exile in Babylon, was exceedingly difficult and disappointing. 

But God had good news for them.  Through their prophet/pastor, Isaiah, God says to them, “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.  See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.  …Lift up your eyes and look about you.”  (Isa. 60:1-2, 4).

The back-to-back imperative verbs, “Arise, Shine” constitute a hope-filled wake-up call announcing the Lord’s new day, which is signified by his glorious light.  

Through the prophet Isaiah, God announces a new day has dawned upon them, “your light has come,” and thus renews their hope with the promise of a coming redeemer.  This analogy of light represents the majestic, redeeming glory of God’s presence, awakening hope and a future for those living in darkness. 

We must remember that this is only prophecy, a promise of what was going to happen in the future.  Many of the following generations heard this message but never saw its reality.

This promise of glorious light links us forward to what the apostle John says about Jesus Christ, “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.  …The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.” (John 1:4-5,9). 

And it also links us to the story of the “Magi from the east” who were looking for a hopeful sign about the future and then seeing it, followed the brilliant light of a star to Bethlehem.

The star that appeared in the nighttime sky led them to the place where the young child was.  In that child, the Magi recognized that God had finally brought light and hope into the world’s darkness.  They believed this child was the beginning fulfillment of God’s promise of a whole new world called the Kingdom of heaven, and they bowed and worshipped him as King.

Think about this and make it personal.  The Sovereign, Creator God, incarnated in Jesus Christ, clothes himself in human flesh and is born of a woman, comes down to earth as glorious and holy light, and  “rises upon you and his glory appears over you.  …Lift up your eyes and look about you:”

Unlike the people of Isaiah’s day, we have received more than just a promise of light.  As John says, “We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father full of grace and truth.”  (Jn.1:14).  The promise is fulfilled.  We live in the new reality of God’s Kingdom of light and glory shining on us here and now.  Should we not be more confident and enthusiastic regarding God’s presence and goodness to us?

The glorious evidence of a living, loving God in our midst, is made visible with each sunrise over all the world, as people are mobilized by the Christ-like spirit of love and compassion to care for and to help others in their need. 

The remarkable truth is that this glorious light of Christ does more than just make us feel good and confident.  It also changes our attitude toward the world and the people around us.  We see them, all of them, in a new light as human beings created, just like us, in the image and likeness of God, and who are dearly loved by God.

And yes, the glory of God’s new promised Kingdom shines brighter and brighter as the glory of the Lord overcomes and sweeps away the darkness of sin in every person and nation.  The apostle Paul says it this way in his second letter to the Corinthians (3:18) – “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”            

Indeed, God has come down to us in Jesus.  Our salvation is here!  So, happy new year, rise and shine!  Let the glory of the Lord shine over you, in you, and through you.  Do not hide it under a bushel.   

Step into this new year of 2021 with confident faith, believing Christ’s new kingdom of redeeming light, hope, love, peace, joy, and life has dawned upon us and is on the way to complete and glorious fulfillment as the glorious eternal Kingdom of Jesus Christ. 

• Let us pray,        
• O star of wonder, star of night,
• Star with royal beauty bright,
• Westward leading, still proceeding,
• Guide us to thy perfect light.       AMEN!

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – December 30, 2020

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley