From the UCC Network: Devotional for 12/26 "Learning from Criticism"

Learning from Criticism 

Excerpt from Jeremiah 26:1-9, 12-15

And when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying, ‘You shall die!” … Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and all the people, saying, ‘…As for me, here I am in your hands. Do with me as seems good and right to you. Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will be bringing innocent blood upon yourselves and upon this city and its inhabitants, for in truth the Lord sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.’

Reflection by Lillian Daniel

Nobody wants to be the bearer of bad news. Have you ever heard the expression, “Don’t kill the messenger?” It became an expression for a reason. People hate to be told off.

Here Jeremiah criticized the people and they turned on him, violently. With courage, he admitted that his life was in their hands. He called them to conscience, and his life was spared when some of the elders spoke up and told the community that Jeremiah was worth listening to.

Who is the hero of this story? Jeremiah, certainly, but I also nominate the elders, who were willing to hear criticism and own up to it. If it’s hard to be the bearer of bad news, it is even harder to receive it.

Here’s a real test of spiritual maturity. How capable are you of learning from criticism? God uses critics to set us straight. When we can’t hear God, God has to engage a third party: a prophet, family member, trusted friend or colleague to sit us down and tell us off.

We’ve all experienced unfair criticism. So our first response is to ask ourselves if this is justified.  But if there’s even a small part of us that thinks it could be, we need to stop, listen and pray. The best way to learn from criticism is to pray over it, and that takes time.

So the next time you want to shoot the messenger, remember the elders who held back the crowd, protected their critic and called the community to conscience.

Prayer

Bless me with an open heart, to learn from the words of others, even when it is painful. Make me an elder who can grow and change. Amen.

About the Author Lillian Daniel is the senior minister of the First Congregational Church, UCC, Glen Ellyn, Illinois. Her new book, This Odd and Wondrous Calling: the Public and Private Lives of Two Ministers, co-authored with Martin B. Copenhaver, has just been published.

Daily Prayer

The Day After ...
and after that and after that.

59 As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”60 He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died.

1 Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen.

 Persecution Scatters the Believers

A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria. 2 (Some devout men came and buried Stephen with great mourning.)3 But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison.

 Philip Preaches in Samaria

4 But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went.5 Philip, for example, went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah.6 Crowds listened intently to Philip because they were eager to hear his message and see the miraculous signs he did.7 Many evil spirits were cast out, screaming as they left their victims. And many who had been paralyzed or lame were healed.8 So there was great joy in that city.

Acts 7:59 - 8:1-8 (NLT)

Not a very pleasant lectionary passage for the day after Christmas, as we begin to unwind from the excitement of the day; scattered wrapping paper; the hours on the phone catching up with family and friends; not to mentioned the festive meals with all the holiday trimmings. And in another day (even today for some) it is back to the old routines of family schedules and work, which makes the contrasts between the Christmas Eve/Day scriptures and today’s a little more palatable. The celebration, with its happiness and joy, is behind us for another year and we enter back into the everydayness of the world.

But one message this passage from Acts lifts up for us today is that the wonderment must continue to be proclaimed, especially within the ordinary events of the day which we experience over and over again. The miraculous events of that first Christmas were years long past at the time that Stephen, and later Philip, were proclaiming this Jesus and his ministry to anyone and everyone who would listen. The announcement of the One, whose birth we have just recognized and celebrated again, was being shared with an ordinary world; an environment not unlike the world in which we struggle to survive. Despite the poverty, oppression, and even the threats of death, these two disciples lived to keep the truth, words and lessons of this Savior alive for everyone to hear. Life-changing words that are just as crucial for us today as they were for those just a few years removed from the wondrous birth and then excruciating crucifixion.

That is the important link that brings our Christmas and post-scriptures together. The story of that first Christmas – of God’s intrusion into our chaotic life, in the flesh – is the decree which needs to be declared over and over again by each of us as we enter back into a post-celebratory world. The story of God’s compassion, mercy, healing, love, righteousness and justice – which was born among us on that first Christmas – is the narrative which each of needs to share throughout our days. Christmas is not over, but, in fact, has just begun; God’s presence in our daily labors of life, as we grapple with the complexity of human life is what we are called to proclaim; day in and day out.

May 2011 be filled with boundless opportunities to be the proclaimers of the life-story of the One who came to us in a simple manger, so many years ago. That is my prayer for you and I, this day and always.

Peace - Shalom - Salaam