Reading
Isa 58; Lk 4:1-12; Lk 5: 27-39
Fasting is an age old religious practice. Fasting is usually defined as a withholding of all natural food from the
body for a determined period voluntarily appointed for moral or
religious ends. E. B. Tylor writes that "it originated in the desire of primitive man to bring on at will
certain abnormal nervous conditions favorable to those dreams which are
supposed to give to the soul direct access to the objective realities of
the spiritual world." However, a popular Christian belief prevails that when you fast and pray things get down immediately. But, lets take a closer look at this fasting act.
Prophet Isaiah writes Fasting is a day to humble oneself. More than abstaining from food it is actually inviting the marginalized for having food together with you. More than remaining at home it is time to go for shopping, not for yourself but to buy things to give for others who are in need.
So why did Jesus go for fasting? becomes a classical question for all those who love going to wilderness, and living without food. Have a closer look a Jesus' fasting. While Jesus was fasting it was his time for preparation for doing his father's will. And during his fasting days he was tempted by the devil, where he made choices not for himself but to do his Father's will. He was choosing a best possibility.
Take a look at Levi (Matthew) what does he do after meeting Jesus. He went home and invited Jesus for dinner. After he was saved he did not run into desert for fasting, instead he threw a party opened his home for his friends who were in need of salvation. He opened up his house, so Jesus can meet so many of his kind. He was feasting, but at the same time he bet he was praying for his friends to be saved. This is the real attitude for fasting.
So when is your fasting day? Look for bunch of guys whom you think are not church-going kind and not religious, they are the ones whom you need for fasting. Give them food to eat, invite Jesus to speak to them. You think you want to abstain from buying things for yourself, well take a f(e)asting day buy things for those who are in need. That is fasting commendable in God's eyes.
Saturday, 16 February 2013
Restore, Rebuild, Renovate...
"You’ll be known as those who can fix anything,
restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate,
make the community livable again." (Isa 58:12 The Message)
Reading
Isa 58:9-14; Lk 5:27-32
Jesus called to Levi, he left everything and followed him. But what followed that event was even more amazing. He called or rather invited Jesus to his home for dinner, and guess what, everyone of the guest was someone exactly like Levi himself. Jesus invited Levi, and he felt that change that happened within him. Levi in turn opened up his entire community for Jesus' call. To make that community live again.
Our change and calling by Christ can turn into a call for Christ himself to interact with our community. Open our community to Christ's presence. Christ calls us as repairer, re-builder and renovator or anything. Specially, we will be called as someone who makes the community livable again.
restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate,
make the community livable again." (Isa 58:12 The Message)
Reading
Isa 58:9-14; Lk 5:27-32
Jesus called to Levi, he left everything and followed him. But what followed that event was even more amazing. He called or rather invited Jesus to his home for dinner, and guess what, everyone of the guest was someone exactly like Levi himself. Jesus invited Levi, and he felt that change that happened within him. Levi in turn opened up his entire community for Jesus' call. To make that community live again.
Our change and calling by Christ can turn into a call for Christ himself to interact with our community. Open our community to Christ's presence. Christ calls us as repairer, re-builder and renovator or anything. Specially, we will be called as someone who makes the community livable again.
Thursday, 14 February 2013
Choose Life...
"Choose life..."
Dt 30:19
Reading
Dt 30:15-20
“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” - Albert Einstein. What a wonderful idea. If we need to keep living, we need to keep moving. Even God wants us to keep moving in life, therefore he says 'choose life'. There are many things that distract and keep us from moving on. World offers us choices on things, dead things (materials, objects, etc.,).
But today, lets make a choice, let us choose life. Lets choose freedom from things that hold us from moving forward. Let us choose love and grace of God that encourages us to move forward. Above all let us encourage someone to move forward, help them choose life.
"Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever..." Heb 12: 1-3 (The Message)
Dt 30:19
Reading
Dt 30:15-20
“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” - Albert Einstein. What a wonderful idea. If we need to keep living, we need to keep moving. Even God wants us to keep moving in life, therefore he says 'choose life'. There are many things that distract and keep us from moving on. World offers us choices on things, dead things (materials, objects, etc.,).
But today, lets make a choice, let us choose life. Lets choose freedom from things that hold us from moving forward. Let us choose love and grace of God that encourages us to move forward. Above all let us encourage someone to move forward, help them choose life.
"Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever..." Heb 12: 1-3 (The Message)
Tuesday, 12 February 2013
hearts wide open...
"now is the day of salvation"
2Cor 6:2
Reading
2Cor 5:20-6:13
Today is the day of salvation. We have received the Grace of God, but, do not receive it in vain. Let the Grace that you have received through Jesus Christ be of some use for our neighbor. Grace can be defined as the ability to "open our hearts wide open" (2Cor 6:13). Grace knows no bounds and no restrictions.
Put the Grace of God that is in you to good use today. Let there be salvation, now is the day of salvation. Let's open our hearts wide, let our eyes see. Let us be radically open in our hearts and minds so we may touch one person today and declare to him the day of salvation, today!!
2Cor 6:2
Reading
2Cor 5:20-6:13
Today is the day of salvation. We have received the Grace of God, but, do not receive it in vain. Let the Grace that you have received through Jesus Christ be of some use for our neighbor. Grace can be defined as the ability to "open our hearts wide open" (2Cor 6:13). Grace knows no bounds and no restrictions.
Put the Grace of God that is in you to good use today. Let there be salvation, now is the day of salvation. Let's open our hearts wide, let our eyes see. Let us be radically open in our hearts and minds so we may touch one person today and declare to him the day of salvation, today!!
Monday, 11 February 2013
God and Review...
"God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good."
Gen 1:31
Reading
Gen 1:20-2:4
Work, in many theologians views is a call of God, towards continuation of development in creation1. Our God presents himself as an active worker in the development of creation. Each one of us are given a task, a profession to pursue. Some of us corporates, teachers, artists, etc., but each one of us are creators in our given space. True to our image (of God), we have creative impulses that fuel our work.
In today's reading, God made everything and he reviewed them and found it was good. This is profound, even God who is perfect in his work, takes time to review his work. We need to take time to review our work, inspect our work until we find it very good (Gen 1:31). God did not stop until it was very good in his own eyes. Lets take time to review our work to make it look very good in our own eyes (Prov 22:29).
____________________________________
1Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 2004), III/4, 470-74.
Gen 1:31
Reading
Gen 1:20-2:4
Work, in many theologians views is a call of God, towards continuation of development in creation1. Our God presents himself as an active worker in the development of creation. Each one of us are given a task, a profession to pursue. Some of us corporates, teachers, artists, etc., but each one of us are creators in our given space. True to our image (of God), we have creative impulses that fuel our work.
In today's reading, God made everything and he reviewed them and found it was good. This is profound, even God who is perfect in his work, takes time to review his work. We need to take time to review our work, inspect our work until we find it very good (Gen 1:31). God did not stop until it was very good in his own eyes. Lets take time to review our work to make it look very good in our own eyes (Prov 22:29).
____________________________________
1Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 2004), III/4, 470-74.
Saturday, 9 February 2013
What I am...
"But by the grace of God I am what I am"
1Cor 15:10
Reading
1Cor 15:1-11; Isa 6:1-8; Lk 5:1-11
Grace is what makes us who we are. Grace of God is not a Cheap Grace but a Costly Grace (Bonhoeffer). Costly grace is one which call for repentance and discipline. Isaiah's vision of God was accompanied by cleansing. For Peter an encounter with Jesus was his own self-understanding that he was a sinner. In both the instances it was climaxed with a call for a divine commission.
God's vision shows us who we are and God's Grace calls us towards who we can be. We can be bold in saying that because of Grace of God we are who we are. And this grace leads us towards who we can be.
1Cor 15:10
Reading
1Cor 15:1-11; Isa 6:1-8; Lk 5:1-11
Grace is what makes us who we are. Grace of God is not a Cheap Grace but a Costly Grace (Bonhoeffer). Costly grace is one which call for repentance and discipline. Isaiah's vision of God was accompanied by cleansing. For Peter an encounter with Jesus was his own self-understanding that he was a sinner. In both the instances it was climaxed with a call for a divine commission.
God's vision shows us who we are and God's Grace calls us towards who we can be. We can be bold in saying that because of Grace of God we are who we are. And this grace leads us towards who we can be.
Friday, 8 February 2013
Count-in-you..
"Let mutual love continue"
Heb 13:1
Reading
Heb 13:1-6
Love suffers pain, love is vulnerable. To continue in love is the greatest challenge in Christianity. You have to continue in Love with the divine other and the other (neighbor) (Mt 22:36-40). How to continue in this love? Today's reading advises to show hospitality. This hospitality is counting yourself in with the trouble of the other. Suffering of the other becomes suffering of the self. Not merely a suffering in thought, which tends to become, I suffer for them (self-pity) and how good I am. Instead, the suffering should become an incarnation, that is, taking on the suffering of the other with a willing heart. Then, to continue in love is to count-in-you in the situation of the suffering other.
Heb 13:1
Reading
Heb 13:1-6
Love suffers pain, love is vulnerable. To continue in love is the greatest challenge in Christianity. You have to continue in Love with the divine other and the other (neighbor) (Mt 22:36-40). How to continue in this love? Today's reading advises to show hospitality. This hospitality is counting yourself in with the trouble of the other. Suffering of the other becomes suffering of the self. Not merely a suffering in thought, which tends to become, I suffer for them (self-pity) and how good I am. Instead, the suffering should become an incarnation, that is, taking on the suffering of the other with a willing heart. Then, to continue in love is to count-in-you in the situation of the suffering other.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)