Rededication Devotional 2014

Week 2

Dr. Earl D. Trent. Jr.

• Rededication Devotional 2014• Copyright © 2014 by Dr. Earl D. Trent Jr. • All rights reserved. No part of this book may

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Monday March 31, 2014 John 14:12-14, 16:23-24

12Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. 13I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14If in my name you ask me* for anything, I will do it.23On that day you will ask nothing of me.* Very truly, I tell you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.* 24Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.

To be called by His name is to be in a place of privilege. This is made clear in the final discourse Jesus has with his disciples before his suffering. Jesus tells them that he has chosen them, and with this choice comes privilege. “Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.” This verse and the similar verse in chapter 16 have been misunderstood. It is assumed that Jesus is an overindulgent parent who stands ready to meet any and all requests.

John 14: 13-14 states clearly that whatever allows the Father to be glorified will be done. If our joy is in those things that please God, and not in those things that simply please ourselves, then whatever we ask will be done. The difficulty may be getting us to be still enough to be honest about our motives and cherish our privilege.

Tuesday April 1, 2014 John 19:6-116When the chief priests and the police saw him, they shouted, ‘Crucify him! Crucify him!’ Pilate said to them, ‘Take him yourselves and crucify him; I find no case against him.’ 7The Jews answered him, ‘We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has claimed to be the Son of God.’ 8 Now when Pilate heard this, he was more afraid than ever. 9He entered his headquarters* again and asked Jesus, ‘Where are you from?’ But Jesus gave him no answer. 10Pilate therefore said to him, ‘Do you refuse to speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to crucify you?’ 11Jesus answered him, ‘You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above; therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.’

To be called by His name is also an emphasis on power. When Pilate converses with Jesus, he comes face to face with power. Pilate thinks he is in control and therefore he has the power to crucify Jesus or let him go. Jesus enlightens Pilate that there is a world outside of Rome and a greater power. As God’s people called by his name we are linked with the greater power the world does not know. It is a power to complete a task despite resistance. It is the central power in the passion narrative. It is the central idea in our lives as Christians and the testimony of our ancestors. Despite great resistance and suffering, God’s will is accomplished.

II CHRONICLES 7:14 If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land

Wednesday April 2, 2014 Genesis 1:26-31

26 Then God said, ‘Let us make humankind* in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth,* and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.’ 27 So God created humankind* in his image, in the image of God he created them;*

male and female he created them.

28God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.’ 29God said, ‘See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. 30And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.’ And it was so. 31God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

The third part of II Chronicles 7:14 is a directive. “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves…" This needs to be a directive because to be human is counter to being humble. As we are told from the very first book of the Bible, we are the crown of God’s creation. We are pronounced good by God himself. The directive is not because we are inherently evil, or that pride or self- esteem is bad. It is a directive that reminds us that when we engage in conversation with God it is not among equals or peer to peer. God is more than us. It means we must shift our attitude and assumptions before we say a word.

Thursday April 3, 2014 Job 40: 1-5

And the Lord said to Job: 2 ‘Shall a fault-finder contend with the Almighty?*

Anyone who argues with God must respond.’

3 Then Job answered the Lord: 4 ‘See, I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth. 5 I have spoken once, and I will not answer; twice, but will proceed no further.’

What is humility? We have begun by pointing out it is a shift in our attitude and assumptions so that we realize God is not just like us. It also entails making an accurate assessment of ourselves. Job says see “I am of small account.” Job means in comparison to God, but if one reads earlier in the book Job also makes an accurate assessment of himself. Despite his friends insistence otherwise, Job insists that he has not done any sin that warrants the suffering he is receiving.

To make an honest assessment of ourselves means we do not pretend we are more than we are nor do we pretend we are less than we are either. We can error on both sides far too easily. False humility is pretending we are less than we are. Sinful pride is pretending that we are more than we are. The directive to humble ourselves is a directive to be honest and not pretend.

Friday April 4, 2014 Hebrews 12: 1-4Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely,* and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, 2looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of* the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners,* so that you may not grow weary or lose heart. 4In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

Sometimes persons speak of the struggle of humility. Partially this is a struggle to be honest with ourselves for we have a remarkable capacity to fool ourselves and ignore what is right, true and just. Partially it is because we only compare ourselves to one another. The writer of Hebrews gets it right and helps us immensely as religious people. He urges us to look to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross. The depth of the suffering of our Savior is the major message of the movie The Passion. In your efforts to please God have you endured suffering to that extent? Would you be willing to endure that kind of suffering? Your answer is the root of your humility.

Saturday April 5, 2014 Matthew 26: 39

39And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want.’

The suffering of Jesus is made more poignant because it was voluntary. The answer to Solomon’s prayer is a directive to humble ourselves and implies to do this voluntarily. It is not a command. If we voluntarily look beyond our own self –interest, then we are brought into another realm of conversation and intimacy with God. It is a place of prayer that is given by invitation and is set apart from the ordinary hour of prayer. This directive to humble ourselves is really an invitation to a new openness with God.

Sunday April 6, 2014 Isaiah 6:1-5In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. 2Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3And one called to another and said:‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;the whole earth is full of his glory.’ 4The pivots* on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. 5And I said: ‘Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!’ 6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. 7The seraph* touched my mouth with it and said: ‘Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.’ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I; send me!’

Today we rededicate our sanctuary. This text is an appropriate preparation text, for it reminds us of the extraordinary Holiness of God. It reminds us that despite our religious practice and commitment in God’s Holy presence we are fallen, frail and unclean. It reminds us of our need of humble confession before God, and our need for forgiveness that only God can give. It is a reminder that the sacred space where we worship is a place set apart where we are invited to participate in a practice that predates us by thousands of years, “older than the flow of human blood in human veins.” This alone should awaken in us a sense of awe, gratitude and a recommitted heart to serve the living God.