WJD? Forums: Recent Posts

WJD? Forums: Recent Posts http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/ WJD? Forums: Recent Posts en Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:25:27 +0000 adminforum on "Change - WJD Devotion for 3 February 2010" http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/topic.php?id=281#post-294 Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:55:56 +0000 adminforum 294@http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/ ‘What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, “Son, go and work in the vineyard today.” 29He answered, “I will not”; but later he changed his mind and went. 30The father* went to the second and said the same; and he answered, “I go, sir”; but he did not go. 31Which of the two did the will of his father?’ They said, ‘The first.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, the tax-collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax-collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him. (Matthew 21:28-32 NRSV) This week is the Creating Change conference in Dallas, Texas (USA). This conference, organized and hosted by NGLTF, "is the [US] nation's pre-eminent political, leadership and skills-building conference for the LGBT social justice movement." Thanks to one of our local campaigns, WJD will be present there. We all experience change. Sometimes we change for the better and, unfortunately, sometimes we change for the worse. The parable Jesus told offers us examples of both. One son changed his mind and went, the other changed his mind and didn't go. Prominent in the parable's message is that the one who went, regardless of his first response, did honor his father. Likewise, those of us receptive and willing to change have the chance to do the same. Creating Change is not primarily a religious conference. Yet, by being present, God's faithful enjoy the privilege to bring change and receive change to better themselves and our world. As you go about your work this week, stop every now and again and offer a prayer to God (an example is below) about the changes effected in Dallas. May good be the resounding change that echoes from those halls and into your (our) life. Blessings, ~WJD Team PRAYER Holy and Most High Counsellor, You ask us to change toward Your will, to offer ourselves to the greatness to which You call us. As our siblings gather this week, fill their hearts with the change You would have for them. Embolden them with the courage and strength to bring that change to the rest of the world. Infuse us with passion to make the changes happen. As we, in our small corner of Your vast creation, ask the question "Would Jesus Discriminate?", honor us with insight and gospel about the whole of Your diverse creation: human. We are in Your sight and yearning to be of Your mind. Amen. revjoecobb on "Thrown Down - WJDevotion November 12, 2009" http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/topic.php?id=280#post-293 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:14:07 +0000 revjoecobb 293@http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/ As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!” 2Then Jesus asked him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.” – Mark 13:1-2 Have you ever considered how much effort goes into building? Conversely, how much effort does it take to tear down? One of the disciples is admiring the newly built temple, massive in size and structure. It is an awesome sight. But Jesus warns that the Temple will be leveled. All that’s left today is a portion of the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. The structures we build, whether they be sanctuaries or temples, are temporary. God is present within, but not confined. Endings are part of the spiritual life, and our living as followers of God’s loving way invites us to focus our growth on the eternal. Prayer: God, May our awe be transformed to things eternal. Amen. revjoecobb on "Done - WJDevotion October 31, 2009" http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/topic.php?id=279#post-292 Sat, 31 Oct 2009 22:28:28 +0000 revjoecobb 292@http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/ “Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.” – Revelation 21:5-6 We all like a good ending. But without a strong beginning, and lots of living in between, the ending is only as good as the story before it. When God says, “It is done!”, we have traveled this path in our own lives, living our own beginnings, stories and endings. We are part of the “in between” in God’s unfolding story of grace, and we are contributing to the continuing story. Our faithful witness guides others. We are pilgrims, together, on this journey of faith, of what is trustworthy and true. Prayer: God, Be with us in our beginnings, endings, and all our in-betweens. Amen. revjoecobb on "See - WJDevotion October 30, 2009" http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/topic.php?id=278#post-291 Sat, 31 Oct 2009 22:27:43 +0000 revjoecobb 291@http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/ And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” – Revelation 21:5 Revelation’s description of heaven gives us a glimpse of the Divine being seated on a throne, at a distance, saying “I am making all things new”. Yet, what if this throne is in our hearts? Isn’t Jesus the one who said, the kingdom of God is within you? And doesn’t the vision of Revelation say that God’s home is in us and our home is in God? God is within making all things new. We can feel it, see it, and make it so in our living and our loving. Prayer: God, help us see with the eyes of our hearts, what you are making new. Amen. revjoecobb on "Away - WJDevotion October 29, 2009" http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/topic.php?id=277#post-290 Sat, 31 Oct 2009 22:27:09 +0000 revjoecobb 290@http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/ “he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.” – Revelation 21:4 As God dwells with us, every tear is wiped away. The things of the old world, the things that signify pain and endings in our living (death, mourning, crying and pain) will be no more. As difficult as these moments are, they add meaning and depth to our lives. In the very acts of pain, mourning, death and crying, we are made new. Our tears are cleansing, refreshing and renewing. So, this vision is both something to look forward to, and to embrace right now. God is with us to wipe away our tears. God is with us in death and in our dying, until there is no more dying. God is with us in our mourning and our grieving, until these too have passed away. Prayer: God, the first way we look at death, pain, mourning and crying passes away. In you we receive new vision for living. Amen. revjoecobb on "Home - WJDevotion October 28, 2009" http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/topic.php?id=276#post-289 Sat, 31 Oct 2009 22:26:25 +0000 revjoecobb 289@http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/ “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them;” – Revelation 21:3 The voice that called from the heavens when Jesus was baptized, saying “You are my beloved, with you I am well pleased”, now calls from the throne saying, “My home is among you.” God is at home with us, and we are at home with God. This is an answer to all the searching we do seeking to find our way home. God dwells with us and is with us. Regardless of what we face and endure, God is with us. We are God’s people. All of us. Prayer: God, be at home in us as we are at home in You. Amen. revjoecobb on "Holy - WJDevotion October 27, 2009" http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/topic.php?id=275#post-288 Sat, 31 Oct 2009 22:25:47 +0000 revjoecobb 288@http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/ “And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” – Revelation 21:2 The holy city is a dwelling place for the faith community. Jerusalem is the heart of three religious traditions, with the Temple being the heart of Jewish worship. Pilgrims traveled far and wide to make their way to the temple. The vision given to John in this passage is for a community of people, keeping God’s vision of holiness and hope alive in their hearts when everything else around them seems to be falling apart. God is revealing a new city, where all are welcome. Prayer: God, make our cities holy and our living holy. Amen. revjoecobb on "New - WJDevotion October 26, 2009" http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/topic.php?id=274#post-287 Sat, 31 Oct 2009 22:25:09 +0000 revjoecobb 287@http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/ “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.” – Revelation 21:1 This week’s reading from the book of Revelation is about things to come and is included in the texts for All Saints Day. This is a day in the Christian year in which we remember saints in our lives who have shown us the way with their faithful witness to God’s love. For many people, Revelation is a tough read. It is filled with apocalyptic images that speak of end times. At its core, it is a book about real faith, real suffering, real love and real hope. It is about certain things passing away, to be replaced by certain new things. It is a vision for what life can be, may be and will be one day. Revelation provides a way to look inside the struggles we face today, and give them a new perspective. Through God’s vision, we can begin to see a new heaven and a new earth breaking through. Prayer: God, give us new vision for our lives today. Amen. revjoecobb on "No More Shame - WJDevotion October 25, 2009" http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/topic.php?id=273#post-286 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:24:22 +0000 revjoecobb 286@http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/ O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. Look to him, and be radiant; so your faces shall never be ashamed. – Psalm 34:3-5 This is a day of rejoicing! The Sabbath is our moment, our day, to stop and give praise to God for all that God is being and doing in creation. God listens to our longings, and frees us from our fears. So, today, look to God! Be radiant. Shine! Our faces are bathed in light, not shame. Never again will shame cover us. Prayer: O God, free us of fear, free us of shame. In you, we shine! Amen. revjoecobb on "Faith Made Well - WJDevotion October 24, 2009" http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/topic.php?id=272#post-285 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:23:34 +0000 revjoecobb 285@http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/ Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way. – Mark 10:52 Henri Nouwen writes in “Reaching Out” that “hospitality is the creation of a free space where the stranger can enter our lives and become a friend instead of an enemy.” Jesus models this in his ministry. He creates a space for grace to open up, linger, transform, and make new. Grace opens the way for us to experience Jesus in a new way and claim our own responsibility in our spiritual lives and growth. Go, Jesus tells the blind man. Your faith has made you well. Oh, how many times we hear this in the gospels. Your faith has made you well. In the free space of this moment, let’s take this beyond belief into our way of life. Prayer: O Jesus, your faith in us makes us well. Amen. revjoecobb on "Making Space - WJDevotion October 23, 2009" http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/topic.php?id=271#post-284 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:22:53 +0000 revjoecobb 284@http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/ Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.” – Mark 10:51 When the man arrived, Jesus received him and asked him, what do you want me to do for you? What an empowering question. He didn’t say, what’s wrong with you. Or, what happened to you. Or, how did you get this way. Or, how long have you been by the side of the road. Jesus received the man and created a space where they were equals, one talking with the other. What do you want me to do for you? In the space of great love and longing and respect, the man said, my teacher, let me see again. In the space that Jesus has created for us today, what do we ask of him? Prayer: O Jesus, thank you for making space for us. Amen. revjoecobb on "Take Heart - WJDevotion October 22, 2009" http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/topic.php?id=270#post-283 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:22:13 +0000 revjoecobb 283@http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/ And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.” So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. – Mark 10:49-50 They called him. Take heart, they said. What does this mean? Take heart? It may mean that Jesus’ heart is connected with our heart. When we take heart, we take the truth of being God’s beloved. This dwells in our heart. Then, action. Get up. Jesus is calling you. The man didn’t waste any time. Though he had been sitting for awhile, the call from Jesus put a spring in his heart and in his step. He threw off his cloak and came to Jesus. Did anyone help him? Or was taking heart enough of a guide? Prayer: O Jesus, teach us to take heart. Amen. revjoecobb on "Call Him Here - WJDevotion October 21, 2009" http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/topic.php?id=269#post-282 Wed, 21 Oct 2009 19:10:24 +0000 revjoecobb 282@http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/ Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” – Mark 10:48 For Jesus, much of his ministry was about standing still. He paid attention to the details of life. He paid attention to individuals as they came into view. He paid attention to cries of mercy. He paid attention to standing still. When we stand still, we stop. We breathe in stillness. The world can be rushing around us, not paying attention to anything or anyone, but we are standing still. Who or what will cross our path? What will we notice? What will we hear, or touch or feel? Call him here. This is what Jesus said. Call him here. Now, take a step. Prayer: Jesus, teach us to stand still so that we may call you here. Amen. revjoecobb on "Crying Out - WJDevotion October 20, 2009" http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/topic.php?id=268#post-281 Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:38:02 +0000 revjoecobb 281@http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/ Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” – Mark 10:48 Have you ever been told to be quiet? Sometimes we need to hear the word and invitation because of all the noise in our lives. But, other times, we’re told to be quiet in an attempt to suppress or subdue. After the blind beggar calls out to Jesus, many in the crowd told him to be quiet. Keep to yourself. Leave us alone. Leave Jesus alone. This man by the side of the road was, too many, a nuisance. But, he cried out, loudly. Have mercy on me! Jesus needs to hear our cries. And Jesus receives our cries. This is the work of mercy. Prayer: Jesus, hear our cries of mercy. Amen. revjoecobb on "Roadwork - WJDevotion October 19, 2009" http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/topic.php?id=267#post-280 Sun, 18 Oct 2009 21:23:27 +0000 revjoecobb 280@http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/ They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” – Mark 10:46-47 Traveling with Jesus was never a boring affair. And, the road to Jericho held many intriguing encounters. Here, Jesus and his disciples encounter a blind beggar. Beggars, lepers, and others who were outcast always found their way to the roadside. When the beggar heard the people talking, he recognized the name of Jesus and called out to him for mercy. Every community we live in has people living on the roadside, awaiting hospitality in the form of welcome, healing and hope. We have roadwork to do. Prayer: Jesus, have mercy on us that we may have mercy on our neighbors. Amen. revjoecobb on "No RSVP List - WJDevotion October 18, 2009" http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/topic.php?id=266#post-279 Sun, 18 Oct 2009 21:22:46 +0000 revjoecobb 279@http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/ Then Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” – Mark 10:39-40 James and John receive a “yes and no” response to their question about sitting at the right and left hand of Jesus in glory. According to Jesus, they will drink the cup he drinks. They will experience the baptism with which he is baptized. In their following his way of Love, they will experience the fullness of the journey, in all its grit, grace and glory. But sitting near God is not even Jesus’ question to answer. Jesus doesn’t keep the rsvp list. The gift in our journey is the acknowledgement that suffering goes with glory. Prayer: Jesus, teach us to bear suffering on the way to glory. Amen. revjoecobb on "Do You Know What You Are Asking? - WJDevotion October 17, 2009" http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/topic.php?id=265#post-278 Sun, 18 Oct 2009 21:21:59 +0000 revjoecobb 278@http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/ But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They replied, “We are able.” – Mark 10:38-39 Jesus tells James and John, plainly and patiently, “you don’t know what you are asking.” Jesus will drink the cup of suffering. He will agonize in the garden, before being taken away to trial and flogging and persecution and bearing a cross. He will pray that the cup of suffering pass from him. He will also pray, not my will, God, but yours be done. When we drink the cup of Christ in the sacrament of communion do we fully know his suffering? When we experience the sacrament of baptism, do we fully understand his baptism? Living as beloved will lead us on a path of deep discovery. As we go on, perhaps we should ask ourselves the question Jesus asks: are we able? Prayer: Jesus, teach us to be able to drink the cup. Amen. revjoecobb on "Seats in Glory - WJDevotion October 16, 2009" http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/topic.php?id=264#post-277 Sun, 18 Oct 2009 21:21:18 +0000 revjoecobb 277@http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/ And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” – Mark 10:37 James and John want to reserve a place in glory. One of the great hymns of faith sings: I’ve got a home in glory land that outshines the sun, I’ve got a home in glory land that outshines the sun. I’ve got a home in glory land that outshines the sun, away beyond the blue. The path to glory is paved with, well, a lot: life, pain, forgiveness, healing, reconciliation, suffering, death, resurrection. John and James don’t fully know this, but long for glory nonetheless. Where are we on the path to glory? Prayer: Jesus, teach us about glory. Amen. revjoecobb on "Entitled? - WJDevotion October 15, 2009" http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/topic.php?id=263#post-276 Sun, 18 Oct 2009 21:20:32 +0000 revjoecobb 276@http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/ James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” And he said to them, “What is it you want me to do for you?” – Mark 10:35-36 From every angle, James and John make a bold statement. It’s not a question, but a statement, implying that Jesus will give them a direct response. Their statement carries a sense of entitlement. We are good, upstanding disciples and whatever we want we should get. Rather than asking what they can do for Jesus, they state what they want Jesus to do for them. Jesus, instead of chiding, responds with a question: “what is it you want me to do for you?” Jesus has a way of getting to the heart of the matter, whatever the motive. In this way, he teaches us to ask questions and seek understanding in our spiritual lives. Prayer: Jesus, teach us to be bold and humble. Amen. revjoecobb on "Then Sings My Soul - WJDevotion October 14, 2009" http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/topic.php?id=262#post-275 Wed, 14 Oct 2009 20:02:12 +0000 revjoecobb 275@http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/ “On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone when the morning stars sang together and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy?” – Job 38:6-7 One of my favorite hymns is “How Great Thou Art”. It’s opening lines sing, “O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder, consider all the worlds thy hands have made. I see the stars, I hear the roaring thunder, Thy power throughout the universe displayed.” When I read the words from God’s response to Job, I consider the magnitude of creation and the reality that I am one small part of the universe. Small, but just as significant as the bright distant star. Like Job, we have a song to sing, just as the morning stars sang when the cornerstone of creation was shaped into being. We part of this amazing creation, earthly beings joining with heavenly beings, singing from the depths of our souls! Prayer: O God, So sing our souls, our savior God to you. How great you are, how great the blessings of this universe. Amen. revjoecobb on "Where? Who? - WJDevotion October 13, 2009" http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/topic.php?id=261#post-274 Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:26:42 +0000 revjoecobb 274@http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/ “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?” – Job 38:4-5 After God stuns Job with the “girding of loins” statement, God begins to question Job. God’s questions are an invitation to ask Job if he knows all there is to know about life and suffering and creation. Where were you when? Do you understand? Who set in motion creation? These are questions we ask in search for meaning. Some of our philosophical pursuit is to have the conversation and grow in the learning. Some of our searching lands in even greater mystery. This is part of the nature of spirituality: the knowing and the unknowing. Prayer: God, be with us in our searching that we may know what we need to know and be at peace with what is unknown. Amen. revjoecobb on "Answer in the Whirlwind - WJDevotion October 12, 2009" http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/topic.php?id=260#post-273 Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:26:03 +0000 revjoecobb 273@http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/ “Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind: “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up your loins like a man, I will question you, and you shall declare to me. “ – Job 38:1-3 For those of us who wrestle with understanding the book of Job, these verse surely add to the pinning. After all that Job has been through, at the hands of Satan, whom God dispersed to go and do whatever he would to Job, short of killing him, God tells Job to “gird up your loins like a man”. Wow. Many of us may be inclined to say, “what?” What is the point here? What is God up to? Perhaps while God understands everything that Job has been through, God wants to help Job remember that his life and being is part of a creation that is filled with living, struggling, pain, healing, death and hope. It’s all there. We can’t pick and choose what we’ll experience. Life just doesn’t work that way. But when life unfolds, we can choose how we’ll respond. Prayer: God in the Whirlwind, help us remember who You are and who we are and how together we can experience the fullness of life. Amen. revjoecobb on "Forsaken - WJDevotion October 11, 2009" http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/topic.php?id=259#post-272 Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:25:30 +0000 revjoecobb 272@http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/ My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer; and by night, but find no rest. Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.” – Psalm 22:1-3 Take a moment to read Psalm 23. Then, take out a piece of paper and write a reverse paraphrase. Write each phrase of the psalm in reverse meaning and language. Now, read what you have written. It will likely be similar to Psalm 22. This is what Job was feeling when he was terrified by an absent God. This is what Jesus uttered when he was dying on the cross. This is what we feel when we are alone and isolated, wondering if anyone is out there to help us. At the close of these verses, the psalmist reminds us that God is holy, and is present in the praises we bring. Prayer: God, listen to our groanings and longings. They are part of our journey. Thank you for your holy presence with us. Amen. revjoecobb on "Dread - WJDevotion October 10, 2009" http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/topic.php?id=258#post-271 Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:24:57 +0000 revjoecobb 271@http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/ Therefore I am terrified at his presence; when I consider, I am in dread of him. 16God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me; 17If only I could vanish in darkness, and thick darkness would cover my face!” – Job 23:15-17 Have you ever been terrified? Early stages of coming out can often feel terrifying. We wonder how our family will react when we tell them. We wonder how friends will react. Sometimes our predictions of their responses are accurate, sometimes not. Sometimes the terror we think we’ll experience is turned upside down and we experience deep compassion. It’s hard to know ahead of time. Job, who is living with his sores and sorrow and grief, is trying to cope. As much as he wants some answers from God, he is terrified of God’s presence. Sometimes there is a fine line between awe and fear. His desire is to vanish into darkness, to let it cover his face. We face similar struggles when we are coming out of a shadowed existence into the light. The struggle is more intense the closer we get to the breakthrough. We keep going, because hope is on the other side. Prayer: God, help us emerge from our struggles in shadows and darkness and come out to your light. Fill us with awe! Amen. revjoecobb on "What do we treasure? - WJDevotion October 9, 2009" http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/topic.php?id=257#post-270 Fri, 09 Oct 2009 02:10:04 +0000 revjoecobb 270@http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/ “I have not departed from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured in my bosom the words of his mouth.” – Job 23:12 What do we treasure in our relationship with God? What word has God given us that we carry in our hearts, and hold close to our bosom? What experiences of God’s grace do we keep in our grasp to remember time and again? Prayer: God, open our hearts to receive your treasure. Amen. revjoecobb on "Keeping the Way - WJDevotion October 8, 2009" http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/topic.php?id=256#post-269 Fri, 09 Oct 2009 02:09:21 +0000 revjoecobb 269@http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/ “But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I shall come out like gold. My foot has held fast to his steps; I have kept his way and have not turned aside. “ – Job 23:10-11 From wondering where God is, Job goes back to what he knows and has experienced before this time of testing. He remembers, out loud, that in testing he will emerge strengthened. He will weave straw into gold. He will keep steady on the path God has created, and not turn aside. It is as though there are two voices speaking in Job’s mind: one that clearly believes God is absent. The other believes that God is present and will reveal Godself again. This is the dialogue of faith and doubt, searching and receiving, knocking and opening the door. Prayer: God, may our moments of testing strengthen us. May our dialogue of faith open up a new path. Amen. revjoecobb on "Anyone Out There? - WJDevotion October 7, 2009" http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/topic.php?id=255#post-268 Fri, 09 Oct 2009 02:08:43 +0000 revjoecobb 268@http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/ “If I go forward, he is not there; or backward, I cannot perceive him; on the left he hides, and I cannot behold him; I turn to the right, but I cannot see him.” – Job 23:8-9 Have you ever felt hemmed in by absence? Job is searching for God, longing for some sign of God’s presence. Absence can be haunting and taunting. When we experience absence, it is often accompanied by silence. We begin to question ourselves and our faith. We hope for anything…a touch, a sighting, a word. Sometimes there is only silence. Prayer: God, we struggle with silence and with absence. May these moments of struggle bear gifts. Amen. revjoecobb on "Acquittal? - WJDevotion October 6, 2009" http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/topic.php?id=254#post-267 Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:41:44 +0000 revjoecobb 267@http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/ “I would learn what he would answer me, and understand what he would say to me. Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power? No; but he would give heed to me. There an upright person could reason with him, and I should be acquitted forever by my judge.”– Job 23:5-7 Job is still in the throes of his response to the Divine. There is speculation. Wonder. Thoughts of just how open God will be to listening to Job’s complaints. There is a sense that God will listen to reason. And this reasoning will make it clear that Job should be acquitted. Suffering does a number on our soul and our body. We become very vulnerable to experiences that are beyond our control. We reach for meaning, understanding and answers. Job is seeking the same. We want to make sense of the situation, especially when we don’t understand why the suffering came about in the first place. Is God listening? Will God heed our conversation? What does our faith experience tell us? Prayer: God, heed our prayers and our experience that we may grow more deeply with you and each other. Amen. revjoecobb on "Where is God? - WJDevotion October 5, 2009" http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/topic.php?id=253#post-266 Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:27:18 +0000 revjoecobb 266@http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/ Then Job answered: “Today also my complaint is bitter; his hand is heavy despite my groaning. Oh, that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his dwelling! I would lay my case before him, and fill my mouth with arguments. – Job 23:1-4 Much time has passed with Job sitting on the ashes. He’s received advice from his wife and from a variety of friends. He decides to address God directly. Here he is responding honestly about the nature of his complaint. He is also greatly affected by the soreness of his body and the waning of his spirit. What questions do we have when we are suffering or watching the suffering of another? Where do we turn when nothing makes sense? Where is God? And what happens when we experience the absence of God? Prayer: Can you hear us, Divine presence? Are you there? We sit, listening. Waiting. Amen. revjoecobb on "One Bread, One Body - WJDevotion October 4, 2009" http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/topic.php?id=252#post-265 Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:26:47 +0000 revjoecobb 265@http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/ A song/prayer in celebration of World Communion Sunday, written by John Foley, S.J. One bread, one body, one Lord of all, one cup of blessing which we bless. And we, though many, throughout the earth, we are one body in this one Lord. Amen. revjoecobb on "The Good and the Bad - WJDevotion October 3, 2009" http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/topic.php?id=251#post-264 Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:26:03 +0000 revjoecobb 264@http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/ But he said to her, “You speak as any foolish woman would speak. Shall we receive the good at the hand of God, and not receive the bad?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips. – Job 2:10 Job makes an interesting point while he scratches. As a person of faith, do I only receive the good things that come from God? What about the bad things? Life is full of bad and good things. And they happen to all of us. Perhaps the question is how we respond. Job has chosen to speak from the wisdom with which he has lived his life. How do we respond when we receive bad news? How does it compare to our receiving good news? Prayer: God, Help us be wise in our responses to all of life. Give us patience to discern. Amen. revjoecobb on "Sitting Among the Ashes - WJDevotion October 2, 2009" http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/topic.php?id=250#post-263 Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:25:07 +0000 revjoecobb 263@http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/ Job took a potsherd with which to scrape himself, and sat among the ashes. Then his wife said to him, “Do you still persist in your integrity? Curse God, and die.” – Job 2:8-9 We find Job sitting on a pile of ashes scraping his sores with broken pottery. His wife, clearly in the stage of disgust and anger with God has little to offer in terms of support. Be done with this. Curse God. In an interesting sidenote, as the story of Job unfolds, his friends also come to offer their sage advice on how he got where he is and what he should do about. Yet no one does what may have meant the most. No one sits with him in the ashes. One of the great spiritual gifts and practices is that of presence. Simply being with another. Even in the ashes. Who are you sitting with today? Who is sitting with you? Prayer: God, sit with us in the ashes. Send people our way who will be present with us. Help us be present with each other. Amen. revjoecobb on "Infliction - WJDevotion October 1, 2009" http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/topic.php?id=249#post-262 Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:24:25 +0000 revjoecobb 262@http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/ So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and inflicted loathsome sores on Job from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head” – Job 2:7 Here we have the good and upright Job living the fullness of his life and completely unaware of what is about to happen to him. That’s the way of bad stuff. It happens to us whether we plan for it or not. It’s usually unexpected, devastating, and leaves us reeling. Sometimes we get a signal that something isn’t going well and we make alternative plans. Job didn’t have this luxury and usually neither do we. We know people in our communities, and we may be them, who have been very healthy and then struck with an unsuspecting illness or disease. Sometimes the signs are internal and sometimes they are external. How do we respond? How do others respond? What is a faithful response to what we are experiencing? Being inflicted takes us to the core of our living. When we are broken, we are vulnerable. What gifts can emerge from our vulnerability? Prayer: God, when we are inflicted internally and externally we long to know why. Listen, we pray. Amen. revjoecobb on "Job in the Middle - WJDevotion September 30, 2009" http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/topic.php?id=248#post-261 Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:25:14 +0000 revjoecobb 261@http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/ “Then Satan answered the Lord, “Skin for skin! All that people have they will give to save their lives. But stretch out your hand now and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.” The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, he is in your power; only spare his life.” – Job 2:4-6 Satan is one rough character. Whether we regard “satan” as devil, evil, bad, wrong, shadow, or darkness, this presence is troubling. Satan is putting God to the test and Job is in the middle. He didn’t see any of it coming and it’s probably a good thing. Who wants to know in advance we’re going to be in the middle of someone else’s spitting match? God does say to Satan, spare Job’s life. And what of Satan’s remark, “all that people have they will give to save their lives?” How much truth is there to this statement? I recently visited the site of Ground Zero, where the World Trade Center was destroyed, along with thousands of lives, in act of terror. I was humbled by the deep sadness that permeated the place. I was also deeply touched by the resilient hope of millions who offered good, peace, hope and promise in the face of such evil. We have a unique calling, especially in the face of evil, to reach out and connect with one another in love. Love is what saves our lives. Prayer: O Love that will not let us go. give us strength to face evil. Amen. revjoecobb on "Considering Job - WJDevotion September 29, 2009" http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/topic.php?id=247#post-260 Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:18:43 +0000 revjoecobb 260@http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.com/forum/bbpress/ "One day the heavenly beings came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord. The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the Lord, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil. He still persists in his integrity, although you incited me against him, to destroy him for no reason.” – Job 2:1-3 God chatting with Satan? Job in the middle? What is going on? As this story of Job unfolds, we discover that Satan is interested in testing his integrity. God is quick to point out that Job is up to the test. But, we find ourselves asking: why on earth, and in heaven, would God put anyone up for this sort of a test? We have an inkling of another test when Jesus went into the wilderness for 40 days and nights and was tempted by Satan. Perhaps this reveals the reality that when we live in a place of deep faith and integrity in who we are, we will be tested. The challenge lies in how we’ll respond. Prayer: God, be with us in our moments of testing. Amen.