DAVID, ROCK STAR

DAVID, THE ROCK STAR

Do you ever wonder how God really feels about you?  Despite people like me telling you that he loves you, forgives you and has your best interests at heart, do you ever wish you had some kind of evidence? 

That evidence exists in the story of David, King of Israel, father of Solomon and slayer of Goliath.  David was the ancient world’s version of a Rock Star.  He was the youngest son of Jesse. He was bright, funny, artistic and good. He could have been a spoiled brat but he wasn’t.  He took the menial job of tending the sheep without complaint because that’s what youngest sons are supposed to do. David had a close personal relationship with God and most of his works were about God. This is the man, remember, who wrote, The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

God sent Samuel to Jesse to find a successor to King Saul from the Jesse’s sons. Samuel rejected all the adult sons and turned to Jesse and asked if that was all he had.  Jesse, a little embarrassed, said he had younger son who tended the sheep.  Samuel asked to see him.  As soon as David entered the room, Samuel knew this was the one God had chosen.  Samuel, too, had that kind of relationship with God.

David proved to be a great leader, soldier, and king. He took his rightful place as King following the death of Saul.  But then he did a terrible thing; two terrible things, really.  First he seduced Bathsheba; then he arranged for her husband to be killed in battle so he could marry her.   David, the Rock Star, showed his human weakness and that could have ended his relationship with God, but as he always did, he took it straight to God.  He fell on his knees and confessed his sins and begged forgiveness. God forgave him.  Three of the most beautiful words ever. 

There were other times when David had to confess his sins and beg forgiveness, and every time he was sure that God had forgiven him. He is our shining example of the love and patience and forgiveness of God and what it means to truly believe In it.

If only we could develop our relationship with God like that.  We would never think that something we had done would separate us from God.  We would never hesitate to confess our sin and beg forgiveness.  We would never doubt that forgiveness was ours.  While David was a Rock Star, he was just human, as are we.  

That relationship can be ours, when we accept that God wants it, too.

Blessings this fourth week of Lent.

Carol Lemelin OPA

LISTEN UP!

LISTEN UP!

The Voice of God. What would that sound like, I wonder?   Primitive peoples thought thunder was the voice of God.  For some reason, anyone who imagines God’s voice tends to think it would be big, loud and frightening.  I believe, based on his words through the prophets that is the last thing God would want us to think! Angry, vengeful Gods do not call the hearts of people to them. Our God speaks to us in many ways.  In scripture, God used the prophets, and others, such as Samuel and Moses.  God spoke into them and through them and his words are not loud or frightening, but rather warm and loving.

Through Joel, God said; “Even now, return to me with your whole heart,

                         for I am slow to anger, gracious and merciful.”  (Joel 2:1)

Through Ezekiel, God said;  “ I will take out your stony heart and give you                          a tender and responsive heart.”  (Ezk 36:26)

Through Jeremiah, God said; “ Who can read the heart? I alone read the                             mind and test the heart to reward everyone according to his

                        ways, according to the merits of his deeds.  (Jer 27:10)

Through Isaiah, God said: “I, even I, am he who blots our your                                                             transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.”  (Is 43:25)

Believe these words. Take them to heart. Know that this is the image of God that Jesus strove to present to the world. Jesus knew God as all loving, all merciful and all forgiving. Acceptance of that view of God is the path to true peace and in addition, gives us the grace to be able to share that knowledge with others.

We who strive to live our lives according to Jesus’ commands must know God as Jesus did. The scriptures often describe the Jewish people as stiff-necked, stubborn and ungrateful.  That must never be a description of us.   God speaks to us all the time.  It goes back, as it always does, to trusting God, in that we must trust that God will speak to us, if only we make the effort to listen.

Blessings in this fourth week of Lent

Carol Lemelin OPA                                 

FEAR

FEAR

Often when we hear about a crime, we judge the reaction of the victim and think, ‘That wouldn’t happen to me because….” Then we imagine our heroic selves thwarting the villain and coming out unscathed.  We’ve all done it.  It makes us feel safer.  Deep down I think we know that the difference between the actual event and our imagination is we are not paralyzed by fear.  All reason goes out the window when fear comes in. It’s startling how many different kinds of fear drive our behavior; fear of failure, fear of rejection and fear of death all play a part.

Obviously, Jesus understood this very well; since there are nearly 100 occasions recorded in the Gospels of Jesus saying fear not as his opening greeting.  It’s so common that we pass over it as if it were hello.

Jesus is called The Prince of Peace for good reason.  Everything in his manner sent out the message.  The girl in the streets expecting to be stoned to death; the woman crawling on hands and knees through a hostile crowd and the leper who risked his life to speak to Him, all saw in Him an end to their fear. 

Moses once said to his people, they should obey God’s commandments, love him and walk with him so as to have a peaceful life.  That is a beautiful sentiment. But it is about the unseen God.  We know God as Jesus, a person we can relate to. Following his word, loving him and walking through life with him is the meaning of Christianity.  It is for this that He lived.

Imagine your life as you walk with Him.  The comfort of knowing he is always there can make any hardship easier to confront.  Listen to the wisdom of Moses.  Meditate on it, learn it and believe it.  It’s not that you will never be frightened again, it’s that you will have the strength to face it because you know you are not alone. 

Blessings,

Carol Lemelin OPA

WHY?

WHY?

Jeremiah 17: 5-10

Those who put their trust in the world alone usually come to regret it.  Those who do, according to Jeremiah, are like plants struggling to survive in harsh conditions, totally out of their element and miserable.  On the other hand, Jeremiah says, the plant planted in the right spot stretches out its roots to the water.  It does not fear the heat, and when drought comes still produces fruit.  That is supposed to be us, unafraid, trusting in the living water, bearing fruit and making the place we occupy a place where He can be found. 

Luke 16:19-31

The beggar Lazarus (not to be confused with Martha and Mary’s brother) had lain on the road outside the house of rich man for years but the rich man never paid any attention to him, nor did he give him alms.  Both men died.  The beggar went straight into the arms of Abraham while the rich man languished below in thirst and torment.  When he looked up and saw the beggar, he pleaded with Abraham to send the man down with water for him.  (Even in death he expected to be waited on.) When Abraham refused, the man then begged him to send someone to tell his brothers about his fate so as to encourage them to change their ways.  Abraham’s reply is powerful, 

“They will not listen to the prophets or to Moses. They would not listen even if someone rose from the dead to tell them.”

Isn’t that us?  We have the ultimate prophet.  We have someone to guide us who actually did rise from the dead and yet we still question God.

“Why, God, did you let this happen?  Why can’t I have what I want? Why, why, why?

You’ve heard the stories about people burying a statue of St. Joseph in the garden to aid in the selling of their homes.  I knew a woman, not a Christian, who bought a statue of an angel because she thought all heavenly beings have wings and when she sold her house called it miraculous. 

How can we insult God like this?  We will believe a ridiculous thing like that, but we won’t believe that God loves us with a love that surpasses all understanding and can be trusted implicitly.  Our God calls out to us today as He did to Abraham.

“Abraham, do not be afraid.  I am your shield.”

If we did embrace that love we would be like the bush planted close to the living water, which is the Spirit.   We would thrive and enrich the world with the Good News.

Lent is good time to work at developing this trust.  Study the life of Christ. Note how often he goes off to pray and comes back invigorated to continue his mission.  In the garden he got up from his prayers and calmly met death as it came up the path. 

Is Jesus the only one who could find comfort, strength and renewal in prayer? 

Our ever-patient God waits for us to turn to him in total trust so that we will know true peace.

Blessings on you during your Lenten journey,  

Carol Lemelin OPA