The past few weeks we have been looking what kind of thing God is calling us to release.  Those things have been – for the most part – the kind of stuff we would gladly be rid of.  Barriers . . . shackles . . . impediments that restrict our freedom.  Who wouldn't want them out of the way?

And who doesn't want to be healed?  I think just about everyone longs to be integrated, whole, and healthy.  Granted, sometimes we are unaware of what's broken in our lives; identifying the need can take some courage.  But when the need is clear . . . what a relief it is to be made whole.

This Sunday, we are going to look at something that is not quite so easily released.  The theme is Resentment. 

Most everyone knows that resentment is toxic.   After all, who aspires to go through life, eaten up with anger and bitterness?  There is no peace of mind.  It is mired in the past and anxious about the future.  It is the lifestyle of despair.

 And it is hard to give up.  Very hard indeed.

Our resentments are some of our most prized possessions.  They are very close to us and to our self-understanding.    Through our resentments, we prop up our lagging self-esteem.   We account for all the injustices and personal violations that have been visited upon us.  Our resentments make our failures and disappointments tolerable.  After all, "They did it to me.  This isn't my fault."

While resentment is a crutch, it is also a tool.  Politicians and rabble-rousers down through the ages have found that it is an excellent way to incite a mob, mobilize a social class, and turn out the vote.  The technique is quite simple:  create a scapegoat and fan the flames of resentment.  In the short run, the politics of anger are always more effective than the politics of hope.  It's easier to be against something than for something.

Resentment is at the heart of racism.  Coupled with fear, it twists and distorts our understanding of each other.   "Those People" are no longer merely strangers, they are enemies. 

In these cases, resentment is artificial and clearly false.  The need for repentance is obvious.  However, whether resentment is artificial or legitimate, the effects upon us are the same.  And the longer we live under its spell, the more we are addicted to its allure.

The scripture verse for this Sunday is Luke 15:25-32.  This is the second act of the parable of the Prodigal Son.  It's a story brimming with bitterness and anger.  It's also a story that remains unfinished.  Before you come to church this Sunday ask yourself some questions:

• How have I been wronged in my life? Who did it?
• What have been the consequences for me?
• What am I still angry about?

Jesus taught that it is critical for us to clear our lives of resentment before we can properly worship God. (Matthew 5:21-26)  He also taught that when we our resentments consume us, we are in danger of begrudging God's generosity (Matthew 20:1-16).  What does it mean – in the real world that we work and live in – when the first are made last and the last first?  Is God fair?

God bless you on your Lenten journey!

- Bruce

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 Weekly Lenten Devotion ~ Healing 2/24/10

Dear Friends,

Lent is upon us!  I hope you have accepted our "One Thing" challenge and entered into a season of spiritual reflection and discernment .  What is the next step for you to take in your journey with God?  What is the one thing that you need to release?  What do you need to take up?  Are you being led to adopt a spiritual discipline that will make these changes last?

I have no expectation that you have suddenly resolved all of these questions at once.   Perhaps for some of us, this will unfold quite naturally.  You may have already been wrestling with these questions; Lent will be a time of confirmation for you.  However, for many of us, it will take some time before we discover that "next step."  For some of us, answers come slowly.

One of the reasons for this is that there are so many different directions God can take us.  During our Lenten gatherings, we are going to explore some of these possible outcomes. 

This Sunday we are going to have a Service of Healing at our 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. services.  In recent years, we have had an occasional healing service in the Langley Chapel on Sunday evenings.  Those moments have truly been a blessing to everyone in attendance.  And so we want to extend this blessing to the entire congregation.

But there is another reason for having a Service of Healing on Sunday morning.  I believe that the "next step" for some of us will be just that:  Divine Healing.  God wants us to become whole.  That is – for some of us – a matter of first priority.

The ministry of healing is frequently misunderstood by the church today.  Because of that, it has been pushed aside from the week to week worship of the local church.  Today, the most likely venue for a Service of Healing is through the ministry of a TV evangelist or a stadium revival.   And there is nothing wrong with those settings.  But we short change ourselves when the local church abandons the biblical charge:

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.  (James 5:13-14)

Healing is not just a momentary experience.  It is also a journey and a process. When we seek healing from God, we are not just asking for the symptoms of an illness to be abated.   That is only part of a much larger work of God.

As well, Divine Healing is not just about physical infirmities.  Some of us need to experience emotional and spiritual healing.  We may have been through a bitter divorce and never fully recovered from the shock of it.  Or we might need to be healed from a lingering grief that hobbles our spiritual growth.   Perhaps we have been wounded by betrayal or abuse.  Whatever, the cause, we need to be healed.

In all of these cases, it is important to understand that when we are anointed with oil in a service of healing, it inaugurates the healing process.  Healing is ongoing; it is life work. 

So . . . the question comes back to each one of us.  Is this where God is taking me?  Do I need God's wholeness above all else?  Is healing the "next step" for you?  Is it a priority issue?

This Sunday, the sermon will be from Mark 10:46:52.  It is the story of the healing of Bartimaeus.  It might be helpful to ask yourself these questions: 

1. What has led me to "cry out" to Jesus?

2. What do I want Jesus to do for me?

3. How will this enable me to be a whole person?

God bless!!!

 - Bruce