power

There are two kinds of power in this world according to Martin Luther " right-handed power" and "left-handed power." This not referring to right and left wing political power nor to the physical power of right-handed person versus a left-handed person. What Martin Luther was referring to is Earthly power versus the power that is given through Jesus Christ.
"Right handed power" is kind of power in Kingship that exist in this world. It is the church priests stirring up the crowd to release Barabbas instead of Jesus because he threatened their political power.
Left-handed power is much more subtle and creative and vulnerable. However, it is no less tangible. Left-handed power is the Selma March in 1965, it is the March of thousands of children not old enough to vote telling those that can vote and those that have right-handed power enough is enough with the guns we want to be safe in our schools. It is millions of women using the hashtag me-too to raise awareness for sexual abuse.
As Christians we live counter to the right-handed power of this world. We do not genuflect or bend the knee to " the man who would be king." We do not bend the knee to the people with the right-handed power.  God is the victory to those who love and forgive. As we March into Holy Week God shows  us what true power is, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Do you know you?

As I am kneeling in church this evening a line from one of my favorite songs by my absolute favorite band brother popped into my head. The line says " on your knees beneath the table if they find you would they know you? Know enough to start again. Later part of  The Gospel reading from John chapter 5 lines 19 through 29 says "the father judges no one but has given all judgment to the son so that all may honor the son just as they honor the father. " Our Minister posed a question to us "how do we judge ourselves? Are we loving and forgiving to ourselves? Or do we hide our sins hoping that God doesn't see them?" Later in the service mailing at the altar the line from Brother popped back into my head. There are was kneeling beneath God's table thinking if God Finds me would he know me? The thing is God does know me better than I know myself after all as a Christian I believe God created me.
After the Lenten service we had a Ted Talk on minimalism. And the speaker was speaking in a very personal way about minimalism as a way to start again. Minimalism is "a lifestyle that helps people question what things add value to their lives. I clearing the Clutter from Life Path, we can all make room for the most important aspects of Life : Health, relationships, passion, growth, and contributions. consumerism is the unconscious drives for the accumulation of things to the find success and achievement. " I also got to thinking about the lyrics from the song Fly Away that says know enough to start again. As many of you know I started again in 2015 after I lost my mom to cancer. What many do not know instead I had to start all over again in October. When I first moved to Oklahoma I not only bought my house and my first new car ever but I also started with adding more things. I put in a swimming pool I put in an above-ground jacuzzi I took family members on vacation and paid for the whole thing myself. I bought and bought and bought. I remodeled the house I had bought. My Uncle Bill told me for what I had spent remodeling the house I could have purchased a piece of land and belt it the way I wanted it built. What I realize now is that I was still trying to fill the void left by my mother with other people and with stuff to pacify me. In October of 2017 I had to start all over again. The money from mom's estate was gone and I had bills piling up and credit cards maxed out. Add to that my uncle died and I was unemployed. Thankfully in October I got a job as a personal care aide making minimum wage for Oklahoma. I am becoming a better Steward of my money and slowly paying back what I owe. For a while I felt like a failure having to start over again in my forties. Then I talk to my uncle Fred and my auntie Lon who had to start over again in their fifties and sixties respectively. I realized that at some point everyone has to start again. Often times more than once. The good news is that when we stumble and falls God doesn't judge God is loving and forgiving. So the question is how do we judge ourselves? Are we loving and forgiving to ourselves just as God is loving and forgiving?