Posts Tagged ‘kingdom’

Birds and flowers

March 7, 2009

[Matthew 6:25-34]

The daffodils are growing in front of our house. In a month they will be bright yellow. Except for the ones that are white. Except for the ones that are pastel yellow. And there will be more than last year. And we didn’t plant the extra ones.

And the finches will be back soon. They will be joining the robins. They will be followed by the hummingbirds. We will feed them. But we can take no credit for them.

When people think of birds and flowers and Jesus, the ornery among us think about how they die, how some of them starve in the winter, how the flowers are often not vivid. We listen to Jesus talking about taking care of flowers and birds, about food and clothing, and we think that he falls short.

But the point that Jesus was making seems to me not about botany or ornithology. He was talking about attention.

What do you invest your attention in?

Jesus suggests some things to not invest it in. Don’t invest it in worry. Don’t invest it in wondering whether God (He does know).  Don’t invest it in what you have already asked God for (This teaching comes right after having asked God for our daily bread. Having asked for that, Jesus says, don’t worry about how the Father will do it).

What do we pay attention to? What God is doing.

Jesus says to first seek the Kingdom and the way of living that is found there. Be part of what will last forever, and being dressed in the righteous clothes. And then, Jesus says, the rest will follow. The food and drink and clothing that are needed.

This weekend, ask God what part of his Kingdom he wants you to seek right now.

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your kingdom

February 25, 2009

There are many debates about what the kingdom of heaven means in Matthew, about when it starts, about what Jesus means when he says “repent because the Kingdom is at hand.”

I wonder why we wonder so much? Why do we care so much about having exactly the right interpretation?

Is is because we want to be kings of understanding your kingdom? Is it because being right will make us special?

—

Jesus, did you know how much we love to be the most right one, the most understanding one, the most humble one?

Of course you knew. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have made surrender so high on the list of things to talk to our Father about.

“We pray that your kingdom will come–that what you want will be done here on earth, the same as in heaven.”

That’s how you told us to pray about kingdom.

—

Here’s why I think that he told us to pray that way, and told us to say “we pray” rather than “I pray.” He wanted us to be in clusters when we said these words, in community. And he wanted us to have to talk about God’s kingdom coming with people who know how much we want our kingdom, or even my kingdom.

I  get pretty confident about my understanding. I can stake out what I think. And then when there are eight people around me, who know me well, hearing me talk about wanting God’s kingdom, there is an instant credibility check.

And when we together are asking that the Father’s desire happen here as well as in heaven, we have to look each other in the eye and say, “That means in us, between us, among us, within us.”

Not my kingdom. Not our kingdom. Your kingdom.

I guess that’s pretty clear.

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practicing what you . . .

January 14, 2009

I told you to do something.

I almost didn’t do it myself.

I told you to write something from Sunday on a 3×5 card. One truth. One idea. One …something…that you wanted to remember, to make part of your life.

And then, I almost didn’t do it myself. I looked at all the thoughts from the weekend, all the thoughts from Sunday and I thought, “Only one? How can I pick only one? I want to remember them all. I want to do them all. I want to…”

And then I realized that it’s not right to invite people to do what we aren’t will to do ourselves, to invite people to try what we aren’t willing to try, to invite people to trust what we aren’t willing to trust.

So I wrote on my card.  And immediately I was challenged.

I wrote, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness…”

And I thought, “But I often seek my own kingdom, my own status, my own reputation. I want this to work because it will help me. I want people to notice this thing about God because then they will notice me.” Not always. Not every time. And not intentionally manipulating. But when I stop and think, I gotta be honest.

And I thought, “But often I seek my own righteousness, my own good reputation with God, my own being really good so God will notice me.” Not always. Not every time. But often I start doing good things because I think that I will make God happy with how righteous I am and then He will love me more, then He will do more for me.

The invitation Jesus gives us is to look for God’s kingdom, wherever it may be found, and rest in His goodness, not ours.

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Single steps

January 12, 2009

Yesterday you may have been in a church building. You may have taught a class. You may have taken a long walk outside and looked up at the sky. You may have spent time with your family. You may have talked to God. You may have written some notes. You may have read the best book ever. You may have laughed at the efforts of a three-year-old to be twelve. You may have wondered why. You may have wished that things were different. You may have decided that they will be. You may have realized that January is already one third over. You may have renewed a commitment. You may have made a promise. You may have understood a goal. You may have figured out, finally, what God is inviting or calling or commanding you to do.

Yesterday.

Today you have to do everything that was left over from last week. You have to do everything to get ready for the big presentation on Tuesday and the concert on Thursday and the play on Saturday and the difficult conversations with the neighbors and the kids and the teachers and the boss that will last all week long.

Today.

And somehow, that great understanding from yesterday needs to permeate today. And we don’t know how.

Jesus says,

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. [Matthew 6:33-34]

So take five minutes and one truth from yesterday that you realized was part of seeking God’s kingdom and write it on a 3×5 card and stick it in your pocket or on your mirror.

And remember it.

The Kingdom? Single steps.

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