The Journey 31
Tuesday, January 31
Read: Numbers 13
Key Verse: Fear not, for I am with you;  be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you,  I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.[Isaiah 41:10 ]
             History was created in the Australian Open Tennis tournament last Sunday. Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal played an incredible game of tennis in the finals of the Australian Open. The game went to almost six hours, which was the longest match ever played in the history of a grand slam tournament. Djokovic finally beat Nadal to win his third Australian Open title and his fifth Grand Slam trophy,  thus rewriting history. The match was replete with scenes of agony and also excitement even at 1.30 am in the morning when both  Djokovic and Rafael Nadal were coming up with fantastic  rallies which spectators might never have seen in their life. In an article by Alix Ramsay in the Australian open, after winning the title, a tired Djokovic stated that “I knew that I'm playing against one of the greatest players ever, A player who is  mentally strong, and who always comes up with his best game and best shots at the right moments. So I tried mentally to hang in there, to hold my composure, to hold my emotions. And, you know, even when I was 4‑2 down I still pushed myself up to the limit”.  Rest is history.
                “Pushing myself up to the limit”, “not giving up”, trying to “hang in there even if the going is tough”, does these phrases have any meaning in our life. It is these phrases that helps us to see whether we are a force to reckon with, a force by which we transform our work place or the school that we are in. On Tuesday’s we meditate on how we can transform our work place or school on the basis of the life of Caleb which is mentioned in the book of Numbers 13. God had great plans for the people of Israel. He wanted them to possess land, that God had promised to them, and before that the Lord asked Moses to send some of its men from each tribe to explore the land [ Number 13:1]. The two groups of people had two contradicting views of the land. One group saw the land but also saw the people who lived there were powerful and that they were large and were fortified [ Numbers 13: 28-29].  Here is a group of people who want the land but are overawed by the challenges that they will face if they have to occupy the land. On the contrary you have Caleb who is not overawed by the power of the people there, nor by its numbers nor its armour. Here is one person who is ready to face the challenge because for him what matters in life is to give the best to the Lord, and enjoy the fruits of the labour. I believe today we have these two types of people. One who is always overawed by challenges and hence live mediocre lives. These people don't find any satisfaction in their studies or in their jobs because they have to face challenges.  Every subject or every day is  very arduous for them and they just do their studies or their work more out of compulsion rather than for the love of it. But the people who are able to transform their work place or school are people who are ready to face challenges in life because it helps them to move from the level of mediocrity to levels of excellence. For these kinds of  people, challenges helps them to  bring the best in them. Their faith perspective is also  based on the principle that there is no challenge that God gives without also giving the strength to face it. Thus when we consciously decide to  take our life to levels of excellence, that we become channels of transformation wherever we are placed, be it a work place or school.
Ready to move beyond mediocre living to life of excellence?
For Further Study: Isaiah 40, Isaiah 41
Let us Pray: Dear Lord we are often overawed by challenges that we face in life. Help  us to face challenges in life so that we move from living mediocre lives to life of excellence. Amen

The Journey 30
Monday, January 30
Read; Luke 19: 1-10
Key Verse: Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labour in vain, Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain [ Psalms 127:1]
                     I know  a person who is  very upset because the real estate business in US is now going through a lean patch. He is neither a realtor nor someone who is interested in doing business in housing and finance. When I asked him for the reason for his sadness, he said that, when the real estate business was in full boom, the market value of his house was about a million dollar, but now with the lean patch the market value of his house has come down drastically. But then I asked him whether he was contemplating of selling the house for which he said no. “Then why are you upset if the market value of your house has come down when you don't  intend to sell it” I asked. For this he replied, that “ Achen, I use to experience a mental and emotional pleasure  thinking that I reside in a house that is of such and such value. But with the value of my house coming down, I don't get that same emotional and mental satisfaction now.
                   What gives you satisfaction when you think of your home? Is your satisfaction related to its material worth?. How is your home related to the personal transformation that needs to happen in our life?. This month on Monday’s we meditate on transformation in our personal life based on the encounter between the Jesus Christ and Zacheus mentioned in gospel of Luke 19. One of the strange things that happened in the encounter between Jesus Christ and Zacheus is that when Jesus sees Zacheus sitting on the sycamore tree he tells him to come down and then puts a strange request to Zacheus “I am going to come to your house today’. Why should Jesus take pain to go to the house of Zacheus? Cant he do his ministry at the place that He met Zacheus?. Certain action of Jesus tend to be very strange, but I feel behind each strange action there is something that our Lord is teaching us and is trying to teach Zacheus.  My conception is that as people tend to become rich their happiness lies more on possessing material things and finding a unique mental and emotional pleasure by just looking at those things. You will have numerous house that will boast of the best dinner sets of the world, the best French drinking glasses but all these kept in the showcase. When guest come they take pride in showing all their costly kitchen ware. You have house where people have laid wonderful and costly carpets and hence because of the cost of the carpet, they don't want others or a big group of people to come to their houses. Today you have people who are not willing to organize a prayer meeting in their house, because their carpet will become dirty. I think Zacheus may also have been a person like that, who took pride in exhibiting his richness, his property and all that he owned through unjust means. But here is Jesus coming to his house and I am sure along with Jesus he would also had the presence of his disciples, consciously breaking into a home to show Zacheus that the real value of home is found only when you allow people come to your house and enjoy prayer, relationship and fellowship. This may cause some damage to your carpets, some plates or some drinking glasses may be broken. Children who come for the fellowship may dirty your home…..These are all part of fellowship. But there is a joy when our house is open for our Lord, for our community of believers. Of what use is your furniture in your home, if Jesus cant sit there, what is the use of your home if Jesus is not allowed to enter into your home?. Let us not just hung a picture of Jesus in our home and think that our Lord is present in our home.
              Value of ones home is determined on whether we allow Jesus Christ to reside in our homes, and when that happens place transformation begins in our life.
 For Further Study: Luke 10:38-42, Acts 2: 42-47
Let us Pray: Lord you gave us a home, but often we pride in the material things in our home rather than the fellowship and relationship that we get when others come to our home. Let our home be a place of relationship and fellowship with others. Amen

The Journey 28

Saturday, January 28

Read: Luke 10:38-42

A small piece of news caught my attention while sitting in a doctors clinic glancing the magazine “ People” that was lying in the reception room. What caught my attention was the news that  Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger have come together for another major occasion since Maria had filed for separation from her husband last July. The news reports states that he two spent Christmas this December,  together with their children at their home in Brentwood, California., According to the magazine, sources close to the couple states that for them " "Children and family come first,", For both Arnold and Maria supporting and loving their children has been their priority in life. This family Christmas celebration has brought in a hope, with the reports coming that  Shriver is having second thoughts about moving forward to end here marriage, though she has still not done anything to drop the separation proceedings till this day.

       What brings transformation in ones family is the priority and the responsibility  that each one takes to build our family life. On Saturday’s we meditate on how we can bring transformation in our family life based on the family of Mary, Martha and Lazarus that is mentioned in the gospel of Luke 10:38-42. A family that enjoys the company and the fellowship of the Lord and also vice versa. But as the family enjoys intimacy with Jesus Christ, Martha has some issues with regards to the issue of how to balance work and intimacy with Jesus Christ. This has been an eternal question that so many individuals and families are still grappling with. Martha is concerned about work while Mary is concerned about intimacy and fellowship with Jesus Christ. When the issue whether work or intimacy is important is brought to the notice of Jesus Christ, he tells Martha to stop worrying about what she is doing and tells her to stop criticizing Mary with what she is doing. Jesus goes further and says that Mary has chosen what she seems as the best and that will not be taken away [ Luke 10;41-42]. What is it that Jesus was communicating to Martha and is communicating to us. We live in a fast paced world where some people are only concerned about their work. Come Sunday, you ask why they did not come to church, they complain about the work schedule, ask them to come for a outing or a family retreat, there are  more excuses of work and other important work assignments. Yes work is important but if our family life needs to be transformed each member of the family has to prioritize his work and his responsibility at home. It is only when we prioritize our daily duties, that we will find time both for  our professional work and assignment and also at the same time enjoy the intimacy and fellowship that we need to give to our family and also get from our family. Otherwise in the end, we may have everything, what we had desired but nothing that gives us hope in life to live on.

Have you been able to prioritize your demands in your professional life and need of intimacy in your family life?

For Further Study:   Ecclesiastes ,   Mathew 6

Let us Pray:Lord you want us to be understand what our priorities in life are. Often we are only concerned about our professional life forgetting that we also need to build our family life. Forgive our sin of not maintaining our priorities. Amen

The Journey 27

Friday, January 27

Read: John 5:1-18

It was on August 6th, 2011 that a San Diego resident Petty Officer Jon Tumilson, died  in an helicopter crash in Afghanistan which also claimed the lives of another 29 American soldiers. His funeral was held Rockford, Iowa where more than 1500  mourners attended the funeral. But what was the most poignant moment of the funeral was the scene where Jon close friend– his dog, Hawkeye also attended the funeral and he lay still along the side of the coffin of his departed friend. The picture shown below was taken by Lisa Pembleton, Tumilson’s cousin. A dog who expresses his deep love and faithfulness to his friend. A dog who expresses through his presence that he is also grieving and is would want to go to any extent to show how deep his love for his master and friend was. Do we as human beings able to share the feelings for our suffering brothers in the same way as Hawkeye did for his friend.

 On Friday’s we meditate on how we can bring transformation in the life of the sick and the suffering people. Every people who goes through suffering and sickness goes through emotions that sometimes other people do not understand or comprehend. In the passage that we read for meditation we find that Jesus heals this man lying by the pool during the Sabath.  A day when according to the Jews was day of rest, a day set apart for the Lord. In many other passages of the Bible we find that Jesus consciously heals many people during Sabbath and this incurs wrath of the religious leaders of those time. What was the difference between the attitude of the religious leaders and Jesus with regards to the people who were suffering. The Pharisees and other religious leaders were also concerned about the suffering people, but for them alleviating the pain of the suffering people had certain boundaries and limits. On the contrary the concern and the empathy that Jesus expressed moved boundaries and laws. His focus was the person and how he could alleviate the suffering and bring healing to the person, even if it means to consciously take risk and go to any extent even if it antagonizes others. Hawkeye the dog showed that love for another person breaks all boundaries. Jesus teaches us that if we are contemplating to bring about healing and transformation in the life of the  suffering people it may entail us to go beyond certain man made boundaries and laws. Only when we are ready to cross those  boundaries do we truly become agents of transformation and healing in the life of the sick and the suffering. It is to such a vocation that Jesus calls all of us.

Does boundaries limit you to express concern for others?

For Further Study

1 Corinthians 1

1 Peter 5

 

Let us Pray: Dear God you taught us about love that is costly and sacrificial. But we often show love and concern that is not costly not sacrificial. Empower us to move to realm of sacrifice and pain that brings about healing. Amen

The Journey 26
Thursday, January 26
Read: John 4: 1-20
        The auditions of the American Idol is going on in full swing. Today I believe the audition is going to take place in Texas. There are so many contestants who come and sing and try to impress the judges Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson so that their dreams take shape. When the judges pronounce the verdict the “You are going to Hollywood” the contestants shout with joy while others who are not fortunate to hear these words whimper and leave the hall desperate and sad. There are times when I as a clergy also goes through this motion. When you lead the worship as the celebrant, there are times where you feel through the comments and criticism that people make at the fellowship hour, after the worship service, that at least some are only  interested grading your worship service, or your sermon, thus forgetting what the true essence of worship is all about.
Why do we come to church or attend the worship service?       
              On Thursday’s our themes is on “ transformation in our parish” where we meditate on John 4, on the encounter that the Samaritan woman had with Jesus. The Samaritan woman and Jesus exchange views ranging from drinking water from the well [ John 4:5-9], about living water [ v: 10], about her personal life [ v:16-18], and about her understanding of the true essence of worship [ v: 20-24]. In all these  topics that she discussed,  we find that through these interactions, Jesus confronted her understanding in all these aspects. One of the positive aspects that I find in the Samaritan woman is that through the interaction that she had with Jesus she goes back to her village, but with an entirely different understanding about herself and also about the essence of worship. What is unique about the Samaritan woman is the willingness to listen to the Lord, leave out her distorted understanding of life and worship and then depart from the company of the saviour with a new understanding about her life and worship. Coming to the church for worship is all about what Samaritan woman did. Come to the presence of the Lord, let Him confront you, listen to his Words, and we need to go back with a fresh understanding about our life, our call rather than sitting in the worship service with a closed mind and a stiff neck and at the end standing as a judge and evaluating the whole worship service. We are making a mockery of the true essence of worship.
Next time you attend a worship service think whether you are attending the worship service as a spectator, participant or a judge?
For Further Study: Galatians 1, 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-28
Let us Pray: Dear Lord we confess that our attitude while we worship you is sometimes not right. Give us the grace to sit at your feet to listen rather than to judge others while we are in worship. Amen

The Journey 25
Wednesday, January 25
Read: Mark 5: 1-20
               The city of Philadelphia has been witnessing in the last two months, incidents of brutal attacks on the elderly, or on young teens all leading to death. This has been recurring almost once or twice a week. The mayor of Philadelphia Michel Nutter has expressed his deep concern as why the city of Philadelphia is moving in this dangerous direction where human life has no value and people tend to get agitated for most silly and slightest reason. The Mayor added that if the city has to move forward, human life needs to be valued and that people need to know how to respect the needs of others. I believe what he say is right. If a city has to move forward, the community that dwells in the city needs to value human beings and life as a whole.
           In our meditation that we do on Wednesday’s  we are meditating on the transformation that Jesus brings in the life of the demon possessed  man. By deliberately entering into a relationship with the demon possessed man, Jesus bring healing to Legion . Legion is now come back to his normal state of health and he is sitting with his right state of mind. That is when the pig owners come there and see contrasting sight. One sight is the sight of the demon possessed man healed and perfectly normal and on the other hand sees that the pigs that they had owned had died because they ran over to the cliff. The sight of the demon possessed man healed does not bring them joy, but on the contrary they are agitated that their pigs are dead. They ask Jesus to leave their land and go to some other place. What a strange request. How narrow was their perspective.  What mattered to them more was  that they lost their pigs, and not that the demon possessed man was healed. For them the value of pigs was more than the demon possessed man. I think it was because the pigs had a more material value than the man. This man was useless and had no intrinsic nor an extrinsic value. But the pigs though had no intrinsic value had a high extrinsic value because of the financial benefits that it used to offer to its owners. Today we all are evaluated on the basis of our exterior value, how much can we help others in raking  up their profits, helping them to earn more profits in business. Top industrial houses employ MBA graduates with this motive in mind. It does not matter what happens to the community, what matters to us is only reaping the financial benefits. Jesus teaches us the opposite. Community can be transformed only if human being are evaluated on their intrinsic value and not just on their extrinsic value. When life is all about ones extrinsic value then community life breaks down.
                Let us as believers bring about transformation in our community by emphasizing on the intrinsic value of each of the human beings rather than extrinsic value,  that  tends to view human life on the basis of ones academic degree earned and the extent to which these degrees help the organization that they work, to move up the financial ladder.
 We all are created in the image of God, that is our greatest value. [Genesis 1:26-27]
 
For further study:Genesis 18: 16-33,John 6

Let us Pray: O God thank you for the gift of human life. Help us to cherish the life that you have given so that we value life more than the material things that we see on earth. Amen

The Journey 24

Tuesday, January 24 

Read: Numbers 13

Key Verse: "Fear not, stand still, and see the salvation of the lord" [Exodus 14:12].

                     The legendary Penn State coach Joe Paterno died due to lung cancer on Sunday at the age 85. Newsmakers have reported that friends of the ex-Penn State coach, have expressed that he might have died more out of guilt and a bruised heart rather than cancer. All because of the unanswered questions related to Jerry Sandusky and the abuse that happened in the campus. It is reported that in his final interview, to the Washington Post , Paterno spoke with lot of regrets. He confessed that he didn't know how to handle the situation when he came to know about the abuse that was happening. He did not want to put his career and his university in risk. In that interview, in what stands as his parting words, Joe Paterno said, "I wish I'd done more."                      

               Today we live in a world where each one of us is sometimes more concerned about our privileges and security even if it means, causing injustice  to others. This is because we do not want to take risk nor work along with God so that his justice and God’s purpose are done in the work place that we are in. In the portion that we read, we find that of the twelve men who spied out Canaan, Joshua and Caleb were the two who brought back a good report while the rest brought about a negative report. Caleb was a man who sojourned through the desert journey. He was a witness to the mighty acts done by God including the  parting of the red sea. It is these mighty acts that has influenced Caleb in his faith journey. He knew that God had told Moses to immediately go and possess the land, [Deut. 1:20-22]. The others who went to spy did not want to take risk since they saw dangers in their  paths, even if it means to be unjust to the people of God, while for Caleb he knew that if God is with him, if God has promised something, then it is the responsibility of his children to move forward even if it involves danger in the path that one has to tread. God wants us to transform the place that He has set us in. But if transformation has to take place in the work place or the school that we are in our Lord is asking us whether we are ready to trust Him and be a channel of his transforming power even if it means confronting dangers and problems in our paths. We need to think whether we are more concerned about our privileges and positions or we ready to be a transforming presence in the place that the Lord has set us, even if it cost something that is very dear to us.

 For Further Study :Genesis 40, Acts 25

 

Let us Pray: Dear Lord there are times when all that mattes is our life, our joy and our security. Thank you for reminding us that this attitude can bring about injustice to others. Help us to be a transforming presence wherever we are placed. Amen

The Journey 16

 The Journey 16,

Monday January 16

Read: Luke 19:1-10

                When Tsunami struck the Indian coast, lot of people went through total misery and pain. They lost their homes, their livelihood. One of the positive things that happened at that time was the sudden mushrooming of different organizations that came up to help these tsunami affected people. Huge amount of money started flowing in from all corners of the world to help the affected people. It was only a few years later, that the common people came to know that most of these organizations swindled a lot of money that came through donations for their own personal benefits. What a tragedy, when people suffer, there were others who devised means as to how to “ make hay while the sun shine”. It is a sad reflection of our society where we are ready to do anything to gain money or fame.

Today in the United States we remember Martin Luther King, whose untiring efforts led to social discrimination of the African American people. We always need to remember his vision for the country “ I have a dream that my 4 little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character”. A leader who focused not what he will get, but how what he can he can give, so that others have a better life.

On Monday’s we meditate on transformation in our personal life and we are meditating this  month on the life of Zacheus. Here is a man who total focus in life is how to “ make hay while the sun shines”. He was detested by people, and nobody wanted to have any fellowship with him, because he as a person whose sole intention was to make money no matter, whether other person is going through pain or suffering. As a tax collector he would have been ruthless because of his greed. His focus was always on himself and what he could get out of any situation. That is when he realized that life is worth living when the focus is not what I can get, or how popular I can be, or how rich I can be on the contrary the focus on what God can do in  my life and what the Lord can do in my life. It is this inner quest that led Zacheus to go to  meet Jesus. Personal transformation begins when we live or move to a higher level in life where we are not governed by what we can get, but rather what we can give to others so that through that giving and sacrifice our life itself gets transformed.

What are you more conscious about “what you want to receive or what you want to give?. The answer will tell you whether you are ready for transformation in your life through Jesus Christ?

Let us Pray:

Lord sorry that we are often concerned about what we want to get in life rather than what we can give. Help us to sacrifice so that we understand that it is in giving that we receive. Amen

One Year Bible Reading Plan

Genesis 30-32, Mathew 25-27, Psalms 30-32, Proverbs 20-21

The Journey 14

Saturday,  January 14

Read: Luke 10:38-42

                                                 The Journey 14

                            One of the unique features of many of the families in the United States is the conscious decision of many families to spend time together. Important event like Thanksgiving day, or on Christmas day,  all the members of the families meet together to enjoy time of fellowship and togetherness. People also go to places like the beach or go on cruise so that they are able to relax and also enjoy time together as a family. Meeting together, these getaways are the ways by which the family members share a common bond among themselves. It is these common bonds among the family members that strengthens our family. But I believe there is a greater bond that can strengthen our family. What is that common bond?

                           In the biblical portion that we read today for our meditation we find a family who is very attached to Jesus Christ. Even our Lord enjoyed spending time with this family. This is the family of Mary, Martha and Lazarus. In [John 11: 5], we find that Jesus loved this family. A wonderful intimacy between the shepherd and the sheep. As an achen, I always thank God for some of the most wonderful relationship that God has given to me as I serve in  His ministry. Being the chaplain in the south east region of the United States, God has given relationships that has enriched our lives and ministry. Whenever Jesus came to the house of Lazarus, the sisters Martha and Mary would enjoy His visit and also would want to serve him and listen to him [Luke 10:38]. The unique feature of this family members was that all of them shared a personal relationship with the Lord and also had a common bond with our Saviour and that is what made the family of Mary,  Martha and  Lazarus a blessed family. In our family life we  may share lots of commonalities and common bonds between the spouses, or between other members of the family, but what is it that makes our family life blessed and transformatory?. I believe it is the common bond that we should share with our Lord Jesus Christ. When each member of the family has an intimate relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ, we become connected in the most wonderful and mysterious ways with each other thus making our family life a blessed life.

You may have lots of common bonds between each other, but do you all share a same common bond with our Lord as a family? Is Jesus Chris the center of your family life?. The answer to this question will help us to strengthen our family.

Let us Pray:

Thank you Lord for our family life. Help us to remember that you are the common bond that we should share so that we honour you and you become the center of our family life. Amen.

One Year Bible Reading Plan

Genesis 27-29, Mathew 22-24, Psalms 27-29, Proverbs 18-19