Scuttlebutt, Refreshment and Gossip .
According to ezines@arcamax.com: scuttlebutt (noun) - 1 : A drinking fountain on a ship. 2 : A cask on a ship that contains the day's supply of drinking water. 3 : Gossip; rumor. Scuttlebutt comes from scuttle, "a small opening" + butt, "a large cask" -- that is, a small hole cut into a cask or barrel to allow individual cups of water to be drawn out. The modern equivalent is the office water cooler, also a source of refreshment and gossip.

The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. [John 19-32-34]

who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ [1 Peter 3:21-22]

I know . . . scuttlebutt doesn’t seem an appropriate word to be included in a devotional! I hope I’ll be able to explain how this devotion developed. I slept in this morning and did not have my full time before work to sip coffee, pray, check email and go through my normal morning routine. I did, however, intentionally save the daily “word a day” email I received when I read what the word was. I get it: you’re not satisfied with my explanation yet!

What occurred to me this morning is how fascinating words are—and how important. The origin of words has always been of great interest to me; I assume it is part of my crazy compulsion as a writer. Water. It’s just a word. Refreshment is certainly a word one would commonly associate with water. Gossip? Well, it might be a stretch to associate the two words, unless you do think of the office water cooler example.

In ancient times the equivalent of the water cooler was a town well or nearby stream or river. Women walked together to the town well or stream every day to draw water into jugs to carry home for cooking and cleaning. As they walked, they also took advantage of the opportunity to get caught up on all the gossip, or to start some of their own.

Water also calls to mind floods, especially lately, with the triple threat of hurricanes across the southern coast of the U.S. Noah’s Ark comes to mind as well. John baptized Jesus with water in the Jordan River. Jesus used water to wash the feet of His disciples. Water-mingled blood poured out of the dead body of Christ on the Cross.

Scuttlebutt is what we are interested in and participate in when we live of the world. We are “of” the world when the day to day activities of “famous” people becomes an obsession, when we watch the predicted course of Hurricane Ike and begin to think that surely God intends to end the world again with water—in spite of His promise. Scuttlebutt is what was used to “legally” crucify Christ. Scuttlebutt goes on everyday in church congregations, in schools and offices, in warehouses and executive suites. Scuttlebutt is what distracts us from what is important in and to our lives.

When we live in the world and not of the world, we seek the refreshment of the Living Water. When we live in the world and not of the world, we thirst for the water Christ offered the Samaritan woman at the well the water that springs up into eternal life. In the world we often feel drenched and soaked through with the cares and worries of the world. We also remember that Peter began to sink in the lake when He took his eyes of Jesus.

When we live in the world and not of the world, we know that even when we feel we’re going under for the last time, when we’ve breathed out our last breath before drifting soundlessly to the bottom of the sea, Jesus will reach out to save us. He is to be our focus and our foundation.

On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. [John 7:37-39]

My prayer today is that you remember He is the Living Water that springs up in us to eternal life. And that you come to Him and drink.

Mary

Labels: baptism, baptize, Cross, gossip, Holy Spirit, Jesus, John, living water, scuttlebutt, water

  ¶ 9:04 PM

  A Cloudless Star-Strewn Night Sky .

Daniel 12:3 (The Message)

3 "'Men and women who have lived wisely and well will shine brilliantly, like the cloudless, star-strewn night skies. And those who put others on the right path to life will glow like stars forever.

Matthew 5:14 (New American Standard Bible)

14"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;

Light of the world? What an incredible honor and challenge be assigned! That assignment seems much too difficult for me—just a regular old person living in the world with a small circle of influence. I am so busy with everyday living of my life that stepping up to this role is just out of the realm of possibilities for me right now it would seem.

I can remember decades ago camping with my Girl Scout troop at the Pumunkey Indian Reservation. We were in the middle of nowhere and the sky seemed so vast. I can still remember what I perceived to be “layers” of stars and thinking I was perhaps seeing into the next universe because the stars just went on and on, higher and higher into the night sky. I felt at the same time very small and very safe. The world made sense that night.

This verse from Matthew has more significance than we might think at first. Some of the eminent Rabbis of the day were referred to as lights of the world and lamps of the universe. It was a reference that was made not because of the holy commission the Jews believed the Rabbis had been assigned, but rather because they had elevated their religious leaders to a level that was almost equal to the Christ who was to come. The Rabbis apparently didn’t discourage being held in such esteem, either.

This is important to know because Jesus wasn’t speaking to the learned and the educated and those highly regarded. He was speaking to fishermen and craftsmen, farmers and sheep herders, beggars and prostitutes, tax collectors and ordinary people like you and me. He didn’t tell them they could become lights. He told them, "You are the light of the world.” That’s present tense.

He’s talking to us in the here and now as well. We are the light of world, not because of what or who we know or what or how much we have achieved. We are the light of the world because The Light is within us. Our light is like the tiny pin-prick of light on a deep dark canvas and Christ's light is the sun—big and bright enough to heat our planet. He is the sun. We are the stars. If even one star fails to shine in the night, navigators could lose their way; the seasons might not change in perfect time.

Each and every star is part of the divinely planned universe God breathed into existence. We shine by how we live our lives. We are reflectors of The Light. Because we know the origin of the One True light, we are unafraid to illuminate our own little corner of the universe.

My prayer today is that you live wisely and well so you may shine brilliantly. And that you remember to give the glory to the One True Light of the world.

Mary

Labels: daniel, light, matthew, stars

  ¶ 8:39 AM

  A Righteous Branch Will Spring Forth .
Jeremiah 33:14-16

Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfil the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring forth for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: "The Lord is our righteousness."

Behold! That word announces that what is to follow is important and noteworthy. It means, “pay attention,” to what’s coming next. This scripture seems to be more appropriately shared during Lent but I find tremendous comfort in reading these verses now. Behold, the days are coming!

In this election season, similar phrases have been used by both presidential and vice presidential candidates as well as pundits, supporters and advocates for the candidates. Whether or not we trust or believe their promises is another story. I have some real concerns about our choices in this election, but when I read these words, I find I am less anxious about the future.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) righteous: acting in an upright, moral way; virtuous; Slang. absolutely genuine or wonderful. Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary Note: Righteousness, as used in Scripture and theology, in which it chiefly occurs, is nearly equivalent to holiness, comprehending holy principles and affections of heart, and conformity of life to the divine law.

I remember as I read Jeremiah that he, too, lived in a time of great turmoil and unrest. He too, struggled with the world as it was and longed for the world as God promised it would become. Just as Jeremiah sought a God who was genuine, wonderful, holy and upright, the greatest desire of our hearts is to be reassured by Jeremiah’s righteous Lord. We are called, as was he, to declare Christ to world.

Our advantage is that the long promised Christ has already come into the world. He has already accomplished God’s promise! We have received the gift of Jesus – our righteousness! So as we go out into the world we can be reassured and comforted that we are already saved from evil and hatred, divisiveness and deceit, greed and power-seeking. We do not need to rely upon the things of this world. We have a righteous and perfect ruler already.

Regardless of the outcome of this election, I will trust in God to guide and protect His world. I will continue to pray for our leaders and decision-makers as well. This world has strayed a long way from Eden. We have a great deal of work to do to restore it to its perfect state. Christ gave us the path, now we just need to get on it and get to work.

My prayer today is that you find comfort and satisfaction in the God who keeps his promises. And that you rely upon Jesus, the Lord who is our righteousness.

Mary  ¶ 6:23 AM

  The Light Dwells With Him .

Daniel 2:20-22

Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; he reveals deep and mysterious things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him.

I first read these verses a couple of days ago. I “didn’t have time” to reflect upon them then. I at least had the good sense to ‘save’ the words for later. As I’m writing this it occurs to me how often I don’t ‘have time’ to do so many things I want to do, need to do, like to do. I’m asking myself why my time with God is the first thing to be eliminated or at least curtailed when my life becomes rushed and complicated.

These words are both powerful and comforting to me today. As I’ve been drawn in over the past year and a half of coverage of the Presidential election, I sometimes feel as if I’m part of the soap opera it has all become. This past week I’ve been checking the weather channel to see if we’re going to be impacted by the latest tropical storm-turned hurricane the weekend.

This habit isn't bad or sinful in and of itself. Is becomes detrimental and approaches the state of sinfulness when it becomes our primary focus. When we take our eyes off the One who knows what is in the darkness and in whom the light dwells, we become overwhelmed with it all. Our world grows suddenly large. Our existence seems frighteningly insignificant.

Wait! Blessed be name of God for ever and ever to whom belong wisdom and might. I need not fret about who will be the next President of the United States! All I can do is to vote my heart and trust that our next president will receive the wisdom God gives to the wise. I cannot change the course of hurricanes. All I can do is pray for those in their path and seek the deep and mysterious things God reveals to those who desire Him above all else.

I don’t know what the future holds. But I know who created the earth and the seas and the skies. I know who created man and placed him upon this earth. I know who reigns above it all and dwells within it all. I rest in the One who changes times and seasons in perfect order.

My prayer today is that you remember the source of all wisdom, might, knowledge, understanding, darkness and light. And that you bless the name of the God who made you and placed you upon this earth in His perfect time.

Mary  ¶ 7:12 AM