"They have all gone astray, they are all alike perverse; there is no one who does good, no, not one."(Psalm 14:3)
I'd like to think that most people try to do good. That we seek the welfare of others and want to help in any way we can. But part of me knows that this is an ideal and in fact the psalmist is closer to being correct. Even the best intentioned of us fall short. Our own self-interests often blocking our ability to do good outside of ourselves, often because we are trying to do well.
I don't know that I'm ready to say we are all perverse, but certainly we do go astray from time to time.
But when I allow myself to acknowledge my short comings, to work to improve and reorient myself, then I get closer to achieving that ability to do the good I want.
Blessings,
Ed
Thursday, July 13, 2017
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
Reflection for July 11, 2017
"Assyria shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses; we will say no more, ‘Our God,’ to the work of our hands. In you the orphan finds mercy.”(Hosea 14:3)
Idolatry is one of the big no-no's with our God. While the notion of making graven images is not really a huge problem for us 21st century Christians, we have gotten a different type of idolatry infecting our lives.
We still place our hope and trust in human institutions, the government, big business, the military etc. We look at what we produce and find our value in it. And we often neglect or ignore those less fortunate than ourselves.
When we come to the realization that faith can save, not necessarily in the way we might think, but in a different way. When we choose not to live in fear but in the light of the Lord, we don't need those other idols. And we begin to see that God through us and others extends his mercy outward.
Blessings,
Ed
Idolatry is one of the big no-no's with our God. While the notion of making graven images is not really a huge problem for us 21st century Christians, we have gotten a different type of idolatry infecting our lives.
We still place our hope and trust in human institutions, the government, big business, the military etc. We look at what we produce and find our value in it. And we often neglect or ignore those less fortunate than ourselves.
When we come to the realization that faith can save, not necessarily in the way we might think, but in a different way. When we choose not to live in fear but in the light of the Lord, we don't need those other idols. And we begin to see that God through us and others extends his mercy outward.
Blessings,
Ed
Monday, July 10, 2017
Reflection for July 10, 2017
"But as for you, return to your God, hold fast to love and justice, and wait continually for your God."(Hosea 12:6)
Tom Petty once sang that the waiting is the hardest part. I think that is true. Really doesn't matter what we are waiting for. And it is especially hard when it is something we long for.
To wait for God is hard. God's time is not measured the way we measure time. We can't say for certain time or date, but in hope we wait none the less. It is what we hold onto while we are waiting that is important. We can hold onto love and justice or we can get impatient and grasp for something more like straws. But in order to hold fast to what is actually profitable, we need to first return our affections to the source.
Blessings,
Ed
Tom Petty once sang that the waiting is the hardest part. I think that is true. Really doesn't matter what we are waiting for. And it is especially hard when it is something we long for.
To wait for God is hard. God's time is not measured the way we measure time. We can't say for certain time or date, but in hope we wait none the less. It is what we hold onto while we are waiting that is important. We can hold onto love and justice or we can get impatient and grasp for something more like straws. But in order to hold fast to what is actually profitable, we need to first return our affections to the source.
Blessings,
Ed
Reflection for July 9, 2017
"Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground;for it is time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you."(Hosea 10:12)
You reap what you sow is an old saying but still true. While we may not always see immediate results from our positive actions ultimately things have a way of working themselves out. I also know that I would rather act a certain way because it actually benefits me. When I'm doing the right thing, I will have nothing to feel sorry for.
But sometimes we do let our lives get fallow. We don't tap into the goodness that lies deep within ourselves. Faith can often be that fallow ground. But when we tend to that field amazing things can flourish within ourselves and in all whom we encounter.
Blessings,
Ed
You reap what you sow is an old saying but still true. While we may not always see immediate results from our positive actions ultimately things have a way of working themselves out. I also know that I would rather act a certain way because it actually benefits me. When I'm doing the right thing, I will have nothing to feel sorry for.
But sometimes we do let our lives get fallow. We don't tap into the goodness that lies deep within ourselves. Faith can often be that fallow ground. But when we tend to that field amazing things can flourish within ourselves and in all whom we encounter.
Blessings,
Ed
Saturday, July 8, 2017
Reflection for July 8, 2017
"For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind. The standing grain has no heads, it shall yield no meal; if it were to yield, foreigners would devour it."(Hosea 8:7)
There are things in life that seem trivial. An action or word just carelessly cast about. You might think much of it. And yet it suddenly takes on a life of its own. It keeps growing and growing until it comes back at you with such an unexpected force that you are really blown away.
That to me is what this verse from Hosea points to. We live in a time when people think they can just say anything that comes to their minds and that there will be no repercussions. While the truth is the opposite. And often what seems like a small, stupid comment, starts to have effects that you could not have anticipated and are shocked by.
Reaping a whirlwind is an effort in futility. You will be knocked over, so best to consider where you cast your seed.
Blessings,
Ed
There are things in life that seem trivial. An action or word just carelessly cast about. You might think much of it. And yet it suddenly takes on a life of its own. It keeps growing and growing until it comes back at you with such an unexpected force that you are really blown away.
That to me is what this verse from Hosea points to. We live in a time when people think they can just say anything that comes to their minds and that there will be no repercussions. While the truth is the opposite. And often what seems like a small, stupid comment, starts to have effects that you could not have anticipated and are shocked by.
Reaping a whirlwind is an effort in futility. You will be knocked over, so best to consider where you cast your seed.
Blessings,
Ed
Friday, July 7, 2017
Reflection for July 7, 2017
"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children."(Hosea 4:6)
Ignorance is bliss or so the saying goes. But I'm not convinced of this. For me knowledge is the key to everything. We may have some innate abilities, but most of what we are good at comes from studying, listening and engaging.
It is also true that when we have knowledge we are called to share it with others. And when we keep what we know to ourselves or if we choose to be willfully ignorant we begin our own slow demise and take others down with us.
As a priest, there is knowledge that I have. I'm called to be a spiritual guide to others. In order to continue to do this well, I need to know my Scripture and my tradion
I want to continue to be a faithful priest to God's people. So I better keep on top of the ongoing revelation of God.
Blessings,
Ed
Ignorance is bliss or so the saying goes. But I'm not convinced of this. For me knowledge is the key to everything. We may have some innate abilities, but most of what we are good at comes from studying, listening and engaging.
It is also true that when we have knowledge we are called to share it with others. And when we keep what we know to ourselves or if we choose to be willfully ignorant we begin our own slow demise and take others down with us.
As a priest, there is knowledge that I have. I'm called to be a spiritual guide to others. In order to continue to do this well, I need to know my Scripture and my tradion
I want to continue to be a faithful priest to God's people. So I better keep on top of the ongoing revelation of God.
Blessings,
Ed
Reflection for July 6, 2017
" I will make for you a covenant on that day with the wild animals, the birds of the air, and the creeping things of the ground; and I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land; and I will make you lie down in safety."(Hosea 2:18)
It is hard to imagine living in a time when everyone felt safe. I'm not saying that our time is more dangerous than any other, but with access to news 24/7, it is hard to not feel scared. There is an undercurrent of danger lurking everywhere. We lock our doors, we have security procedures and fire walls. We know that there are nuclear weapons being developed by nations that we are not on good terms with. Add to all of that the usual fear of climate disasters, and contaminated or at least not real healthy stuff in our food and water.
But God promised a covenant to which we would again be his people and be able to go to sleep not afraid of every little thing. And how much better would our thinking and feeling be if we could lie down in safety and not toss and turn all night long.
Blessings,
Ed
It is hard to imagine living in a time when everyone felt safe. I'm not saying that our time is more dangerous than any other, but with access to news 24/7, it is hard to not feel scared. There is an undercurrent of danger lurking everywhere. We lock our doors, we have security procedures and fire walls. We know that there are nuclear weapons being developed by nations that we are not on good terms with. Add to all of that the usual fear of climate disasters, and contaminated or at least not real healthy stuff in our food and water.
But God promised a covenant to which we would again be his people and be able to go to sleep not afraid of every little thing. And how much better would our thinking and feeling be if we could lie down in safety and not toss and turn all night long.
Blessings,
Ed
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