Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! These are harsh words, words that we would prefer to have directed at someone other than ourselves. But it seems to me Jesus' words to the Pharisees bring home those things within each one of us that need addressing. Things like enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, and envy. 

Seen in this context, conflict is an opportunity for getting our lives back on track with God and one another.  Conflict calls us to let the power of the gospel take hold of us that the Spirit might break in and nurture the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self- control within us. Woe, indeed, to the scribe and Pharisee that dwells within each one of us.

The contrast between the defensive responses of the scribes and Pharisees and God's chosen leaders is dramatic. I am reminded of the prophet Isaiah when he first encountered the awesome majesty of God: "Woe is me! ...For I am a man of unclean lips"(Isaiah 6:5). Similarly, Simon Peter, weary anddiscouraged after a night on the boat with no catch, when he first met Jesus said: "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man" (Luke 5:8). In their humility, neither man felt deserving of God's attention. They knew the condition of their souls and did not project their brokenness onto others. Both men took responsibility for what was going on inside himself, one of the first prerequisites for receiving God's call.

Of course, there are times our acts of faithfulness will result in conflict. In such times, we will encounter rejection and even persecution as Jesus did. As with Joshua God calls us "to be strong and courageous" in the face of opposition (Joshua 1:6). This can be easier said than done. But God's promise is to be always with us, especially in times of challenge.

Indeed, God uses conflict to shape and form us more deeply in his image. The Apostle Paul understood this when he called us to "rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, character, and hope. And hope does not disappoint us because God has poured his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit whom he has given us" (Romans 5:3-5).

Next time you find yourself in conflict, ask first what role you have played in creating it. If your role is born of God's call, then trust the outcome to God, allowing God to use it to develop more fully your character in Christ.

Food for the Journey

Romans 5:1-5, Suffering... endurance... hope

Ephesians 6:10-20, The Armor of God

Matthew 23:23-26, Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees

Journey Questions

1. Can you think of a time when you have behaved as a scribe or a Pharisee?
2. How do family-of-origin issues influence how you deal with conflict? How does Jesus model a better way?
3. How does God use conflict to more fully develop our character in Christ? Can you think of particular times when this was so in your own life?

Journey Practice: Truth Telling

In order to speak the truth, we must first be truthful. On a daily basis we must work to avoid habits that lead to exaggerating, rationalizing, and gossiping... all to make ourselves look better. In our daily examination of self, we need to confront the lies we tell ourselves. This includes both the tapes we play inside our heads that leave us feeling worthless, inadequate and unloved, as well those lies we tell ourselves to avoid confronting our sinfulness. Scripture is clear: the truth will set us free. But such freedom involves not only repentance and confession, but a daily dying to self that Christ might live in us.

With regard to "telling the truth in love" to others, Lewis Smedes offers some helpful wisdom. First, it must be pertinent to the situation. In his words: "A politician ought to speak the truth about public matters as he sees them; he does not need to tell us how he feels about his wife. A doctor ought to tell me the truth, as he understands it, about my health; he does not need to tell me his views on universal health insurance. A minister ought to preach the truth, as he sees it, about the gospel; he does not need to tell the congregation what he feels about the choir director. [Telling the truth] does not call us to be garrulous blabbermouths. Truthfulness is demanded from us about the things that we ought to speak about at all." The Apostle Paul is clear that we are to "speak the truth in love" that we might grow more Christ-like. Truth telling begins with holding oneself accountable, and only then inviting others into that accountability. It is not unloading everything on everyone nor, it is ever "tearing down" others. Rather, the practice of truth telling involves speaking the right truth to the right person at the right time in the right way for the right reason... beginning with ourselves.

Prayer for the Journey

O Lord, my God,

Form me more fully into your likeness.

Use the circumstances and interaction of this day to form your will in me.

From the frustrations of this day form peace.

From the joys of this day form strength.

From the struggles of this day form courage.

From the beauties of this day form love.

In the name of Jesus Christ

who is all peace and strength and courage and love. Amen.  Richard Foster

Incomplete applications or those postmarked or received at the Mission Center after August 15, 2013, will not be considered.   

These grants are made possible by table offerings at presbytery meetings and gatherings and direct contributions from our congregations and individuals throughout our presbytery, who have discerned a call to respond to the growing number of children and adults in our communities who are hungry because they do not have reliable access to affordable, nutritious food.

For more information, contact Paula at 330-339-5515 or by email, Paula@MVPJourney.org 

Letter from the Board of Pensions...

Once again, thank you for participating in a Regional Benefits Consultation (RBC) in April. Your input, along with the many responses to the Board of Pensions' call for feedback as it considered changes in the medical dues model for the Traditional Program, helped shape the strategy approved last month by the Board's Board of Directors.

Patricia M. Haines, the Board's Senior Vice President, Benefits, informed the Directors, "We listened, we learned, we prayed, and came out at a better place." The Board Bulletin, distributed shortly after the board meeting was adjourned on June 29, details the medical dues changes for 2014 as well as the 2015 dues model and other changes planned for 2015.

The input we received was considered by the Healthcare Committee when it met in May to determine a recommendation and then by the full board at its summer meeting, where final decisions were made.

Many RBC participants requested time to adapt to any changes in the medical dues model. As a result, the Committee voted to recommend to the full Board of Directors that the medical dues model not be changed until 2015. The full board agreed to maintain the current model through 2014.

The full board further approved the Committee's recommendation that a change to the medical dues model be implemented in 2015 by selecting the model that has been referred to as Option C. Medical Dues and Other Decisions, posted on healthcare.pensions.org, provides a snapshot of the change and other healthcare benefits decisions made by the Directors.

Ms. Haines said, "We recognize that many congregations are facing difficult economic circumstances. At the same time, the theme that ran through the feedback we received was how important it was to ensure Medical Plan protection for church servants. We wanted to preserve the essence of community while also giving employing organizations some level of flexibility."