“This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!”

Good morning. It is Monday, August 4, 2014.

Today is Psychic Day. I knew I was going to say that.

Yesterday was kind of a strange day. While Christi went over to some friends’ house to help them paint a bit, I took Stephanie to lunch and then went to Kroger to get a prescription picked up. I stopped by Radio Shack to attempt to get an adapter for my Samsung tablet (tablet to HDMI), but was unsuccessful. In fact, no one seems to have the right kind of adapter for it. I later went to Best Buy after calling them to find out if they had what I needed. I was told they had it. When I got there, it was not the right thing. Sigh.

The interesting thing about that is that, earlier in the day, Christi’s mom sent her on a “wild goose chase,” to get something that she claimed she was out of. After Christi got the item, she got back to her mom’s house and, lo and behold, she had two cases of said item. What made that worse, is that Christi had to drive all the way to the other side of Fort Worth to get it.

Steph and I had pizza for dinner, after that, and my stomach is still angry with me. Ugh. Hopefully, that will feel better as the day goes on. I also didn’t sleep well last night, because of that.

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
Psalm 91:1

(From The Divine Hours)

Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and forevermore! From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the LORD is to be praised!
Psalm 113:2-3
Who is like the LORD our God, who is seated on high, who looks far down on the heavens and the earth?
Psalm 113:5-6
For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
Psalm 84:10
And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!”
Luke 9:35
The LORD reigns; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake! The LORD is great in Zion; he is exalted over all the peoples. Let them praise your great and awesome name! Holy is he! The King in his might loves justice. You have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.Psalm 99:1-4

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Today’s reading from Reflections for Ragamuffins is “Unity In the Church.”

“The Church as the visible body of the Lord is committed to global freedom, to active participation in the construction of a just social order, and to stimulating and radicalizing the dedication of Christians.” Brennan goes on to speak of an alliance between “charismatic spirituality and liberation theology” that drives the Church’s working in the world and deepens its commitment to Christ’s lordship.

We should be aware, he states, that “all the liberation and revolution theologies, all the charismatic, Asiatic, and apophatic spiritualities, all the burial mounds of rhetoric, enfeebled good intentions, mumbling, and fumbling of cerebral Christians busy cultivating their own idolatries, are not worth as much as one loving act that emancipates one slave from one moment of exile in Egypt.”

I think that this is a fancy way of saying, “Actions speak louder than words.”

In a rare moment, I find myself in disagreement with Brother Brennan. At least in terms of “liberation theology.” I don’t see the Church as an instrument of creating “a just social order.” The Church, as the Body of Christ, has the purpose of worshiping the Lord, following Jesus, and sharing the Kingdom. Now, if in the act of following Jesus, we happen to liberate someone from an unjust tyrant, all well and good. However, that is not a cause that I will fight for. I have no “cause” other than Jesus. The Church should have no “cause” other than the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

All that being said, however, I agree with the gist of the last quote. We spend too much time in rhetorical conversation, and we, as a body, spend way too much time and energy creating idols out of our own theologies and principles. Actions do, indeed, speak much louder than words.

Father, I pray that we, your Church, would cease idolizing our “pet theologies.” I pray that we would put our energy, instead, into following your Son, and doing as you told his early disciples when you said, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” That is a very powerful little verse, there. I pray that we would heed it. But in order to do what that verse says, we must first hear the words of your Son. We cannot listen to him unless we hear him. Father, I pray that we would continuously preach the Gospel to ourselves. We get caught in the trap of thinking that, once we have heard it, and become your children, we no longer need to hear it. But nothing could be further from the truth! We desperately need to hear the Gospel, over and over and over! It is life to us. There is strength and power in the Gospel. May we hear the words of your Son, and listen to them.

I pray for this day. May we have safe passage to and from work today. May your grace follow us through this work day, and may your Spirit open our eyes to opportunities to love you, follow Christ, and share your Kingdom. I pray for Stephanie, that you would show her your unfailing love, and make her aware of your presence in her life.

“This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” I will certainly be pondering this verse throughout the day, today.

Grace and peace, friends.