A Taste of God’s Heartbeat!
Contents of Section 2: THE MOST IMPORTANT NUMBER IN GOD’S VOCABULARY IS ONE
For several years I lived literally in the sky in a high rise apartment building. I now live in a home with a yard with many mature trees. Those trees are full of birds. I often watch them throughout the day with delight. The sparrows are so beautiful! They seem to be everywhere.
Jesus said "For only a penny you can buy two sparrows, yet not one sparrow falls to the ground without your Father’s consent. As for you, even the hairs of your head have all been counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth much more than many sparrows!" (Matthew 10: 29-31, Today’s English Version Bible)
God notices even the little birds. One little bird is of value to a tender, loving heavenly Parent.
God notices even the hairs on our bodies. This tender, loving Presence is so safe to be with that even mother birds find nesting places near the altars of the Holy One (Psalm 84: 3).
Certainly there are people who debate how many gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people exist. Some argue there are one in every ten people. Others insist there can only be one in a hundred. Only God knows how many! But one is the most important number in God’s vocabulary. Whether the answer is one in ten, a hundred, a million or even one in a billion, one is important. If only one person existed, that would be enough for Jesus Christ to gladly give his life on the cross. One sparrow, one hair on our head, one closeted person somewhere in the world is seen, loved and known by name with this Loving One. All people are precious to God.
2.2 Known in our mother’s womb
A rich, spiritual resource is found in the Jewish Psalms. Many of the Psalms were written by a person named David. David was known as a man "with God’s heart."
Even so, David was a colorful character. He treated women badly and used them for political gain. His sexual indiscretions could have caused him the death penalty according to ancient Jewish law. But he used his power and position to protect himself by deliberately causing the death of one of his most loyal soldiers. The Bible doesn’t tell us if David loved this woman he committed adultery with. Before getting involved with her, the Bible does tell us he had a special same-sex friend named Jonathan. David and Jonathan deeply loved each other. David said he loved him more deeply than any women. We will never know if David was bisexual and if Jonathan was gay. They may have even been two heterosexual men! It really doesn’t matter.
What matters is that David knew how to repent and confess personal indiscretions and sins to the Almighty. He knew God’s heartbeat. He deeply loved God and lived his life with passion. David wrote many reflections and prayers recorded in the Psalms. Psalm 139 is a rich spiritual reading experience loved by all orientations over the centuries of time.
In this Psalm David writes God knows when we sit and stand. God knows our thoughts and words before we know them! God is with us wherever we are. We can never be separated from the Presence. God even knows us in our mothers wombs and has recorded the days of our lives before we existed.
This marvelous Creator God knows our sexual orientation before conception and birth. God knows our hopes and fears. God knows our secrets. We can never hide from God. God made us, loves us and knows us by name before birth. Amazing but true. There are no insignificant people to this Holy One. One is important in God’s vocabulary.
A beloved physician named Luke carefully recorded the Jesus events and early days of the Christian church. They are in the two Bible books named "Luke" and "Acts." Reading these two books in succession is a wonderful spiritual experience. The Gospel of Luke is written from a doctors point of view in the ancient middle east. Jesus is shown as frequently touching, healing and being with sick and outcast people. The book of Acts is an adventure story of how God pulled terrified disciples out of their closets and began Christian global evangelism and mission.
Every word in Luke chapter 15 breathes God’s love and compassion. These three back to back word pictures (parables) hold the heart of the Gospel. God is in the search and rescue business. God is deeply involved and concerned for all people to reclaim their spiritual birthright and come home to God. Lost people matter to God. God’s heartbeat for people is one of compassion. God is a missionary.
These three parables are lost and found stories! There is exuberant joy in heaven by the angels when each seeker is found. The chapter begins when all kinds of "sinners" are coming near to listen to Jesus. Religious leaders of the day are complaining. Jesus was known as "the friend of sinners." The word for sin so often used in the gospels simply means to miss the mark. Jesus came for people who made mistakes, had regrets in their lives, who missed the mark as well as for those who were sinned against.
The first parable is of a shepherd who notices one sheep is missing. Concerned for its safety the shepherd searches until it is found. Carrying it on his shoulders, the shepherd calls the neighborhood to rejoice! For the lost one has been found! There is even more joy in heaven when one sinner repents, than over ninety-nine who don’t need to admit anything!
Next we read of a searching and frantic woman who finally finds her lost coin. When she finds it she calls to friends and neighbors and says celebrate with me! I have found what is lost! We are told there is similar joy in the presence of the angels over one sinner who repents.
The third story in Luke 15 is the famous prodigal child. We know the story. A child grows up and breaks his/her parents heart through lifestyle choices. Going off on his own he comes to desperate circumstances. Rather than die, he returns home. The parent sees the approaching prodigal and rushes to meet the prodigal child! The joyful parent throws a spontaneous and joyful party. Only the best for the returned child will do! There is more to the story. Often we think the parable is only about the returning child. But it is also about a loving, tender heavenly Parent who cherishes all children.
Jesus used parables as teaching tools. He told story after story for people to understand how wonderful God is. In these stories we find ourselves! God delights when we are found. The Caring One searches diligently for the one and heaven rejoices when even one comes into relationship with God. Jesus is the Good Shepherd searching for the lost. We are of utmost value to God. Jesus would have gladly come for one seeker. God is the Searcher. We are the seekers. The Good News is for all people. The Good News is that God has come in person to heal the wounds of planet earth through Jesus of Nazareth.
We can reclaim our spiritual heritage and birthright with precious names for God! The prodigal child parable is so typical of Jesus’ teachings about God. Our common call with the prodigal is entering the love story of God’s heartbeat. We are blessed with intimate, tender, precious names for God which bring us into transforming relationships with our dear heavenly Parent. Jesus was politically incorrect even in his childhood prayers. He called God "Daddy (Abba)" and "Father." Christ is recorded in using such a tender name more than 200 times in the Gospels. God is loving Parent whether we call God "Father/Mother, Daddy/Mummy, Abba/Amma."
In many parts of the world, parents have been abusive towards children. Some among us may find any parental name for God deeply painful. Consider reclaiming other tender names for God in prayer and conversation such as "Dearest," "Tender One," "Loving One" and so on. Your prayer lives will be transformed and you’ll never be quite the same as when hugged tenderly by the Loving One. Ask God for your own sacred name. God will honor your requests. This "dearest Daddy" as Christ called God in his hour of need in Gethsemene (Mark 14:36) yearns to hold us in loving arms. God is the caring parent found in Luke 15 when the missing child came home. Jesus well understood his dearly beloved heavenly parent would never abandon him in his hour of deepest need and betrayal.
2.5 Each prayer closet matters to God
"But when you pray, go to your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what you do in private will reward you. When you pray, do not use a lot of meaningless words…..Your Father/Mother God already knows what you need before you ask" (Matthew 6: 6-8).
If only one GLBTH person was in this world, our caring heavenly Creator would hear the cries from our heart. God hears our prayers, sees where we are and cares deeply for us. God delights in our prayers and yearns for conversations with us. God is so caring that God knows our needs before we ask or know them ourselves! God knows if we are "closeted" or "out." God knows when we sit or stand. God has searched us (Psalm 139) and has known us before conception and birth in our mothers womb!
This Caring One is concerned for us and draws us to prayer. Sometimes we have feelings too deep for words. But know this: God cares for you. God will bless us in the prayer closets of life. God invites us to pour out our deepest and most private soul longings. God knows what we need and delights in answering our prayers in love. God cares for each of us.
Only God is perfect. Only Christ is without "sin." We are told in the Bible that Christ died for the sins of the world. Even some well intentioned Christian churches "sin." Many GLBT people have been deeply sinned against by some of those churches. Homosexuality is no more a "sin" than heterosexuality. Sin is guaranteed to give us "spiritual indigestion!" It offers no soul nourishment or food that will satisfy.
Jesus was the only sinless one and came for the sins of all sexual orientations. The cross is our common denominator. We are equally needy before Christ for spiritual cleansing and restoration. Jesus is kind. All we need is a contrite heart.
The bottom line is everyone has a sin problem. Romans 3:23 reads "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Sin is a serious problem and the Bible has many words to describe it in both the Hebrew and Greek ancient languages. Many are words we don’t often use anymore. They are awkward or unfamiliar for many. A few examples are "trespasses, transgressions, iniquities and debts." Each has a special meaning and emphasis from their original language. The most common Greek word used by Christ was descriptive. It meant "missing the mark."
A real sin problem exists. We may avoid or deny sin as part of our humanity. But it is a reality in our lives. Sin coexists alongside the creation and confuses life. The reality is all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Something is wrong with everyone. Sin. The Reverend Eugene Peterson writes this in Answering God, "Sin is not what is wrong with our minds, it is the catastrophic disorder in which we find ourselves at odds with God. This is the human condition."
Sin is more than a religious concern. Every social crime, adultery, oppression , injustices, theft, cruelty, inhumanity, neglect of the poor, with land, nations and neighbors is sin (Exodus 20: 12-17; Job 31; Isaiah 1: 12-20; Amos 1:3-2:16). Sin is socio-religious and corporate. .
But sin also has individual origin and responsibility. The first book in the Bible traces sin to deliberate misuse of God -given freedoms. The ancient Jewish prophets insisted on individual responsibility for cleansing, renewal, reformation. They also called their nation to change its ways that were displeasing to the Holy One.
Sin is complicated. It is a failure to be what God wants us to be and what God wants us to do. A wonderful reflection of sin is found in the book Addiction and Grace by Dr. Gerry May. Dr. May is a practicing psychiatrist and contemplative prayer leader who writes this about sin. Sin is whatever blocks us from the love of God, love of neighbor and love of self.
The Psalms give us vocabulary which teaches us our separation from God: rebel, wanderer, lawless, evildoer, guilty, liar, fool, wicked and more. Sin blurs our connection with God. Websters dictionary defines sin as the breaking of religious law or moral principles. It is seen in religious and societal perspectives. God gives sin its fullest meaning. God is righteous, holy and utterly good. Sin is the opposite of God’s goodness, love and intention.
The sin solution in an oversimplified statement is offering our broken, contrite hearts to God for cleansing. Our common need is coming to God for love and mercy. The Bible offer many gracious assurances of forgiveness (Psalm 103:8-14; Isaiah 1:18; 55:6,7). The Psalms offer a number of specific prayers for repentance, cleansing and starting over again with a merciful God (Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130 & 143). Restoration is part of soul care!
Confession is good for our souls! God promises to remember our sins no more. Psalm 51 may be a helpful place to start. God promises to scrub our sins away and clean our souls. God will restore our joy. Confession is simply admitting our wrong doings in word, thought and deed to God and asking for help.
2.7 Jesus is a friend of sinners
Jesus Christ is our sin solution. Jesus is a friend of sinners. He teaches us a gracious offer of divine forgiveness and renewal. Christ shows many instances of compassion and social recognition to less than perfect people. Jesus was in the business of calling people to repentance, restoring hope and dignity (Matthew 9; 1-13; 11:19; Luke 15; 19: 1-10).
Jesus Christ traces sin to the human heart and will (Matthew 6:22-23; 7: 17-19; 18:7; Mark 7: 20-23; Luke 13:34). The huge difference between Jesus and the ancient Jewish Law is that the Law assesses outward acts. Jesus calls us on inner attitudes of anger, contempt, lust, hard hearts and deceitfulness. Christ challenges us on the sins of neglect, good left undone, the unused talents, the priest ignoring the injured and love never shown. Jesus condemns sins against love - unbrotherliness, hostility, selfishness, insensitivity, self-righteousness and spiritual blindness. Sins against the truth include hypocrisy, ostentatious piety, sin against the love of God that will not trust God’s goodness, revere God’s name or love God wholly.
Sin alienates and separates us from God and leads to death. We are helpless to reform ourselves in our desperate universal condition. The sin solution is Jesus Christ. He died to conquer sin and defeat death forever. It is our belief in Christ with the help of the Holy Spirit that transforms us into new life.
We are invited to be friends with Jesus Christ. We often think of Jesus being God’s gift to us. The truth is that we are God’s gifts to Jesus. Be in love with him. Jesus is wonderful to be with! The Gospels are full of story after story of people falling in love with him. Christ invites each of us into the tender Upper Rooms of his heart.
Every seeker is welcomed. Christ invites us to linger in prolonged spiritual conversations as our spiritual heritage and birthright. Take a chance with God and be dear friends. Christ offers us tender love, comfort, constant Presence, the gift of the Holy Spirit and so much more! Christ yearns to bless us with peace and joy. Christ wants us to be the very best of friends.
A wonderful Upper Room experience is to read for ourselves can be found in the gospel of John chapters 13-16. Notice how the beloved disciple John leans into Jesus’ wonderful presence. Christ is not ashamed to receive same-sex affection from his beloved friend. We can also lean into Christ and abide with him. He will never refuse us.
Perhaps some have been told terrible lies about Christ hating homosexuals. One young man tells this story. For years he grew up in a fundamental Protestant church. His minister would preach "a parable of how much Jesus hated homosexuals." During his teen and young adult years he believed this dreadful lie. Years later he discovered his minister fabricated this horrible lie from the pulpit. Jesus never hated GLBT people. He never refused anyone. This homophobic minister made up the parable and inserted personal prejudice and feelings into his preaching. That young man now sings as a joyous Christian in a church composed of many gay and lesbian people. He invites his friends to church. He has learned the greatest truth in the world. Jesus is his friend. Jesus loves him. As a gay man, he is also made in the image of God and blessed in the name of Jesus Christ. He knows he is a Christian.
A dear friend gave me a saying titled "Footprints on our hearts." The saying goes like this: "Some people come into our lives and quickly go, some stay for awhile and leave footprints on our hearts and we are never the same."
Dear readers, Christ comes and stays forever. Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ (Romans 8). Jesus Christ delights to make his home in our hearts and linger with us forever. Our sexual orientation is accepted without comment by Christ. He is non-homophobic. Christ cherishes same-sex friends and enjoyed their touch and companionship. Read the love story written in John’s Gospel through the eyes and heartbeat of this beloved disciple. Christ stays forever in our hearts.
2.8 Rewriting the Footprints Poem
On my refrigerator is a copy of the famous and anonymously written "Footprints poem." This beloved poem has helped many people throughout the world. My copy reads:
"One night a man had a dream.
He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the LORD.
Across the sky flashed scenes from his life.
Each scene, he notices two sets of footprints in the sand; one belonging to him , and the other to the LORD.
When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints.
He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life.
This really bothered him and he questioned the Lord about it.
"LORD, you said that once I decided to follow you, you’d walk with me all the way.
But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints.
I don’t understand why when I needed you most you would leave me.
The LORD replied, "My precious, precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you." Author unknown
Many people find it empowering to rewrite prayers and poems in our own language and life experiences. This helps us spiritually. Any reader here can rewrite one’s own version of the footprint poem.
One rewritten version for GLBTH people:
One night a closeted person had a dream. This person dreamed of walking on the beach with God. Scenes from his/her life flashed by as they struggled with who they were and the world they lived in. Two sets of footprints were in the sand with each memory. One was his/hers. The other was God’s.
As the last life scene flashed before them, the seeker looked back at the footprints in the sand. It became obvious that many times during the path of life only one set of footprints could be seen. The solitary set of footprints occurred at the most confusing times in life, filled with fear and doubts. Sometimes the lone set of footprints occurred after family members and local churches threw them away. These were lonely times and God seemed silent.
This was most bothersome. So the seeker took a chance with God and asked this question. "LORD, you said that once I decided to follow you, you’d walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most difficult and least understood times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. Why would you leave me when I needed you the most?
And the Tender One replied, "My precious, cherished child, I love you and made you beautiful. I love you. Even when your mother and father forsake you, and the Church does not understand or accept you, I will never leave or forsake you. Be brave and trust my grace is sufficient for you. During your times of questioning and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you, next to my heartbeat of love."
2.9 Confession as Soul Care: Sin
Christ came not only for individual sin but for the sins of the world (John 3). The root of confession means light. When we confess, we bring light to the matter. Confession can be both of admitting sin and in declaring great statements of faith. This section will be concerned with the soul care of confessing sin. Why so much about sin? Sin is often denied, glossed over and covered. It truly gives us spiritual indigestion, nausea and soul upsets! We need to be forgiven so we can go forward with our lives!
Confession is a spiritual discipline for everyone. There are two kinds of confession in the Bible. One is when individuals and communities confess they have sinned and are guilty before God. Often this involves confessing a specific sin (Leviticus 5:5; 1 John 1:9). Psalm 119: 126 agrees that one has broken God’s law and its penalty is justly deserved for God’s standard of holiness has not been met.
In the Old Testament, also known as the Hebrew Scriptures, the priests and prophets would confess sins of the whole nation. The nation was expected to confess when it rebelled against the Law of God. Perhaps conservation, homophobic priests and ministers of Christian churches should confess the sins of homophobia, Gay-bashing and hate crimes done in the name of their religion in all our nations!
The second type of confession is frequently found in the Psalms combined with thanksgiving. God is God. God rules the world. God has helped God’s people (Psalms 118: 2-4; 105: 1-6). Public confession, agreement in worship or song (such as Psalm 100:4) close with blessing the LORD.
One very good prayer recipe for soul care reads:
"Most merciful God, I confess that I have sinned against you in thought, word and deed, by what I have done, and by what I have left undone. I have not loved you with my whole heart; I have not loved my neighbors as myself. I am truly sorry and humbly repent."
God delights when we confess our sins. Sin separates us from loving relationship with the Holy One. Though our sins may be scarlet, God can make us purer and cleaner than newly fallen snow.
Old things have passed away. In Christ we are a new creation.
Another wonderful prayer has been prayed by many people around the world in all of life’s circumstances is known as the beloved Jesus Prayer. It has often been called "the Prayer of the Heart." This prayer has been cherished by people over centuries, cultures and in many different languages. The prayer is very simple and rooted in Scripture.
One who had "missed the mark" prayed "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!" (Luke 18:13) Another biblical writer said "Pray without stopping" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). A sermon was preached in the early church that "there is no other name under heaven …. By which we must be saved" (Acts 4:10, 12).
We can prepare ourselves for praying this marvelous prayer. It may be an unexpected spiritual blessing for some readers. The basic idea of the prayer is to pray constantly with a special attention to God. The prayer is prayed throughout the day as we go about our daily lives and chores. The prayer is a formula that is prayed again and again and again. With time and practice, many find a natural rhythm of prayer with their breathing and heartbeat.
This reverent repetition has four basic elements as described in the Orthodox Church:
The Jesus Prayer is: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner."
We have much joy to reclaim through saying the name of Jesus Christ. Another experience in Christian joy for all of us can be found in reading the New Testament book named "Philippians." It was written by a man named Paul. In these four short chapters, Paul utters the name of Jesus Christ more than 50 times in 200 verses. Philippians is a letter of joy in the midst of sufferings. Lord Jesus Christ. Christ Jesus my Lord. Christ. Christ my Lord. Simply saying the names of Jesus Christ can bring great joy and confidence to us in all of life’s circumstances.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God. Try saying it again and again and again. Humble people of faith and seekers throughout the centuries have fallen in love with Jesus Christ through this prayer. If any seek to change some of the words to be more inclusive, try "Master Jesus Christ, Child of God!" It’s a wonderful prayer which can help us in spiritual cleansing and personal transformation. It’s our spiritual heritage to reclaim as Christians. No one can ever take Jesus Christ away from us.
If the Jesus Prayer touches your spirit, a wonderful book to read is The Way of a Pilgrim, translated by Helen Bacovic (Doubleday Image Books). The Pilgrim is an anonymous nineteenth-century wayfarer as he wanders over mother Russia in search of the answer to the one compelling question: How does one pray constantly? He shares his pilgrimage and deep joy when his search turns up an unexpected treasure: the "Jesus Prayer." The Pilgrim is "Everyman." Another helpful book is Thirsty for God. A Brief History of Christian Spirituality by Bradley P. Holt (Augsburg Press: Minneapolis, 1993).
Jesus says many things about himself that are only recorded in the beloved disciple’s Gospel. In John we read that Christ is the light of the world. He is soul food and drink. In Christ, we have life. He is the resurrection! Death is conquered and has no victory over us. Christ is the door to God. He is Truth.
Jesus describes himself as the good shepherd. This conversation can be found in John chapter 10. This chapter has often been considered a New Testament parallel to Psalm 23. Here are several characteristics of the good shepherd from Jesus’ perspective. Christ is also called the Great Shepherd (Hebrews 13:20) and the Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4).
The good shepherd welcomes the sheep (John 10: 3) and knows each by name (Jn 10: 3, 14, 15, 27, 28). The true shepherd leads them (10: 3,4) and provides life and abundance (10:10, 27, 28). The good shepherd lays down his personal life for the life of the sheep (10:11, 14) and there is only one flock (10:4, 16). The good shepherd is loved "by the Father" (10:17).
A transforming experience in spiritual formation can be found in lingering with the first eighteen verses in this chapter. Worthy of our reflection is that Jesus is our good shepherd. Christ knows each of us by name and desires to lead us into abundant life and joy. The tender shepherd gives his life for us as GLBT sheep. We are part of the one flock. Christ is loved by his dear heavenly Parent and so are we.
"They were all amazed and they kept on asking one another, "What is this? A new teaching-with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him" (Mark 1:27)
Jesus Christ is astonishing Good News. A casual reading of the New Testament books named Matthew, Mark, Luke and John reveal people were astonished and baffled at this remarkable one. The Gospel account of Mark is a very good starting place if one is unfamiliar with Bible reading. It is the shortest of the Gospel accounts and full of action. Jesus is a man on the move. This Gospel is written with a special perspective for those unfamiliar with ancient Jewish religious laws and offers certain explanations not found in other Gospels. A golden thread of discipleship weaves through the Jesus story.
A sampler of people’s astonishment can be traced throughout the account (Mk 1:27; 2:12; 5:20, 42; 6:2; 7:37; 11:18; 12:17). An enjoyable reading experience can be savored in lingering with these astonishing verses! We are in these stories. We find ourselves with the crowds and various individuals who ask, "who is this?" Enjoy the amazement shared throughout the ages! Linger with these sampler verses and find yourself being transformed.
May God bless each reader with a peace of mind and heart that is astonishing good news.
The author of this material is "Surprised by Joy" (surprisedbyjoy@yahoo.com). "Surprised by Joy" is an ordained UFMCC Christian minister who discovered that God is wonder-full to be with. It is our hope and prayer at soulfoodministry.org that all visitors will experience the tenderloving- kindness of God and receive spiritual food for their journey.
