Lying to God

Today's Reading: Acts 5-8

While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, were not the proceeds at your disposal? How is it that you contrived this deed in your heart? You did not lie to us but to God! Acts 5: 4 NRSV

Peter is speaking to Ananias, a member of the early church community. Many members were selling property in order to share the proceeds with the community as needed. Ananias and his wife Sapphira have done something that is not entirely clear from the scripture. They have sold their property and received the money. They have also kept some of the proceeds. That is not the lie. The lying is somehow related to what they have informed the community of faith. Perhaps they have announced that they are giving all the proceeds to the church, yet have kept back a part of them. Or maybe they said they received a lower amount than they actually received.

The point is that lying to the church is lying to the Holy Spirit; in other words, lying to God.

Lying to those in our Christian community is lying to God is what this scripture says.

I have been sitting here trying to think when I have ever lied to someone in the church. I confess I have done so. Thank goodness God has not struck me dead! But I am not comfortable with thinking about that. Perhaps I don't consider it one of my greater sins. However, this scripture convicts me that perhaps I need to find the person I lied to and confess. At the very least, I need to spend some time confessing to God what I have done and asking for forgiveness.

What about you?

God, forgive me for lying to YOU about: ______________________________. Although I lied to a member of my worshiping community, it was really you I was not being truthful with.  In the merciful name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Copyright 2010 Amelia G. Sims

Guilty of Sin

Yearly Reading: Leviticus 4-7

Thus the priest shall make atonement on your behalf for the sin that you have committed, and you shall be forgiven. Leviticus 4: 31b NRSV

What sins have you unintentionally committed in the last two or three days? Have you admitted these to God? Why or why not? Is there something preventing you from asking for forgiveness from God?

Let us spend sometime today asking for God's forgiveness with this prayer of confession:

God of mercy and forgiveness, I come to you with my whole heart. Where I have unknowingly sinned against you, reveal this to me so that I can ask for your pardon. Help me to give voice to places in my life where I know without a doubt I have sinned but have lacked the courage to admit this to you. Please place your conviction on my life so that I can see where I have let you down. Forgive me for all of these sins, not with the covering of blood on the altar but with the holy blood of Jesus. Wash me clean of all my iniquities; make me white as snow and right with you. Let the barriers of sin that separate us fall so that I can bask in your glory and mercy. I know you love me and that you forgive me for all those sins that I place before you. Thank you for your grace. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Copyright 2010 Amelia G. Sims

Christ will shine in you!

Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly; but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, "Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." Ephesians 5: 10-14 NRSV

In every church that I have been a part of, I have also been aware of the reality of secrets people keep deep down in their souls. Sometimes they tell me about them, other times they do not. Often their smiles, love, kind words and actions really do hide dirty laundry. Sometimes it is the only way for them to cope.

But Paul seems to suggest that we should bring these things to light.

I really struggle with this.

As a pastor on our Conference Ministerial Integrity Team, I hear stories of abuse by both members and pastors. This doesn't even begin to cover issues of addictions, spousal abuse, stealing, illegal business practices and criminal activities of those sitting there in the pews (and the pulpit!).

Paul is a bit vague here in these verses - we aren't supposed to mention these things but we are to expose them. I think what he is really saying is perhaps we should begin with ourselves. Try to find out first what God wants me to do. If that means exposing my own secrets and sins, then do it. This is because we have all died to our sins, our secrets, our shameful deeds and we arise resurrected in the new life of Christ. We should no longer take part in these things but do what is pleasing to God in Christ.

Christ will then truly shine in us.

God, thank you that we can die to all the secrets in our lives and rise to new life in Christ. Amen.

Question for the day: Are there any secrets in my own personal life that need to be exposed?

Copyright 2009 Amelia G. Sims