Second Sunday of Lent: Being Counter-intuitive (Mark 8:31-38_

By Rhonda Compise

Mother Teresa Statue. Photo used by permission CreativeCommons.org

Sometimes I feel like my life is going against the flow. Things that should be simple somehow feel complicated and difficult. And, the harder I try to get something straight, the worse it usually gets! I wonder if that is how the disciples felt when Jesus was teaching them.

I read the passage of Mark 8:31-38. Then I looked at the previous verses to see what had happened before. I saw in verse 29 that Peter had a moment of clarity when he told Jesus that he believed Jesus was the Christ, or Messiah. Already by verse 32, Peter had changed course and pulled Jesus aside and rebuked him for the comments that he made. Then in verse 33 Jesus called Peter “Satan,” and told him to get out of his sight!

I can relate to Peter, because everything was simple in verse 29: Jesus was going to make everything wonderful. But the more Jesus said, the more confusing and complicated it was getting. He was asking the disciples to believe something which was completely counter-intuitive. Every Jew believed that the Messiah would set up an earthly kingdom which would never end. But Jesus was telling them that he was about to be killed by the very religious leaders who were expected to serve the Messiah in his kingdom.

Just when it seemed things could not get more complicated, Jesus made another statement in verse 35 which was even more confusing:

“Whoever wants to save his life will lose it,

but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.”

2000 years later, I think we are all still having trouble understanding this concept. It is still counter-intuitive! For me, the observation of the time of Lent helps with understanding what Jesus was trying to communicate. During Lent we give up something in order to get something: the enrichment of our spiritual life. This self-discipline requires faith, it challenges our faith, and our faith grows in response to the challenge.

As I pondered this counter-intuitive concept in Mark, I thought of Mother Teresa. She is a great example of an average person who gave up her life for the gospel. She took an oath of poverty and lived in the ghettos of Calcutta to bring the love of Jesus to people who had nothing. This woman, who had nothing during life, and nothing at the time of her death, did have the respect of the world and also a Nobel Peace Prize! I read that she refused the acclaim of the awards dinner and requested that the $192,000.00 that would have been spent on the dinner be given to ministry with the poor. In every way that she gave up her life, it produced results for the gospel.

During this season of Lent, let’s pray to find new ways to give up temporary material things to receive eternal spiritual results. Let’s live counter-intuitively!

Rhonda Compise is the president of American Baptist Women’s Ministries of Indiana/Kentucky Region.

First Sunday of Lent: Being Overwhelmed (Mark 1:9-15)

By Yana Pagan

John baptizes Jesus. See postscript for more information about this image.

This Lent, let’s take what is perhaps a distinctive look at this passage, one that we may be very familiar with. I’ll be honest and admit that when it comes to Lent I get a bit overwhelmed. I try to think of my favorite beginnings instead of thinking of my childhood, in which somehow we were somber all the time: no laughing or playing, and just weird stuff. Consequently, as an adult I have adopted new traditions, like the practice of self-care, that go with Lent. For example, I now have an intentional practice of contemplative prayer and exercise.  I’ve tried to incorporate lots of play and laughing into my spiritual life. If I think too much I get overwhelmed.

Since Jesus was also human, he too may have felt overwhelmed by everything. I mean, can you imagine? He comes up from the waters and sees the heavens open, and we are told that a voice came from heaven (think Hollywood). In fact, it’s not just a voice but, to top it off, the Spirit descended like a dove on him.

This had to be a proud parent moment! But, as funny stories are often told about Greek, Spanish, Italian families, this also could have been a big family embarrassing moment! Notice that I’m only mentioning the “how do I hide” moments, the “oh dad,” moments. Well, when you trying to be holy sometimes family can mess it up! Here, Jesus is a young man and he is trying to do his own thing; he just found himself proclaiming his own experience to his cousin so there could be a family dynamic here. Then the Father God couldn’t be more embarrassing! Amid the family dynamic, a young man being baptized by his cousin, there is a calling! Jesus’ Dad makes a big announcement: Jesus is sent forth! Jesus must have been aware of his cousin witnessing all of this. This is a true test of that human family relationship!

It’s tempting to think of this solely as Jesus’ story. While it is clearly the story of the affirmation of Jesus’ humanity and divinity, it is also our story. It is here, with Jesus, that we to are sent into the wilderness. It is here, with Jesus, that we are tempted. It is in the wilderness that we find God’s words come to us when we least expect it. Jesus was at his weakest in his humanity; let’s not forget that! When he is sent forth into the wilderness, we are not told in scripture his state of mind as a human being. We do know that he then experiences the human feeling of hunger, the temptation of riches, the temptation of all the promises that Satan comes to offer each of us in our lowliest points of life. Yet Jesus is able to prevail, to come out to the other side.

This is part of the reason why I choose to focus on self-care. In a way, self-care is a discipline of drawing nearer to God. For me, Lent is a season not of sadness like I once thought, but instead it is a time in which I must fill my jar with all the oil that I will need for the rest of my journey.

What is it that you need in your wilderness so that in this season of Lent you can focus on God and your journey together?

Rev. Yana J.C. Pagan is national coordinator of Young Adult Women’s Ministries for American Baptist Women’s Ministries.

Postscript: JESUS MAFA is a response to the New Testament readings from the Lectionary by a Christian community in Cameroon, Africa. Each of the readings were selected and adapted to dramatic interpretation by the community members. Photographs of their interpretations were made, and these were then transcribed to paintings. 

 http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=48290 [retrieved February 8, 2018]. Original source: http://www.librairie-emmanuel.fr (contact page: https://www.librairie-emmanuel.fr/contact). Used by permission, CreativeCommons.org. 

 

Love Heals: Human Trafficking Awareness Day

By Barbara Anderson

Human Trafficking Awareness Day is January 11.

For over ten years I have been involved in awareness, advocacy, and assisting survivors of human trafficking and exploitation through an organization named All Hands In. I have waded through red tape, sadness, frustration, stories, and statistics in hopes of finding solutions.  Finding solutions often evades me. However, what I did find is friendship–something I didn’t anticipate. This friend (I’ll call her BFF) has more courage than I could ever imagine, a faith in God that can move mountains, and a heart that has so much love to give. BFF makes me laugh, helps me see things from a different perspective, and shows me what it is like to walk in another woman’s shoes. We are writing this blog post together to show the power of God’s love through friendship. My BFF lifts me up in prayer, always senses when I am down, and sends me a text just when I need to hear words of encouragement. She has taught me many things and, in the process, has challenged me as well. My friend is a daughter, a mother, a sister, and a grandmother. My friend is a survivor.

BFF writes: In the darkness of being a survivor of human trafficking/sexual exploitation, your voice is seldom heard. Through All Hands In, I was seen and I was heard. I came seeking support and healing. What I found was a God-based friendship. I found a woman of substance, a woman who carried wisdom like a cloak gently wrapped about her. I was engulfed by this perfectly lovely woman and loved unconditionally. No judgement, totally accepting, and incredibly fun. I have been given hope that my life can be used to bring healing to others. I thank God for the gift of this ministry and this life-giving friendship with my friend Barbara. I am blessed beyond measure, holding in my heart hope for the future.

We share our thoughts with you recognizing that January 11^th is Human Trafficking Awareness Day. We wanted to put a face on women who have been trafficked and exploited–people like you and me. You might pass them in the grocery store, sit next to them on the subway, or even greet them at church. Some of these women may no longer be on the streets, but they still have the scars and the baggage of their ordeal. Trafficking and exploitation of women is a horrible, dark, and violent crime. It happens every day in our own neighborhoods and communities.

We encourage you to learn more about what is happening in your communities and how you might make a difference in the life of an exploited woman or girl. Use your voice, lend a listening ear, and share God’s love through friendship. You might be surprised how God will use you and, perhaps, like me and BFF, you will be blessed by the gift of friendship. Love Heals.

Blessings,

Barbara Anderson & BFF

Barbara Anderson is founder and president of All Hands In, a nonprofit organization in Boston, Massachusetts, dedicated to raising awareness about local human trafficking through presentations and events, educating about the importance of purchasing fair trade items. BFF is not pictured for reasons of safety and privacy.

 

Fourth Sunday of Advent: Romans 16:25-27

By Driana Arceneaux

 

God gets the glory in all things. There are times when we are faced with uncertainties in life, when everything we do for good seems to go bad, but God has a way of turning around all things that seem to go wrong and make them right.

 

In this scripture of Romans, we see the letter written by Paul proclaiming some good news. The good news is that which was a mystery (Jesus) is no longer a mystery. Jesus and the salvation he brings is what strengthens us and makes it possible for all of us to be strong, be encouraged, and be able to endure and not give up. God made a covenant with Abraham in the Old Testament, promising him that, “All the families of the earth will be blessed in you,” (Genesis 12:3). Abraham had faith in God and knew that God would do it. He didn’t know how and wasn’t around to actually see it happen, but God keeps God’s promises. This promise wasn’t just for the Jews, but it was for everyone. God’s plan for all of us to be blessed involved Jesus’s death, resurrection, and ascension to Heaven. God revealed the plan God had hidden for so long: that Jesus not only conquered death for himself, but also for all who have faith in him.

 

I am so glad that God saw fit for everyone to be blessed and experience God’s wonderful love and salvation through God’s son, Jesus. I don’t believe that God did this so that we could be selfish with it. I believe that when we experience the love of God, we are to share it with others that don’t know God’s love or who don’t feel loved. God shows us love so that we may show love to others. God gives to us, so that we can give to others. God heals us, so we can help others heal. God is not selfish with God’s love. In fact, God’s so unselfish that God provided a way for everyone to experience God’s wonderful love!

Driana Arceneaux is convenor of the national leadership team of AB GIRLS, American Baptist Women’s Ministries.

Third Sunday of Advent: Psalm 126

By Rachel Price

We have all experienced a lack of happiness, whether it be heartbreak, anger, guilt, or sadness. In Psalm 126, we are reminded that God will show us joy, even when it seems impossible to smile. God has blessed us with many things, so there’s always a reason to smile! There will always be an uphill battle, there will always be something to mourn. God will take us out of negative circumstances and give us a reason to shout for joy. We are called to change our hearts for the better: in that, we will find happiness. I struggle with looking for silver linings. I am most definitely a pessimist. This scripture brought back good memories of toiling for a good cause and being joyful with the results that God blessed me with. Also, do not forget that you are not in this alone! Note that the scripture uses “our” and “we.” your sisters (and brothers) in Christ are here for you. You do not have to bear anything alone. Lay your burdens down at the feet of God; let your heart be lightened. You are not alone! Sometimes, I think we forget that we cannot control everything. I know I do, and it drags me down when I get stuck in that thinking. Let God take control of your life, and God will bring happiness into it as God did for Zion. Bad things happen, and it is okay to be down, but keep your chin up because God has happiness in store for you!

Rachel Price is Events Coordinator on the 2017-2018 national leadership team of AB GIRLS, American Baptist Women’s Ministries. For more information on the national leadership team, visit www.abwministries.org/nlt.

 

Second Sunday of Advent: Mark 1:1-8

By Grady Nun Tha Iang

Have you ever felt so helpless that you just want to scream and shout at the top of your lungs for someone to help you? You’re not alone. Recently, my relationship with my boyfriend is slowly breaking up my relationship with my family and I don’t know how to mend it. They are both important to me and choosing one over the other is impossible. It’s at times like these that we need Jesus the most: the only Son of God and our only salvation, promised to us since the beginning of time.

It’s hard to admit that we’re all fragile people, capable of hurting and being hurt. It’s also hard to admit that we are wrong. Whenever someone corrects us, we take offense and put up barriers around ourselves, trying to convince ourselves that we are not wrong. The same applies to me. Whenever my parents point out my weakness, I pretend it doesn’t exist even though I know that Jesus can see it all, no matter how much I try to hide it. But we can find in Mark 1:1-8 that if we admit our weaknesses and repent our sins, that Jesus will baptize us by the Holy Spirit. As painful as it is to experience it, failure is part of what makes us successful. The best way to achieve true success is to learn more and be strengthened by our mistakes.

We light a  purple candle on the second Sunday of Advent to represent the hope of Christ coming to the world. This reminds us that, that even in the face of darkness, we can have hope. Even in the face of total defeat, have hope. Even in the face of emotional teen crises, have hope. Without hope, we’ll become empty shells of negativity. That’s not the plan that God nor Jesus have for us. If God can forgive Saul and turn him into his prophet as Paul, then have no fear. Even if we see nothing good about ourselves and think that we’re too full of mistakes, think twice. God made us for a reason. We’re all women with God’s purpose: to do God’s work. So for the second Sunday of Advent, let’s look back on our mistakes and repent. Remember: Failure is the start to success. Hope is the start to a brighter future. Repentance is your connection to Jesus.

Grady Nun Tha Iang serves as the Promotions Coordinator on the national leadership team of AB GIRLS.

First Sunday of Advent: 1 Corinthians 1:3-9

By Anna Kouadio

Last month was a very special month, the month of Thanksgiving. That is when we give thanks to all the people who affect our life: family, friends, and the most important, our Lord. This when women and girls throughout the world come together and realize how far along we have come, not only in the eyes of others but in the eyes of the Lord. But our thanks-giving shouldn’t end with the end of November.

During Advent, we prepare ourselves for the birth of our Lord. There is no possible way to ever thank God enough for all God has done, but 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 says the thanks that shows God a little bit of our love, and how grateful we are for God’s presence in our life. It reminds us to be thankful for the savior who is about to be revealed in the birth of Jesus. Paul says, “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

These word are powerful because they tell the truth of the world. With God in our lives, we women and girls of the world wouldn’t have achieved as much as we have done. God is our light, God is the reason we are here. Without God, the women before us wouldn’t had been able make a way for the women and girls of today. Our best thanks are to be sure God knows the strength of our faith and love. The most important thing is always to be thankful for all God has done for us, especially for all the women who came before to create American Baptist Women’s Ministries and AB GIRLS. Those women created a place for women and girls to call home. I say this because I feel at home in this organization. Home isn’t just a building; it’s not just a place. It can be people or things that makes you feel special, let you know that you’re special, and where you always feel welcome. And, with thanks to God, many women and girls in future generations will have that home.

Anna Kouadio is Coordinator of Mission on the national leadership team of AB GIRLS, American Baptist Women’s Ministries.

Boxed Away, or Out of the Box?

By Deborah Malavé Diaz

The 2017-2019 ministry focus of American Baptist Women’s Ministries is “Feel/Siente.” Information about the theme, based on Luke 8:43-49, Acts 17:27-28 (NLT), and 1 Samuel 2:1-11 (The Voice), may be found at www.abwministries.org/theme. This post is part of a series of “Herstories” from American Baptist women around this theme.

Photo courtesy Creativity103, used by permission, www.creativecommons.org.

These days the more connected we are the more separated we seem. As we are able to gain knowledge almost instantly about anyone or anything through the internet, cable, and social media we manage somehow to lose the realness of experiencing life with all in it. If we are not aware of how much of our everyday falls into a virtual lifestyle, we might jeopardize the blessing of feeling life the way God intended.

Many of us email, text, post, and “chat” every day for work, church, family and friends. We do this with the comfort of the privacy that our PCs, laptops, tablets and smart phones provide. Our life can get compartmentalized since there is so much to do in so little time. This may cause what I call the “boxed away” effect. We might tend to live in-and-out-of “boxes” of duties, relationships, family, and church, with no interconnection among them. We may also overlook our feelings regarding each component of our life. Once I had a coworker that I only knew via email or corporate chat, as we worked in different floors. Every day we exchanged data for reports but never had to see or talk to each other. As time went by, we got friendlier, to the point of knowing each other’s plans for the weekend, hobbies, and so forth. After about six months of this kind of relationship, by chance we saw each other for the first time in the elevator. Our conversation was a short “Hello, how’s it going,” answered by an even shorter “all good.” After that, it was only silence all the way until the elevator stopped at the lobby. This moment was an eye-opener for me. We were boxed away in our virtual world in a little chat box—more  separated than connected, lacking the realness of an actual relationship.

The “elevator encounter” caused me to think a lot about my feelings about other people and, more importantly, how I was relating to God. Did I put God in box? Was my relationship with God like the one I had with my coworker? Was I chatting away with, and about, God like we were virtually so close, when in reality our one-on-one relationship was more like an “elevator encounter prayer?”

I realized that if we are not aware of how much of our everyday falls into a virtual lifestyle, we might jeopardize the blessing of feeling life the way God intended. It’s easy to live boxed away, mixing effectiveness, productivity, and interactions but ending up with very short, meaningless experiences. God’s call to us is to live out of the box, daring to feel for real and not virtually. Put yourself and your life out the box because God is out of the box.  Romans 12 says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Deborah Malavé Diaz is the national Coordinator of Events for American Baptist Women’s Ministries.

Feeling God’s Everlasting Love

By Angel Sullivan

The 2017-2019 ministry focus of American Baptist Women’s Ministries is “Feel/Siente.” Information about the theme, based on Luke 8:43-49, Acts 17:27-28 (NLT), and 1 Samuel 2:1-11 (The Voice), may be found at www.abwministries.org/theme. This post is part of a series of “Herstories” from American Baptist women around this theme.

 

As I ride around my neighborhood looking at boarded-up houses, empty parking lots, and a store filled with despairing faces, I feel a sense of loss, having no idea what tomorrow will bring.

As I turn on the nightly news, I watch a city, a community, destroyed, not knowing if friends and loved ones are alive or dead.  I feel a sense of helplessness, a feeling that I want to do something but I don’t know what.

As I look at my phone and read the news feed, I see again and again that violence from the barrel of a gun has taken the lives of innocent men, women, and children. I feel numb. I cry out to God, “Why?”

It is in that moment that I feel a gentle touch in my spirit, as if a loving parent is cradling me in his or her arms, surrounding me in safety and love. I feel as if God is saying, “Trust me. In my time I will make everything alright.” In that moment I feel a light breeze blow past my ears and I hear the soft words of hope whispering, “Be of good faith and courage, I have overcome the world.” I feel a sense of courage.  I feel a sense of call rising up in me, challenging me into a new level of existence, inviting me to be the hope for today and the change for tomorrow.

My head and heart are both inundated with feelings of excitement and discouragement, fear and courage, sadness and joy, in a world that is imperfect, but made perfect in God. As I wrestle with my feelings, I am reminded that those feelings can be fickle, wrapped around worldly events and desires. I am also reminded, however, that the one thing that is constant and everlasting is God’s feeling of love and wanting the best for each of us.

Rev. Angel L. Sullivan is national president of American Baptist Women’s Ministries.

Gifted with All The Feels

By Jami Robertson

The 2017-2019 ministry focus of American Baptist Women’s Ministries is “Feel/Siente.” Information about the theme, based on Luke 8:43-49, Acts 17:27-28 (NLT), and 1 Samuel 2:1-11 (The Voice), may be found at www.abwministries.org/theme. This post is part of a series of “Herstories” from American Baptist women around this theme.

Oh my friends, I am the queen of the feels. I am constantly processing, sensing, feeling everything. When I walk into a room, I can feel other people’s happiness or confusion, or sadness, or any of the hundreds of emotions God gave us all the ability to experience. Sometimes it is hard to tell my own feelings from another person’s. I’m sure I am not the only person on the planet that does this, so if you are like me, I feel your pain! It’s exhausting. However, I believe it is a God-given gift and I’m finally getting the chance to see that gifting being put to work. And Lord, I am so thankful for it!

Do you know how you feel like there is something in you that can be put into practice, but you don’t know what, how, or where to even start? I was there. It felt like I was at that point for an eternity in my Christian walk: just permanently stuck, wondering how I fit into God’s grand design in this tiny parcel of time. Then one day, well, I needed a job. Okay, for a lot of days I needed a job. We had moved to Indiana and I seriously started to think there was something wrong with me because nobody wanted to hire me. I’m old-school and dress up for interviews, brush my hair, teeth, and so forth. I almost always speak in logical sentences. I even checked my pits: nope. I didn’t forget deodorant!

Somewhere along the line, Scotty (my husband) had found out the local school district had a few job openings in the special education department. As my negative-prone self said, “There is no way! I cannot do that. I went to school for merchandising. I don’t see the correlation.” And honestly, there isn’t one. But surprises are always in store for us, sisters!

I remember going to that interview thinking, “I have no idea at all what I’m doing here. Seriously. Why am I here?!” Do I have experience? Nope. Do I have a desire? Hmmm, nope. I had a desire to support my kids, but that was about it. So, I took the job I was offered, even though I was scared, and even though I didn’t think I really wanted to. However, I have this other blessing God gave me—tenacity. If I say I’m going to do something, then it will get done. Even if I feel like calling it quits, I stick with it if others are depending on me.

Back to my overwhelming sensing of emotions. After working in special education for two-and-a-half school years, I felt like I had a good handle on things. I even liked my job. Then I was moved from the school I was in to the high school. That’s when I really discover that I love my job. That pesky “I sense everything” comes in really handy with non-verbal autistic kids, or any autistic kid, really.

This past school year my life was forever changed by one of my students. I never really noticed my gifting until a student “told” me about it. That’s a pretty powerful message, especially if you receive it from a non-verbal autistic student. It’s amazing that there are times in which you can just look at each other and get the message. Almost every day I come home from work and think, “God, your creations are good. I get it. I feel it. We are all different, but we all feel. We all sense. We all love. We all get to experience this life and world in different ways. And we all have gifting.”

Some people’s gifting might not be obvious to society’s standards, but it is there. I dare you to look for it, to experience it, to feel it in the most unexpected ways and in unpredictable places.

“Dear Friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” 1 John 4: 11-12, NIV.

“…With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposes in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.” Ephesians 1:8c-10. NIV.

Jami Robertson is a member of the national young adult women’s ministries advisory team of American Baptist Women’s Ministries.