Finish Strong
Holy Week is upon us. I can’t believe how fast this Lenten season has come and gone. Maybe not giving up sweets this year helped. The weeks didn’t drag on as visions of neglected M&M’s danced in my head. We aren’t traveling anywhere for Easter this year, so I won’t have to deal with my angst over how to spend Good Friday when on the road, away from home. You know what I’m talking about? The times when you focus and commit to filling the weeks of Lent with prayer, self-denial, radical giving, and purposeful turning away from sin only to have that time culminate on Good Friday in an environment far from the somber and focused weeks leading up to it. Whether it's visiting family out of town or a family get away somewhere warm, it poses a challenge. The challenge to remain steadfast in our faith. To finish strong. One year we were invited to spend Easter weekend with close friends out of town. At noon on Good Friday I felt such a pull to somehow acknowledge that this wasn’t just another day. The beauty of the sunshine and the blue ocean was lost on me. I didn’t want to make a big deal about it but I knew I had to do something, so I told everyone I needed to just be alone for a bit and went for a walk to have time away to grieve and recall what Jesus did for me, for all, that day. I think about that day every year as we enter this holiest of weeks. I wonder each year if I would have the courage to do things differently if faced with that same situation now. If I would be bolder in my witness, actually let others know how much I love Jesus, and need to acknowledge the depth of His love for me. I think I would. I know I could and you could too, with the help of the Holy Spirit. Wherever Good Friday finds you, call on the Holy Spirit to enliven in you a boldness and a steadfastness in faith. Be a witness to those around you of what a life opened up to the love and mercy of God, through the sacrifice of Jesus, looks like. Take the cross to the conversation. Joan Truth Be Told Video – Session 3, Week 3 Truth Be Told Session 3, Week 3 Steadfast in the Spirit Acts 4:1-22 Peter and John before...
An Abnormal Answer
My friend Mary asked me a very normal question the other day and got a very abnormal answer. She said, “So, what do you have to do today?” Before I could think, I blurted out, “I have to let God love me today.” Mary is an easy going, non-judgmental friend who just smiles and nods when I say things like that. She’s grown accustomed to it. Either that, or her hearing is getting really bad. Earlier that day, during my morning prayer, I felt very convicted that I needed to just let God love me. So, I set out that day to do just that. Which is why it was the knee-jerk reaction to Mary’s question. We have been studying Henri Nouwen’s book, The Return of the Prodigal Son, this Lent. Nouwen invites us to discover the younger son in us, the elder son in us, and the call to each of us to become the Father. The hallmarks of the Father are compassion, forgiveness, and undemanding love. To become the Father for others we first have to experience the Father in our own lives. We need to let the Father find us, know us, and love us. One of the first ways God loved me that day was through the deep sense of belonging I experienced during the Truth Be Told Bible Study Zoom that morning. We had a great discussion of the early church communities described in the Acts of the Apostles. Communities of caring; not competition, humility, radical generosity, communal prayer, and a deep sense of belonging to each other and to the growing family of God. I sense that same community whenever I think of Firstfruits and that is often. God loved me by reminding me of the blessing of all of you. The rest of the day I felt a calm and an unfamiliar lightness in my mind and my heart. I have to say, letting God love you feels really good. It might become a habit. What do you have to do today? Joan Truth Be Told Video - Session 3, Week 2 Truth Be Told Session 3, Week 2 Life in the Spirit Acts 2:14-36 Peter’s Speech Acts 2:37-47 Growth of the Church Acts 3:1-11 The Mission Continues ...
A Power Filled Lent
I have been mentioning the Holy Spirit a lot in my blogs this Lent. I am a big fan of the Holy Spirit. Often, I hear people say they can relate to God, the Father, and Jesus but not so much to the Holy Spirit. The notion of the Holy Spirit as wind, fire, a ghost, or a dove just doesn’t help. To me, the Holy Spirit is the power of the love between God, the Father, and Jesus, the Son. That love comes to dwell in us and brings with it gifts. That is a promise from God. These gifts are readily and consistently available to us. The seven Sanctifying gifts (Wisdom, Counsel, Knowledge, Understanding, Fortitude, Piety, and Awe of the Lord) enable us to grow in our own holiness, become more Christ-like. The Fruits of the Spirit (Joy, Peace, Love, Gentleness, Kindness, Goodness, Self-Control, Patience, and Faithfulness) help build the Kingdom here on Earth and the gift of our Charisms (i.e. Encouragement, Teaching, Leadership, Service, or Evangelism) allow us to carry out the universal mission to bring Christ to the world in our own unique way that brings great joy to our lives, God’s goodness to the world and great glory to His name. Baptism is the gateway of the Holy Spirit and Confirmation is the venue through which we receive another promised outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Dwelling in us and available to us is the same power that was present throughout Jesus’ ministry and witnessed to in all his miraculous healings. The same power that was present at the Resurrection, the Ascension, and Pentecost is dwelling in each of us. God promises to gift us with that power. That promise is the Holy Spirit. And God’s promises are immutable. That is what gives me the confidence to invite the Holy Spirit into my Lent, into my life. We just have to claim it, ask for it, stir it up. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you make this Lenten time of reflection a power filled one. Ask for the power to pray more deeply, give more generously, fast more genuinely, look more honestly inward, and pivot back home to the Father who is waiting. Stir up the Holy Spirit this Lent. Tap into the power. Joan Truth Be Told Video - Session 3, Week 1 Truth Be Told Session 3, Week 1 Promise of the Spirit Luke 24:44-49 Stay in Jerusalem Acts1:1-11 Introduction and Ascension Acts 2:1-21 Pentecost...
There’s No Place Like Home
I received a bag of M&M’s this week from Kathy, a faithful blog reader! As you know if you read last week’s blog, I can eat chocolate guilt-free this Lent. It isn’t on my list of things to fast from. At least that is what the Holy Spirit has told me. This Lent I am open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. I am fasting from my own idea of how this Lent should unfold and feasting on the creativity and the clarity that the Holy Spirit offers. Last week I was convicted of my habit of entertaining negative thoughts and was encouraged to fast from that and instead cultivate gratitude and turn my thoughts outward in prayer for others. I’m finding this has become a habit and very easy to do. It feels so good. This week I heard a gentle, yet distinct call to come back home. It was a call from the Father. To fast from my self-sufficiency and feast on God’s desire to take care of me. We are studying Henri Nouwen’s book, The Return of the Prodigal Son, in our Spiritual Scholars book group at Firstfruits. We all could relate to the younger son who “left home for a distant country.” Why is it that we have such a hard time just believing and resting in the amazing promise of God’s provision? Of God’s unconditional love? Why isn’t that enough? Our age-old fears of rejection, abandonment, being disliked, disregarded, or ignored cause us to take matters into our own hands. Or maybe we become discontent and lose hope or lose faith that God knows what is best for us and follow our own will rather than the will of the Father. We set out from the home God longs to provide for us with Him and look in all the wrong places for the fulfillment and the love we so deeply desire. As Nouwen says, “I leave home every time I lose faith in the voice that calls me the Beloved and follow the voices that offer a great variety of ways to win the love I so much desire.” Have you left home spiritually? Sometimes we think we are home. We do all the right things, we follow all the rules, it appears we have given much to God. But really there is a big piece missing because we haven’t given Him our heart. Do we know the tender embrace of the...
“Let Go” Lent-Part 2
So how is your Lent going? If you read my blog last week you know that I have handed Lent over to the Holy Spirit and am allowing myself to be led to what it is I am to fast from and feast on. What new prayer practices, inspirational books or forwarded emails I am to focus on if at all. Often, I try to cram so much into my spiritual life that nothing sticks. I don’t want to repeat that habit this Lent. So far, it has become apparent that I am not supposed to get bogged down in three “Make This Lent Your Best” type apps that I downloaded on my phone. (You just can’t tell which one might have the magic formula so you might as well download all of them.) Two of the apps don’t let me get past the screen where they insist I didn’t enter the right password. Too much frustration, so they are out. So, I’m down to one and that feels just right. It’s also been made clear that chocolate is fair game this Lent. I tried to fast from the left-over Valentine red, pink, and white M&Ms. I was about to throw them away but ended up eating them instead. The Holy Spirit didn’t stop me. :) What I have felt a very strong pull to fasting from is negativity. I am being called to feast instead on gratitude. So, every morning before my feet hit the floor I thank God for three things. Sometimes they are big things and sometimes not. Yesterday, it was Covid vaccines, my husband, and my warm slippers. When negative thoughts show up and I am tempted to encourage them, the Holy Spirit has shown me how to turn my thoughts outward to prayer and that has had an amazing effect on me. Every time I am tempted to think negatively about a person or situation, I stop and pray. I have chosen three people I know of who are battling cancer right now and I pray for them in those moments. It’s amazing how it defuses the negativity and redirects your mind. And who knows, maybe heals some cancer. These are the creative ways the Holy Spirit has guided my Lent so far. How about you? Joan...
A “Let Go” Lent
I can get overwhelmed in Lent trying to figure out what to do and not do to make it as meaningful as possible. We had Well Time on Zoom Wednesday morning at Firstfruits and we were sharing what books we were reading for Lent and what we were fasting from or trying to do more of. My head was spinning because I hadn’t yet figured out just what I wanted to do for this Lent. I often find myself in that place where the things that are supposed to bring me closer to God and usher in a new-found peace and serenity, like new prayer practices or an inspirational book, end up doing just the opposite. They become a new chore or task hanging over my head that I can’t seem to find the time to attend to and then I feel guilty or discouraged. This usually happens because I try to do too many things. I’m always planning my way to God and my plans aren’t always God’s plan. My plans are hurried and laced with a sense of urgency. I don’t know what I think is going to happen, but I try to cram so much into my spiritual life that often times nothing takes hold. So, this Lent I have decided to fast from planning my way and I’m going to feast on being present in each moment to the movement of the Holy Spirit that will guide me to the prayers, the books, and the practices that will stick. I will trust that God will show me the way. This week in Truth Be Told we finished up our study of the Gospel of Luke and caught glimpses of what is to come in the study of the Book of Acts, when the Holy Spirit enters the scene. In our study of the Gospel of Luke, we walked with Jesus and learned first-hand what it means to be a disciple. Jesus modeled for us The Way. The real way to God. We saw that even the apostles, who witnessed the example of Jesus first-hand didn’t quite “get it”. Not until their eyes and hearts were opened by the power of the Holy Spirit. They needed to fast from their way and feast on the Holy Spirit. We all have that same indwelling Holy Spirit to guide us. We just have to stir it up. We have to believe it and ask for it. This...
Respond in Love
In the Gospel of Luke chapter 6, verse 12, it says, “In those days he departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent all night in prayer to God.” Often times in Scripture, we hear of Jesus going off to pray to the Father during the pivotal moments in his ministry. You sense that when he did that, something big was going to happen. When He returned, we see in the stories this week in Truth Be Told, that something big did happen. He chose His twelve apostles and then He gave a sermon that ushered in a radical, reversed, upside-down world. The kingdom of God. In this kingdom, blessed are the poor, hungry, the weeping, the hated, excluded, and insulted. Cursed are the rich, the full, those laughing, and those highly regarded. Upside-down! Then He goes on to top it all off with a command to love your enemy. This radical revelation of the kingdom demands a response and that is just what Jesus desires. He doesn’t want us to just hear, He wants us to hear and respond. We are being called to a faith that responds. And what is the response Jesus is after? Love. Love that includes our enemies, love that keeps us from judging others, love that puts others ahead of ourselves, love that extends to our neighbors-whoever they may be. Directives from Jesus after spending a night in prayer with the Father. We can’t take this lightly. How will you respond? Joan Truth Be Told Video - Session 2, Week 5 Truth Be Told Session 2, Week 5 Faith Moves Me to Action Luke 6:17-49 Sermon on the Plain Luke 8:4-21 The Sower and the Seed Luke 10:25-37 Good Samaritan...
Safe and Sound
God wants nothing more than to be in a love relationship with us. How appropriate to talk about love relationships as we turn the calendar page to February. But God doesn’t want just any relationship, He wants us to be in right relationship with Him. The perfection of God, His holiness and sanctity, require that any relationship with Him be nothing less than right. What exactly is this right relationship we are invited to? It is a relationship characterized by our total and complete love of God and others and our own holiness and sanctification. Tall order? Yes. We can’t accomplish this righteousness on our own. No amount of good choices, rule following, piety, or intellect can do it. It is only accomplished through faith in Jesus Christ. As it says in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “The grace of the Holy Spirit has the power to justify us, that is, to cleanse us from our sins and to communicate to us 'the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ' and through Baptism." (CCC1987) God doesn’t want us just following the laws. He wants our hearts too. He wants all of us, mind, body, and soul in this love relationship with Him. He longs so deeply for us when we are lost and rejoices when we come home. This week in Truth Be Told we looked at the familiar story of the Prodigal Son. I have read that story so many times, but one line really struck me this time. In verse 27, it says “The servant said to him, your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.” God rejoices when we are back in His arms safe and sound. Why would we want to be anywhere else? Joan **Lent is a time to return home from our wanderings that have taken us away from God. I hope you will consider joining us for a four-week Lenten book study of The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen. For details and to register visit Firstfruits.info/Events. Long have I waited for your coming home to me and living deeply our new life. Truth Be Told Video - Session 2, Week 4 Truth Be Told Session 2, Week 4 Right Relationship Luke 15:11-32. The Prodigal Son Luke 18:9-14 The Pharisee and the Tax Collector Luke 18:18-30 The Wealthy Ruler...
Follow Me Moment
I have always considered myself a self-aware person. For the most part I have benefitted from this trait, but I have come to realize that to be self-aware is very different than being able to take a good hard look at yourself. That is a whole different story. Facing the truth of our weaknesses and sinfulness is not easy. It’s something we don’t like to dwell on. But the path to the knowledge of how much God loves us and His almost incomprehensible mercy and forgiveness depends on our ability to see and admit our sinfulness. And to repent, to change. We can live in the muck of our sinful ways for a long time, denying they exist, downplaying their impact or rationalizing them away. We go our merry way putting more value on our selfishness than the value in turning ourselves away from sin and following the Light. We can let shame keep us from the relationship God is calling us to. That is what we saw in the story of Levi, the tax collector, this week in Truth Be Told. Living in the sin of greed and dishonesty for so long, Levi became numb to it. Jesus knew this but also knew his heart. Jesus approached him and said “Follow me” and he did. Something in Jesus made Levi ready to come clean and to enter this life-giving relationship. He saw something of true value in Jesus. He was ready to change. That change brought great blessing. The knowledge of God’s love and forgiveness transformed his life. Have you ever had a “Follow me” moment in your life? A time when it felt like something was pulling you, asking you to move out of your comfort zone and into a new place spiritually? Is it happening now? Does this pull include a good hard look at yourself? Is that what is holding you back? Nothing but love and forgiveness is waiting. Don‘t miss it. Joan Truth Be Told Video - Session 2, Week 3 Truth Be Told Session 2, Week 3 Obstacles to Relationship Bible References Luke 5:27-32 Eating with Tax Collectors Luke 7:36-50 Woman with the Alabaster Jar Luke 12:13-34 Greed and Division...
Facts on Faith
If you knew you didn’t have much more time on Earth and wanted to teach two or three life lessons to those you leave behind in order for them to be prepared for when you aren’t physically with them anymore, what would be the essential lessons? That is the situation we saw Jesus in as we studied the Gospel of Luke in Truth Be Told Bible study this week at Firstfruits. Jesus and his beloved apostles are traveling to Jerusalem. A trip that will end in His crucifixion. He knows he doesn’t have much time and there are still some really important lessons he wants to be sure the apostles learn to prepare them for life without Him. He teaches these lessons through example and increasingly more dramatic healing miracles. Like raising a young girl from the dead. Last week’s lesson was the importance of prayer to maintain and nurture the intimate relationship with God that is a gift to all disciples. This week’s lesson is on the power in the saving response of faith. In the miraculous healings Jesus performed, it was the deep faith of those involved that facilitated the healing. Faith that has God at its center when all other options are gone. Faith that is the response to the absence of hope in anything or anybody else. Often, we reject God because there are too many other things or people to trust in or put our faith in. Things like wealth, status, power, or intellect. We need to get to a place of vulnerability and humility where we can admit our need: complete need for God and God only. Many times, we have to be brought to a place of desperation before we admit that. Jesus wants that to change. I hope you will find the time to view the videos of my reflections on the Scripture readings from Truth Be Told for the next five weeks. In this week’s lesson we learn more about this faith Jesus wants not just the apostles to know about but us too. And the life-giving hope and disposition for gratitude that comes with it. Grateful for you, Joan Truth Be Told Video - Session 2, Week 2 Truth Be Told Session 2, Week 2 Faith and Gratitude Bible References Luke 8:40-56 Healing of Two Daughters Luke 17:11-19 Healing of the 10 Lepers...