Our Daily Task

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God Is At Work in You

From Psalm 15: 1 O Lord, who may abide in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy hill? 2 Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right, and speak the truth from their heart; 3 who do not slander with their tongue, and do no evil to their friends, nor take up a reproach against their neighbors; 4 in whose eyes the wicked are despised, but who honor those who fear the Lord; who stand by their oath even to their hurt; 5 who do not lend money at interest, and do not take a bribe against the innocent. Those who do these things shall never be moved.

I do love reading The Message Version of the Bible from time to time, especially the psalms when I think their interpretation might add some deeper or clearer meaning. The 15th psalm from that version reads:

1 God, who gets invited to dinner at your place? How do we get on your guest list? 2 "Walk straight, act right, tell the truth. 3 "Don't hurt your friend, don't blame your neighbor; 4 despise the despicable. "Keep your word even when it costs you, 5 make an honest living, never take a bribe. "You'll never get blacklisted if you live like this."

The Psalmist desired the closest relationship he could get to God. In his day to be invited into someone's tent was the best relationship one could have. In our day it's to be invited to dinner at someone's home. To be on a guest list is considered a great honor. But it is on God's guest list and God's dinner table that we should strive for. The Message answers in plain language: Live right! Tell the truth, be honest in all your dealings; stay away from those things that are not from God; be an example for others of what a life lived in God is all about.

As the Methodist movement began in England, the question was being raised about what it was all about. We find this answer from John Wesley: (In the "Large" Minutes, John Wesley summarized his understanding of Methodism's purpose:) "What may we reasonably believe to be God's design in raising up the Preachers called Methodists? Answer: To reform the nation and, in particular, the Church; to spread scriptural holiness over the land." Would we say that our nation does not need reformation? Could we say the say the same thing about the church?

Wesley's church was The Church of England. It was a very high church, that is to say, filled with much liturgy and ritual. It ceased to seek the lost and seemed to avoid at all costs to reach the poor. It sought to stay the same. Wesley, through his daily prayers and his daily and constant reading of Scripture realized this was not the call of believers, preachers or otherwise. He felt God calling him to take the church to those the church could no longer see nor want. He went to coal mines and preached there. He went to factories and preached there. His willingness to risk preaching Jesus started an awakening and revival in his country to the point someone has said prevented a civil war that could have destroyed the nation.

What do you feel God calling you to do about your ministry?

PRAYER: Loving God, sometimes, I confess, I feel comfortable and safe in doing little to nothing for You. Yet, each day people die without knowing You and Your love. The news scream for the need to know You, and what have I done about it? Awaken me, dear God, to be the person You called me to be. This I pray in the One who strengthens me, Christ Jesus my Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Walk Humbly With Your God

Photograph by Eradio Valverde of Nellie Garcia, Caleb Eradio Garcia, and Liam Carlos Vasquez.

Staying Connected to God Blesses Us

From Micah 1: 1 Hear what the Lord says: Rise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice. 2 Hear, you mountains, the controversy of the Lord, and you enduring foundations of the earth; for the Lord has a controversy with his people, and he will contend with Israel. 3 "O my people, what have I done to you? In what have I wearied you? Answer me! 4 For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and redeemed you from the house of slavery; and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. 5 O my people, remember now what King Balak of Moab devised, what Balaam son of Beor answered him, and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the saving acts of the Lord." 6 "With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? 7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?" 8 He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

We tend to study more of John Wesley than his younger brother Charles. We know a little about Charles that he was a hymn writer and that he tried to be the conscience of his older brother. One of the things we should know is that we have 7,000 hymns written by him because he was connected to God. Ellsworth Kalas, in an article he wrote says these hymn came "Because his should was full to overflowing. Not that every day was a shouting victory, bu that every day was God-possessed. Good weather or bad, welcoming crowds or well-aimed rotten eggs and overripe fruit, always there was a song." * The prophetic word of the prophet Micah urges that too. Micah's word argues that to be connected to God to overflowing would also produce a life that seeks justice, to love and show loving kindness, and seek to walk humbly with our God.

Micah reminds his people of God's frustration with their failings, and as a response the people ask what they can do to be made right with God and his response is to live the life mentioned above.

Staying connected with God will bless us. It will also bless others. They will see in us that which the world needs, people who seek to exalt God and do the things of God rather than the desires of humanity.

Kalas goes on to say that Wesley found his connection to God through Scripture. Both he and his older brother loved the Word of God. They took the Bible everywhere and checked it as often as we check our phone for texts, Facebook updates and any tweets we may have overlooked. They knew as do you that any scripture that we have read before if read again will reveal a new thing that we have not thought of or been blessed by. The two also maintained a close relationship with Jesus Christ through their prayer life. Both had prayer closets and not a decision made, a sermon preached, or a journey taken without deep prayer and conversation with their Lord. If we do the same, we may find ourselves to overflowing in God-things. Wouldn't that be a blessing to others?

PRAYER: Loving God, we seek to walk humbly with You. Help me to deepen my relationship with You and to pray more often and deeply. Help me to have a better attitude towards Bible study; that I may know that I do not know all things nor read all things that You have for me. Guide me to God-overflowing. This I pray in Christ Jesus' precious name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

It Makes No Sense!

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The Message of the Cross is Ours

From 1 Corinthians 1:18 For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart." 20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, 23 but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength. 26 Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, 29 so that no one might boast in the presence of God. 30 He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 in order that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."

I overheard a layperson tell a seminary friend, "What a waste of a great mind to go into ministry!" In campus ministry, one of our most active students had to lie to his mother to come to our meetings and outings. He said, "If I tell my mom I'm coming to a church thing she won't let me; but if I say I'm going to a dance or out with friends, she will." All who dedicate their lives, whether laity or clergy, to share their experiences with the Cross of Jesus, will encounter at some point, those who think that message is foolishness or a waste of time. Paul encountered fierce reactions against himself and especially against his message about Jesus having to die on the cross for us. He remembers the passage, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart." And it comes back to God's kingdom and those who accept God's invitation to come in. In the ranks of believers God has brought in those whom the world would have placed somewhere else. The common laborer who leaves his or her job to proclaim Christ. The lawyer successful in his or her practice finds no meaning in that kind of work and realizes true meaning for them lies in the ministry of the cross. People from all walks of life have been called and welcomed into the kingdom of God. All sharing a message that the world deems foolish. God has taken the world's weak and made them Kingdom Strong. God has lifted high those the world placed low and despised. God is our source and from God we have this new life in Jesus Christ, Who is our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption; if we're to boast about anything or anyone, it should be the Lord, and no one nor nothing else.

I'm in a formation group for district superintendents and every time we are together we wrestle with what it means to be a DS and what we can do to bless the church. We, as DSs, are from all walks of life, and we have different points of view and some have even lost the message of the cross. Our discussion yesterday was on a book about corporations and organizations who seek to provide meaning in their products so that people will buy them. I ask why the Church has lost the passion we see in the corporate world but not in ours. This year, the Apple Macintosh computer turned 30 years old. I remember as if it were yesterday the commercial during the Super Bowl that kicked off the sale of this computer. An ad ahead of its time, mostly black and white, playing on the fears of Orwell's book 1984, men as robots working at stations while listening to Big Brother on a huge screen. In comes a woman running with a hammer who heaves the hammer into the screen. The ad ends, and the next day, three million Macs were sold. Apple then employed evangelists to tell the Mac story and implied that personal meaning could come through this computer. Meanwhile, the Church world has stayed the black and white world of the 1950s and the hammer is hitting us. It is the message of the cross that we must yet proclaim to bring the fullness of life and bring the brightness of color into our lives.

PRAYER: Loving God of wisdom, share with us this wisdom and let us never forget nor neglect to share the message of the cross. Yes, some see it as weakness; others as foolishness, but those who need it will see it as life as we once did. May it be so again for us, and for the new people we are supposed to reach. In Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior we pray, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

¡Bienvenidos To A New Life!

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The Invitation is Still Good!

From Matthew 5: 1 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying: 3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 "Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. 8"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 "Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

There should come a time in the life of all people when they realized they're not living life in a way that blesses them or others. The realization is that we are not living life to the fullest, and that abundance thing seems to be missing. It was at this point of Jesus' ministry that He extends an invitation to all to come into a new place, a kingdom place. Hear these words from Jesus' major sermon as invitation and welcome to that kingdom, thus the "¡Bienvenidos!"

Here's what you can expect and receive when you say Yes to enter the kingdom: If you feel spiritual weak or lacking in faith, Jesus says there's more room for God to come in and fill us with His strength. Remember singing, "They are weak, but He is strong?" We're the "we" we were singing about! The second blessing is the blessing of God's embrace when we are grieving or mourning a loss in our lives. Many have been the times I have found myself still crying for my mother who died several years ago; and I can feel God's strong arm allowing that grief but also saying that God is still in control.

Jesus invites us to set aside ego and pride and allow for meekness to be what guides us. Meekness is a sense of humility, not becoming a doormat for others. The true definition of the word Jesus used was to control our anger, not to never be angry. Jesus' understanding is that there is time for righteous anger; meekness which comes through our prayerful relationship with God allows us to know when that time is. When we do that, the earth is ours. Besides controlling our ego and pride we should control our spiritual appetite and seek that which fills our need for righteousness. We know what is right in the sight of God and through God we can have our hunger and thirst for it satisfied. Righteousness is that feeling and security of knowing that we are in the right relationship with God.

In this new kingdom we should control our anger and our desire for revenge. What God offers is for us to be merciful towards others. You know the Forgiveness Math: 70 X 7 (you know, you lose count!) of the sins committed against us. When we show mercy towards others, God shows mercy towards us. And when have we not needed that?

Early in my ministry I taught a Wednesday night Bible study. We would go verse by verse in different books and at one point I shared what came to me about studying the Bible; the Bible is a mirror for our hearts and spirits. Think about that; if the Bible were truly like a mirror and you could hold it up against your heart, what would it show? What's in your heart? Love? Hate? Indifference? Resentment? Jealousy? If anything other than love resides there we have a clogged heart and we need to ask God to remove all blockages so that we can have a pure heart. And with a pure heart we will see God and others will see God in us!

"Oh, I love a good fight!" I've heard many a person say. Most say it in the verbal sense, but some do like a physical fight. Some may say it as observers, but here Jesus says that in the kingdom, our role as people who love and serve the Most High, we should seek to make peace among those fighting. Once we do our title will be children of God. Then Jesus says that we might not have total supporters of our faith and these may look for ways to make us uncomfortable or to feel defeated, but as we strive to serve God and God's kingdom, that kingdom will be ours eternally.

In all things we should have a spirit of joy and gladness in spite of what we face or feel for we are in good company, those very spokesperson of God who lived and still live in the pages of scripture. What better company could we have?

¡Bienvenidos! We've come to the right place. Welcome!

PRAYER: Loving God, thank You for inviting me into Your kingdom. Help me to enter in with joy and gladness. May those words shared by Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount be a source of encouragement for each day. This I pray in Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

No Fear Living in Light

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Wonderful God-promises for our lives

From Psalm 27: 1 Light, space, zest - that's God! So, with him on my side I'm fearless, afraid of no one and nothing.2 When vandal hordes ride down ready to eat me alive, Those bullies and toughs fall flat on their faces. 3 When besieged, I'm calm as a baby. When all hell breaks loose, I'm collected and cool. 4I'm asking God for one thing, only one thing: To live with him in his house my whole life long. I'll contemplate his beauty; I'll study at his feet. 5 That's the only quiet, secure place in a noisy world, The perfect getaway, far from the buzz of traffic. 6 God holds me head and shoulders above all who try to pull me down. I'm headed for his place to offer anthems that will raise the roof! Already I'm singing God-songs; I'm making music to God. 7 Listen, God, I'm calling at the top of my lungs: "Be good to me! Answer me!" 8 When my heart whispered, "Seek God," my whole being replied, "I'm seeking him!" 9 Don't hide from me now! You've always been right there for me; don't turn your back on me now. Don't throw me out, don't abandon me; you've always kept the door open. 10 My father and mother walked out and left me, but God took me in. 11 Point me down your highway, God; direct me along a well-lighted street; show my enemies whose side you're on. 12 Don't throw me to the dogs, those liars who are out to get me, filling the air with their threats. 13 I'm sure now I'll see God's goodness in the exuberant earth. 14 Stay with God! Take heart. Don't quit. I'll say it again: Stay with God. (The Message Version)

How many would confess they're afraid of the dark? Can you see my hand up? Okay, I'm older now and not that much afraid of the dark and things that go bump in the night, but I remember the first night I had to enter into my new office at the Campus Ministry Center in Edinburg, Texas, just off the campus of then Pan American University (now UTPA). The building was owned, built and designed by the Catholic Diocese of Brownsville. Parking was limited and staff had reserved spaces behind the building. The rear entrance to the building from the parking lot led you inside to a great hall. The designer in his/her great wisdom had placed the only light switches guess where? Yes, near the front entrance to the building. We're talking pre-iPhone flashlight or any cell-phone light. We were talking about the darkest building I'd ever seen. No windows in that hall. And the hall could be divided into three large sized classrooms. During the day if you placed towels on the bottom of the classroom doors you would have cave darkness and you could change light-sensitive film (remember film for cameras?) in there. The palmist would not know what I'm talking about and would laugh at me for sharing the above, but he knew spiritual darkness and walked through it with God's help. This 27th Psalm is a song of victory over darkness thanks to the light of God. Having experienced dangers of all kinds throughout his life, David knew the strength of God. Verse 4 sums up his faith and hope: I'm asking God for one thing, only one thing: To live with Him in His house my whole life long. I'll contemplate His beauty; I'll study at His feet. That's the only quiet, secure place in a noisy world, The perfect getaway far from the buzz of traffic."

The attitude and outlook of David is ours as well. He believed God can hold us high above those things or those people who try to pull us down. And it all comes through our relationship with God, talking and listening to Him. It's funny to imagine David even in Hebrew talking in this way this version shares, but don't you love the imagine of this Hebrew King shouting at the top of his lungs: "Be good to me! Answer me!" all the while seeking God. The psalmist wants to walk the way of the Lord "along a well-lighted street" with the confidence that tells others, "I'm walking with God!"

Our task? Stay with God! Don't give up hope, never seek to resign yourself away from God, and as David says, I say also: Stay with God.

PRAYER: Loving God, I seek to stay with You. Guide me in Your light. May the darkness of doubt and fear and all things negative flee when You and I walk near them. And may You and I share in the victory over them. This I pray and this I need, through Christ Jesus my Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

PS Dear friends, I ask a special prayer for Mrs. Katy Gomez, wife of Rev. Isabel Gomez, a retired pastor and friend of ours. He and Katy live in Dallas and Katy yesterday entered hospice care. I also ask for my father, Eradio, Sr., who is having an exam today to study the circulation in his legs. If circulation is a problem he might have to face amputation of his legs which will be a terrible blow to him and us. Please pray God's will be done, but that healing might be possible and that God's strength support us and all who face worries today. Blessings and thank you.

We Are Walking In The Light of God!

Image from a photo by Eradio Valverde of Corpus Christi Bay

Siyahamba ekukhanyeni kwenkos', Siyahamba ekukhanyeni kwenkos'.

From Isaiah 9:1 But there will be no gloom for those who were in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. 2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness— on them light has shined. 3 You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder. 4 For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian.

We first heard it from our oldest, who was in the junior choir. The melody was awesome and the words made us smile. "What are you singing?" Then she sang the English part, "We are walking in the light of God, we are walking in the light of God." What a song, and what a promise to those in darkness!

Isaiah sings this passage I believe, for it is a song of great joy: Forget about the anguishes of yesterday and the contempt you felt towards others or you felt from others; today is a new day and guess what, God is making a new path. And here's the kicker; "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness -- on them light has shined." Woah! Thank You, God!

Our lives sometimes take us through paths of gloom and sadness but deep down inside, our relationship and trust in God brings us the light we need to guide us and see us through whatever the challenge we may be facing. God's love for us never ends and God seeks to be among us to bless and guide us to be a blessing to others. All the past stays in the past, the present is bright with promise, and tomorrow is yet unwritten, but what a pen God provides to us for us to write big the joy that is ours through God!

PRAYER: Loving God, provide light for those still in darkness. For those in relationship with You but passing through some dark spots or gloomy ones, bring forth the light. And as we write the songs of today, remind us of the deep well of Your ink from which we can draw as we draw, paint, or write songs! This we ask in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Party vs. Power

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What have we chosen?

From 1 Corinthians 1:10 Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters. 12 What I mean is that each of you says, "I belong to Paul," or "I belong to Apollos," or "I belong to Cephas," or "I belong to Christ." 13 Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one can say that you were baptized in my name. 16 (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to proclaim the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its power. 18 For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

My childhood perspective of the church being one big happy family was shattered as I started my internship for ordained ministry. Having chosen the church in which I wanted to see the practical side of ministry I started hearing, "Oh, he's from this party," and "She's from the other party." And it wasn't festive get-togethers they were referring to; it was about factions in the church. To this day I do not understand that sort of thinking and practice. I don't think Paul ever understood it. And earlier in the Gospels Jesus used it to speak against accusations that He was serving Satan (Mark 3:25). Of all things, Paul encountered in the Corinth church factions among those who claimed their baptism was better and thus made them followers of the one who baptized them. Paul asked, "Has Christ been divided? Was it me that was crucified for you? Were you baptized in my name?" These people were missing the point as are those who say, "Nobody can baptize me except my most favorite pastor of all time; I'm going to invite him back to do my baptism." Paul stresses they were missing the point and the power of the cross. His message had been to reconcile people with God and away from their sin, not to see groups divided against groups through disagreements over who baptized them. Paul's message, as should ours, was grounded in the cross and all that it symbolizes for us today; that God's love was proved through the sacrifice of His only Son, Jesus, so that "everyone who believes in Him may not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

Paul did understand the power found in unity. He knew the church faced enough from the outside to be so concerned about minuscule things inside. The enemy of the church seeks to divide the house so that the house cannot stand, even today, and if ever the church needed to stand together it is today against sin and against evil. Paul did not want the church in Corinth or anywhere to lose its way. Paul came to preach Christ and His message, not his own. And the message of Christ is to follow in "the way, the truth, and the life." (John 14:6).

Jesus calls us to seek to be in agreement, and as Paul said, "united in the same mind and the same purpose," for our very existence is about sharing the power of the cross, not about which party to which we belong. We need to work for the common goal of serving God and helping our neighbors find the relationship with God they need for the good of their souls.

PRAYER: Loving God, forgive us for those times that we have placed labels on others or on ourselves. We seek to be only about You and what You have done for our sake. Help us to have "the same mind and the same purpose" as Paul shared in this passage. Help us to recover the power of the cross in our lives, our families, and in our churches. This we ask in the Name of He who died on the cross for us, Jesus our Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

From Sitting in Darkness to Walking in Light

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Jesus Calls Us to Action; "Drop that Net!"

From Matthew 4: 12 Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. 13 He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: 15 "Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— 16 the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned." 17 From that time Jesus began to proclaim, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." 18 As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people." 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21 As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. 22Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him. 23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.

How we love our routines! Each of us has at least one day filled with routine. We start here, do this, head there and do that. We look forward to talking with him, and not so much her, but will if need be, and we wonder where the phrase "creature of habit" came from. Our Sundays for example, are perhaps the most routine of days. I can still recall my childhood and boyhood Sundays. Rise early as our mother awoken us, fight for the one bathroom seven of us shared, dress in our best that mom made sure we had, pile in the car and drive to church. Yes, breakfast was whatever was awaiting us. "I'm not running a restaurant!" my mother would declare and if we did not like what had been prepared, "you're not hungry!" We arrived in time for Sunday school in the days before coffee and donuts were mandatory gathering foods. We sought out our friends, and once the bell rang, we headed to our class. There we learned about God and The Bible, and when it was time, the bell would run again, and we would walk as a group to the church; the girls would usually go sit with their families, and the boys would try to sit together, which was dangerous because our conversations tended to make us laugh, and laughing was forbidden in church especially during the sermon. Most of the preachers I remember were very serious and did not include a lot of humor so boys laughing the back usually meant a punishment of some kind. As church would end, we would head outside and find some excuse to run or talk and laugh some more. We would drive home a different way, and usually it was down a street with a lot of used cars and I usually had my poor eye on something I would not afford for many years. But it was something to look forward to on the drive home. Sometimes dad would take us home the long way through Main Street Houston to our home way south of downtown. Lunch was always fried chicken and all the fixings and we wonder why one of the choruses said, "I've got that chicken-eatin' Methodism down in my heart." Sunday afternoon fighting for the Sunday "funnies," watching the Oilers on tv, then returning back for Sunday MYF, then evening worship. Quite a routine I had!

Imagine what happened to the routine of those men first called by Jesus to be His disciples. It was shattered. It started with a message Jesus was preaching, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." This came on the heels of John the Baptist's same sermon, but now he was in prison and because of that Jesus moved to the place where Simon Peter and Andrew lived. This message had had its impact on their lives I believe for upon hearing Jesus say, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people," the Bible says that "Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. I know they had been among those sitting in darkness. Blind to the newness of a life lived without sin; it was the great light that Christ's message shined on that sin that made them want to change their focus from the daily grind of doing this and that, to exalting God and seeking to please God. Jesus then called two more brothers and these two left their boat and their father to follow Jesus. They counted the cost of following Jesus too great to miss out on, that they left behind the daily routine of pleasing Dad and family. Now their lives were on a different path and they would never be the same again.

From fishing for fish to fishing for people. And what bait they used! They taught a message of God's love, the invitation to wholeness was shared; and healing and restoration came to those who sought it and needed it. They may not have thought about having sat in darkness, but once you walk in light, you know you have, and you don't want to go back. I cannot imagine sitting in the same pew year after year having heard the invitation to follow Jesus and to serve Him as a pastor. I would not have received the education I did, nor made the new friends and brothers and sisters that I have; nor would I have met the woman who has blessed my life with love and children, and now the children have blessed me with grandchildren. Why would I return back to the place where I sat in darkness after having walked in light and love?

You and I know we've lots of people yet to reach. Creatures of habit and sin, who sit in darkness by choice or captive to routines that have not let them see another way. They seek only to exalt themselves or the things of humanity rather than the exaltation of the One who offers a new life and one lived in abundance. Drop your nets and leave your boats and follow and serve the One who calls. The cost is too great to miss out on; minimum gain is at least hundredfold of all that we consider loss for serving God. Greater yet is the cost of lost lives if we don't reach them.

PRAYER: Loving God, thank You for taking me out of darkness and showing me a new way in light in which to walk. Thank You for showing me that serving a routine is not that which blesses You nor Yours. Help me bring others into Your light and love; this I ask in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

A Prayer of Praise and Purpose

May This Be Our Prayer As Well

From 1 I waited and waited and waited for God. At last he looked; finally he listened. 2 He lifted me out of the ditch, pulled me from deep mud. He stood me up on a solid rock to make sure I wouldn't slip. 3He taught me how to sing the latest God-song, a praise-song to our God. More and more people are seeing this: they enter the mystery, abandoning themselves to God. 4 Blessed are you who give yourselves over to God, turn your backs on the world's "sure thing," ignore what the world worships;5 The world's a huge stockpile of God-wonders and God-thoughts. Nothing and no one comes close to you! I start talking about you, telling what I know, and quickly run out of words. Neither numbers nor words account for you. 6 Doing something for you, bringing something to you - that's not what you're after. Being religious, acting pious - that's not what you're asking for. You've opened my ears so I can listen. 7 So I answered, "I'm coming. I read in your letter what you wrote about me,8 And I'm coming to the party you're throwing for me." That's when God's Word entered my life, became part of my very being. 9 I've preached you to the whole congregation, I've kept back nothing, God - you know that. 10 I didn't keep the news of your ways a secret, didn't keep it to myself. I told it all, how dependable you are, how thorough. I didn't hold back pieces of love and truth For myself alone. I told it all, let the congregation know the whole story. 11 Now God, don't hold out on me, don't hold back your passion. Your love and truth are all that keeps me together.

It is a place where we all have been; in need of God and it seems God is hesitant or slow to answer, and the longer God takes, the deeper we sink into a mud of despair or worry. But then comes the answer, pulled out by God's loving hand and seer once again on the path on which we were, this time in a more secure place so that we wouldn't fall again. And this made us sing (most of us anyway, though we should all sing when we're happy!) a new "God-song" praising God for what God has done. Some of us wait until Sunday, but we still sing. And the truth is God is answering prayers in the lives of many people. The real blessing is to the ones who give themselves wholeheartedly to God, rejecting the "sure-things" of the world for the sure thing of God's love and care. We say no to the things the world worships (see the plot line of "The Wolf of Wall Street" and/or any of those "greed movies. I'm not endorsing you see the movie, just Google spoiler-alerts about the movie). What God offers is much more lasting and satisfying than the things of the world. Two days ago in Houston, we passed a mall where Nellie and I stopped after I picked her up at the airport, she was in town to meet my parents and for us to announce our marriage, and I wanted to buy her a sweater but she refused. "I know how much the church was paying you for being an intern; you couldn't afford it and I didn't want you to spend your money!" Wow. Even today it impresses me about this woman, but I said to her, "You knew how poor I was and you still wanted to marry me?" And here's a great answer: "You were the richest man I knew; money is not what makes us rich." Wow, again.

Nothing comes close to what God can offer and share with us. And all God desires is a relationship with us, for us to love and trust God, for us to walk and talk with Him. I love what this version (The Message Version) says next, "And I'm coming to the party you're throwing for me." That was the point, the writer says, that "God's Word entered my life, become part of my very being," and this is what the writer preached and shared and witnessed to among all people. He shared the whole story of God.

The prayer closes with the plea that the writer still wants and needs God's passion, love and truth alive and present in his life as do we.

PRAYER: May this be our prayer as well. Thank You, Loving God, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Hearing and Being the Voice of God

Image from a photo taken by Nellie Valverde of Sarai Evangelina Cortez and her grandpa, Eradio Valverde, Jr.

God Speaks, We Listen and We Share

From Isaiah 49: 1 Listen to me, O coastlands, pay attention, you peoples from far away! The Lord called me before I was born, while I was in my mother's womb he named me. 2 He made my mouth like a sharp sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me away. 3 And he said to me, "You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified." 4 But I said, "I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my cause is with the Lord, and my reward with my God." 5 And now the Lord says, who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, and that Israel might be gathered to him, for I am honored in the sight of the Lord, and my God has become my strength— 6 he says, "It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors of Israel; I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth." 7Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One, to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations, the slave of rulers, "Kings shall see and stand up, princes, and they shall prostrate themselves, because of the Lord, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you."

When Nellie and I found out we were going to be parents, we were nervous but excited. We had miscarried our first, and now we believed God was blessing us with a child. As the baby grew, so did our excitement and she and I spoke to the child while she was still in the womb. On the day she made her appearance, which is coming up soon (again!) on February 1st, it was after 22 hours of labor and a C-Section. Dads were not allowed in the surgery suite and I paced the floor for only about 15 minutes before I heard the wail of a newborn and an elevator door opened and our pediatrician and our baby came out. She was not too happy and was crying very healthily. She was in a portable incubator and the doctor open the lid and said, "Here she is, Dad!" I spoke to our baby and she immediately stopped crying and started looking around for my voice. It was a moment that I will never forget and one repeated three more times with our other daughters and again with our grandchildren. You talk about connecting, that moment was special. Soon Nellie came down and she was groggy from the procedure and she asked if I had seen the baby, "Yes, she's pink, she's beautiful and she looks like me!" (Thank God she's a beautiful woman - she outgrew that phase!).

Isaiah heard the voice of God while he was still in his mother's womb and he heard God naming him. He realized that this listening to God formed him for his life's work. And Isaiah realized that this formation that took place was not just about him but the entire nation of Israel, the people of God. Formed and shaped to be God's voice in a godless world. God spoke to Isaiah and spoke a word of challenge and invitation to those who had wandered away thinking that God did not care for them. God said, speak to all, no matter the station or place in life, and those who hear will be blessed because of you.

You and I have been chosen as well to listen to God. We can hear God in a variety of ways and not all of them have to be verbal. We pray and as we pray we should listen. We pray before we read the Bible and while we read we should listen. We sing and as we sing we are praying and listening and we should listen. We hear God's pastors and preachers preach and as they preach, we pray and we should listen. No one, who comes into worship with a right and ready heart. should ever leave with claims of not having been fed. If you're praying and listening you leave not only fed, but full. And you should be ready to share with others about what God shared with you during worship or during your devotional time or scripture reading time. You will be surprised at how many have not listened nor heard from God in a long time. Yours may be the voice that will bless many.

Are you listening?

PRAYER: Loving God for the wonderful messages You constantly share with us, thank You. Forgive us when we hear and feel blessed but do nothing about it. Especially forgive us for not saying or sharing with those who are dying without You. Grant to us a new opportunity to once again speak to You during this prayer and the rest of today's prayers that I will lift up, and especially help me listen. This I pray in Christ Jesus, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

PS I ask your prayers for the family of Elida Gonzales, the woman from Mission who battled the swine flu. Yesterday morning she was called home after a lengthy battle with the flu and the effects it had on her other medical concerns. Thank you for your prayers for her during this time.

I also ask prayers for my Dad. His doctor seems to believe he is progressing rapidly into dementia and so pray for him. I was able to spend part of the day with him yesterday in Houston and I ask you pray for him and us.

The picture above is one of my favorites, taken by Nellie, of our oldest grandchild, Saraí Evangelina Cortez (I named her!) and it's so precious when they get to the age they can share things and have wonderful conversations with us.

Rich in Christ

Image from graceuniversity.edu

Living as Saints, rich in what matters

From 1 Corinthians 1: 1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, 2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, 5 for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind—6 just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you— 7 so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8 He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

"Has your phone rung?" It is a question that gets asked a lot by UM pastors during the spring. It is especially one that gets asked when a church or position in the church comes open. Members of the "Kitchen Cabinet" will make their theoretical appointments and then call those to ask, "Has your phone rung?" Not too long ago I was asked that so often I finally said, "Yes, and it won't stop ringing! People getting sick and going to the hospital. Some want to get married, others need to be buried; and they won't stop calling! Yes, my phone is ringing all the time!" Paul is sharing how when his phone rang, he answered Yes to the call from God to serve as an apostle. This call was confirmed by a friend and brother in the faith, Sosthenes. And he also said, all who have said Yes to God have also received from God instructions on work that still needs doing right where they are now. Paul calls believers, all believers, saints. Quite a title to live up to, but it emphasizes the separateness of our living. We are called to be different from those who don't yet know the Lord, and we're called to live a life of grace and peace. We are also to give thanks for one another in our prayers, and we are reminded that we have been made rich in Christ Jesus in the things that strengthen our ministry; the words we are to say, and wisdom to say them. In other words, we have a testimony to share about Jesus with everyone we meet; we lack for nothing in the spiritual gift department. While we wait for the coming of Jesus we have work to do, people to see, and a witness to share. We cannot take for granted that all people know Jesus just like we do. We strive for perfection, seeking to live a blameless life. God is faithful to us and we should be faithful to God, inviting others into the fellowship of believers in God's Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

One more thing. The phone works both ways. I love the story of the person from a church that wanted to be active in the ministry of the church so that person waited by the phone. Day after day, week after week, and the phone never rang. Frustrated this person shared with a friend this frustration. The friend calmly said, "The phone works both ways. If the church hasn't called you, why haven't you called the church? They'd love to hear of your willingness to serve." Pick up the phone and call somebody. Share with them the blessings that have been yours because of faith. Invite them to come and see what God offers in your worship settings and Sunday school class or small group.

One other thing. When you worship at your church on Sunday morning, don't "recycle" your bulletin in the Recycle Bin at the entrance of your church. Use it to start conversations with folks about what you did on Sunday. If you wrote notes on the margins of the bulletin use those to say, "And here's what my pastor said about this."

PRAYER: Thank You, dear God, for the call on my life. Help me to call and share with others in the way You shared with me. Strengthen my words and my wisdom to make disciples for You. I pray this in Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Living the in Shadow of the Supernatural

Image from angusday.org

Is Jesus All That is Said About Him?

From John 1:29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, "After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.' 31 I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel." 32 And John testified, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, "He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' 34 And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God." Anchor35 The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, 36and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, "Look, here is the Lamb of God!" 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher), "where are you staying?" 39 He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first found his brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated Anointed ). 42 He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas" (which is translated Peter ).

I went to seminary during the time the main things the professors were trying to teach were German ideas of taking the supernatural out of the Gospel. They wanted to show the historical Jesus more than the Jesus of faith. Ultimately, I decided that it was as Jesus had asked of Peter and the other disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" I had been taught the supernatural aspects of Jesus and through my childhood and adolescent periods of my life I had experienced and came to believe the supernatural power of Jesus. Jesus was not just a good man with good things to say; Jesus was and is, in my opinion and life, the Messiah, the Savior of my life.

Take the teachings of this story. John the Baptist points at Jesus and tells those who would hear, "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" That's pretty supernatural, that a human being is compared to THE sacrificial Lamb of God, whose death would take away the sins of the world. John knew the role he would play in Jesus' life and never tries to show any glory or honor towards himself; he ranks Jesus "ahead of me because he was before me." He is coming to realize and claim Jesus for Who Jesus is, in his life and in the life of the world. John's testimony was all about what God had, was, and would b doing through Jesus Christ, and it is all supernatural. It defies explanation, and many label Jesus' ministry as a mystery, because a lot of what Jesus did cannot be explained scientifically. It goes beyond what we would label "natural," thus the supernatural.

John elevated Jesus so much that he lost two of his disciples to Jesus. They left the ranks of John's disciples to become Jesus' disciples. They went to make their home with Him and to live out their lives following Him. As they heard Jesus preach they were convinced to the point that one of them went and told his brother and said, "Hey, man, you'd better come and see this that I'm seeing and hear what I'm hearing!" That was Andrew and he went and called his brother, Simon Peter to come. Andrew declares, "We've found the Messiah or Anointed of God." As he is introduced to Jesus, Jesus changes Simon's name to Cephas, which is Peter or "Rock."

Who is the Jesus in whom you trust? Is it from the pages of your Sunday school material or the words of your pastor's sermons? Or, have you experienced the Jesus that is living and real and offers blessings to our lives that go beyond explanation? Our denomination believes that the disciples of Jesus will be involved in the transformation of the world, so we have to ask, has Jesus transformed your life? Has Jesus removed the sin from you life? Has Jesus allowed you to go beyond existence to a life lived in abundance? Has Jesus given you boldness and faith that goes beyond human explanation? Has Jesus given you a hope that is out of this world? If so, you've been transformed! If not, you're living in the shadow of the supernatural and you must move over to the fullness of the light that is supernatural and life-giving.

PRAYER: Loving God, move me closer to the supernatural and away from the weight of the natural. Set me free to soar in faith to win others to You. Let my life be a testimony of one who have come out of the shadows of the supernatural into the fullness of faith that defies explanation. This I ask in the name of He who offers it to me, Jesus my Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

This is My Servant

Image from thoughtsbetweensunday.wordpress.com

A Light to the Nations

From Isaiah 42: 1 Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. 2 He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; 3 a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. 4 He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his teaching. 5 Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it: 6 I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, 7 to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. 8 I am the Lord, that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to idols. 9 See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them.

I used to make a terrible servant. For one night I had one of the worst jobs in my life. It was in June, right after a spring semester, I returned to Houston and I needed a job. I searched the places I knew, nada. I looked in the classified and I found something at the Houston Country Club. I thought, "At least I'll get to see the inside of a country club that I'll never be invited to," and applied. I got the job right away. "Wear black pants and a white shirt. I showed up and joined other university and law school students, all needing money. Our job: serve the guests. I was handed a huge tray loaded with some sort of liquor. "Just walk around the crowd and offer them a drink," were my instructions. Off we went, servants all, joining the ranks of those for whom we should pray, "Those that nobody else wants or sees." We were all invisible. No one made eye contact with me or as far as I could tell, the other servants. I was holding a tray of stuff I'd just as soon dump out the back door among people who I thought at the time should join that back door exit. Not the right mind or heart set for this type of job and I thanked the boss for the opportunity, got my money for the night and told him you won't see me tomorrow. The next job was almost as bad. It was an early form of telemarketing for a developer outside of Houston. The instructions that I remember very clearly and that caused me to walk out said, "If they sound Black, hang up."

Thank God Isaiah was preparing us for Jesus, in Whom we find strength and love to be God's chosen servant in whose service God delights, called to serve among undeserving people to receive justice. The kind of servant that would "not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench." He will be all about justice. This servant will not tire until he has brought justice and the earth know about what he is teaching. The creator God declaring through this servant the worth and value of all people; a people called to be free, to be led out of darkness, to see all that God offers, to be set loose from prisons and dungeons; a new message of new things that are coming by the power of God.

This is our message and it is one that has to be heard. Yesterday I read in depth about a new movement started in England by two comedians who wanted something like a church with good music and a time to be together in community with poetry and reflective readings to be read, with no desire to bring God into its presence. It sounded like a comfortable prison in which to be locked. A new well-lit place of darkness. A study hall with silence as the only teacher, silent to the message of righteousness. And I thought we have a hymn that says, "We've a Story to Tell to the Nations," why aren't we living it as well as singing it?

God has a lot to say and offers a lot to us. It is poetic, but it's poetry with power. God offers a community, but one who knows freedom and responsibility, called to care and love one another. This is justice.

PRAYER: Loving God, fill my heart with song and let it be a song that tells of Your power and love, that witnesses to what You offer to all people. Let me be a servant of Yours to all, especially those that nobody else wants or sees. This I pray in Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

Jesus is Lord of All!

Image from ubdavid.org

God Shows No Partiality

From Acts 10: 34 Then Peter began to speak to them: "I truly understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all. 37That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; 40 but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."

Not all people have heard yet, nor have all people come to accept that Jesus is Lord of all. Jesus died for the sins of the world. John 3:16 states that God loved the world. No exceptions. It does not read "For God so loved this one part and corner of the world that He sent His only begotten Son." And it took Peter an encounter with a righteous man, a non-Jew, called Gentiles by the Jews, to drive home this point. The chapter of Acts 10 tells the story of a vision that Peter had to have from God to allow him to understand that God is the God of all people and no one group can call another group as less than worthy of God.

This passage begins after Peter met Cornelius, a centurion, meaning a powerful commander of Roman soldiers, 100 to be exact who loved and worshiped God in his home. He loved God so much that he encouraged all in his home to come to faith and lived a generous, giving life. He prayed to God all the time and it was during a prayer time that God told him to send for Peter. God giving a command to a man who knows command and follows and respects command was simple. God said, "Do this," and Cornelius said, "Yes, Sir!" It was Peter who needed the work on commands, especially new commands. Peter knew the commandments and the teachings of his faith which included a provision for him not to eat with those who were considered unclean because of their non-Jewish birth (Gentiles). Long story short: Peter has a vision and understands that God has the last word on what is clean and unclean, and goes to see Cornelius. They have supper and Peter is asked to preach to these believers.

Here is where our passage starts. Peter says, "I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears Him and know what is right is acceptable to Him. You know the message He sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ - He is Lord of all." I just got back from some time with our board of ordained ministry and I sat in with the Theology group, that reviewed written work by candidates for ordained ministry. One of the questions asks, "What does it mean to say that Jesus is Lord?" Another more difficult one is "What does it mean that Jesus is Lord in a multi pluralistic society?" Boy, would that question make us all sweat. But here is one biblical reference to that answer; God sent Jesus to preach peace and in that message and the delivery of that message, we have come to know that Jesus is Lord of all. No exceptions. I have shared the story before because it is worth repeating of a newspaper article that told of the retirement of two men who worked side by side as civilians in one of the San Antonio air bases. For over thirty years they worked side by side and it was not until the day of their retirement that they discovered they were both Christians, and they were both United Methodists. One was Hispanic and the other was Anglo. It took 30 years to finally discover what should have been a basic truth about who they were. In a way that has been our fault. We have chosen to attend churches for the most part, that are just like us. We were the ones who made sociologists declare during the 50s and 60s that eleven o'clock Sunday morning was the most segregated hour in America. And it was. It no longer is nor should it ever have been. The message of what God did and is doing through Jesus Christ, is one that should be freely and openly shared among all who believe with those who have not yet come to belief.

A reflection by retired bishop, William H. Willimon, states that of all the things expected of United Methodist pastors for their ordination mentions neither "witness" nor "testimony," as being essential for their work as pastors. This passage does. Look at verse 42: "He commanded us to preach to all people and to testify that He is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. V. 43 All the prophets testify about Him that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name." When was the last time we stopped to tell someone, "Come and see" as Jesus is asked what He's up to in our lives and in our churches.

Jesus is Lord of all. It is a message we must share with the world as the personal conviction that we hold as essential and sacred for us and because of the love we have we share it. People from other faiths if asked, will not hesitate to share what they believe. It is the Christians that will hem and haw and not know what to say. We can begin by believing and by sharing and giving witness to, Jesus is Lord.

PRAYER: God of all people, help me in my faith walk to be a person who knows and give witness to the faith that has allowed me to say, "Jesus is Lord." Help my life to reflect that Jesus is Lord of all.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde

The Baptism of the Lord

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What Does It Mean?

From Matthew 3: 13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" 15 But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased."

The River Jordan has been the sight of many a religious moment, encounters with God, and sacred decisions made with the Lord God; but none as sacred as the one Matthew shares as the gospel reading for this coming Sunday. Jesus came to the river where his cousin John was baptizing people. John was calling for people to come forward and be washed of their sin. And the people whom he was calling was a people known for their boastfulness of being clean for such was their birth, yet these very people were struck at the heart when they heard the cry from John that one word, repent. They knew that word was meant for them and they knew they were not right with God, themselves or their neighbors and so they lined up and into the waters of the Jordan they went. John would dunk them under the water as a symbol of dying and being reborn, for he knew that spiritually that was what was happening. Dying to self, being born to God as a new creature. So, when Jesus comes and joins the crowd the one most surprised by this decision is John. We don't know if he whispered loudly so not to distract others, or if he said it loudly, but it was said and Matthew recorded it, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" In other words, "Cuz, wait. This isn't for you!" But Matthew records what Jesus responded to John, "Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness."

Another version says, "This is God business." Jesus making a complete identification with all who had come with sin. We know and proclaim that Jesus was without sin, yet he came to relate to us to the point that he presented himself among all who needed the washing and blessing of God. So, under the baptismal waters went Jesus and as he came up, the heavens were opened to him and he was able to see the Spirit of God come down from Heaven like a dove that alighted on him. Then the voice that said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased." The late Henri Nouwen wrote books where he developed more that word and the sense of that word applying it to you and me that when we are right with God and desire to be made right with one another, we become the Beloved. The object of God's love. As Matthew writes it, Jesus and those around him hear God's declaration of who Jesus is and has always been, and will always be, the Beloved. His willingness to receive the mission to come to the earth and live among us and die for us made him the Beloved of God and upon whose favor rested the blessing of God.

There would be another declaration of this magnitude in the gospel story, that of when Jesus was transfigured. Again, God would declare this is my Son, the Beloved, and would also add, "Listen to him." This is God's declaration for the whole of humanity; Jesus, Son of God, born for all the world. Whether the world knows it or not, it is Jesus who has come for us. Jesus loves us and identifies with us. And our call is to believe that and to become the Beloved for those who do not yet know. We should be people of love who risk comfort and security to go and be the people of God for the people of God. It is all about relationship and identification with God. Why? Because God identifies and knows us.

PRAYER: Thank You, Lord Jesus for being and allowing me to become the Beloved. May it be so in my thoughts, words and actions today. The world needs love and no greater love has the world ever known than that of You. This I pray in Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

We Three Kings

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The Story of Jesus in One Song

From Matthew 2: 1 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." 3 When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: 6 "And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.' " 7 Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8 Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." 9 When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

Our having sung this hymn yesterday in worship blessed me. It made me realize that in this sacred hymn, used as a carol of Christmas is found more than the story of three men visiting a baby. Upon reading about it, the words to this hymn came to the writer just before the Civil War and it was during the actual war that it was published and performed in a seminary for a Christmas pageant. The words to this hymn are as follows:

We three kings of Orient are; bearing gifts we traverse afar, field and fountain, moor and mountain, following yonder star.

Refrain: O, star of wonder, star of light, star with royal beauty bright, westward leading, still proceeding, guide us to thy perfect light.

Born a King on Bethlehem's plain, gold I bring to crown Him again, King forever, ceasing never, over us all to reign. (Refrain)

Frankincense to offer have I; incense owns a Deity nigh; prayer and praising, voices raising, worshiping God on high. (Refrain)

Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume breathes a life of gathering gloom; sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying, sealed in the stone-cold tomb. (Refrain)

Glorious now behold Him arise; King and God and sacrifice: Alleluia, Alleluia, sounds through the earth and skies. (Refrain) (Text and Music by John H. Hopkins, Jr., 1820-1891)

The hymn writer drew from scripture, legend, apocryphal sources and the like to share the story he read into this account of this special visit to the child Jesus.

The visitors are called kings from the East, who have traveled over much distance and all kinds of terrain to reach the child. They have brought gifts and they have been guided by the star, whose appearance in the east they saw as a fulfillment of prophecy and importance. The writings telling of this birth named the region and it was on "Bethlehem's plain" that they found the child with His mother and father. The first king sings of his gift, the gift of gold, the only gift worthy of a king, but this gift is to "crown Him again," referencing the belief that Jesus left His Kingdom of Heaven to be born among us, and this visitor wishes to crown Him again. Yet, notice the declaration; "King forever, ceasing never, over us all to reign." No one gets left out of that reign!

The second visitor brings the gift fit for a High Priest, the gift of incense to stir worship, notice what is important in worship: "Prayer and praising, voices raising, worshiping God on high." While most of us do not worship in settings where incense is used, those who do believe it is a call and presence of worship where used.

The third king's gift is a bit sorrowful, the gift of myrrh, a "bitter perfume," that "breathes a life of gathering gloom; sorrowing, sighing, bleeding dying, sealed in the stone-cold tomb." Not the message one usually likes or wants to hear at Christmas, but it is very much a part of the reality of this special birth. Jesus was born to share His life with us, and dying was very much a part of that life and purpose.

Yet, the hymn concludes with the Resurrection; "Glorious now behold Him arise; King and God and sacrifice: Alleluia, alleluia, sounds through the earth and skies." Indeed.

For many, today is when "Christmas" ends. Some folks are just now getting their gifts, for they believe the "kings" bring them, not some giant elf in the fireplace. Others use this day as THE day to take down the tree and put away the ornaments. Yet, the day is a declaration of God's great light revealed to all people, a light of love and compassion, forgiveness and grace, all found in the birth of a human child, born fully God and fully man.

¡Feliz Dia de Los Reyes Magos!

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde