The spirit was rekindled

1Maccabees 13:7 The spirit of the people was rekindled when they heard these words.

What a difference a few words of encouragement can make! In this instance, Simon was encouraging the people of Judah, after the death of his brother Jonathon, the second Maccabee brother to take the leadership position and die trying. He has just reassured them that he will carry on the work of his family.

I have experienced a rekindling of my spirit lately. I have been working to increase my practice through some outside marketing, and I am not the world's best businessperson. I find it easy to become discouraged or confused or overwhelmed -- it is just not my bailiwick! Several weeks ago, I was finding myself dreading Monday mornings, not experiencing the usual uplift I do after my Sunday Sabbath rest. I was feeling the pinch of needing to generate more income, along with a feeling of hopelessness that I could actually accomplish this task. I have set off on marketing junkets before, but they have never gotten very far. This time, I was referred to a group, the Job Club, which was meeting at a nearby Church. I was intimidated the first couple of meetings, but several weeks later, I am feeling energized, and capable, and more than that, I am actually getting some stuff done! There is nothing like going into a room with a tentative idea, offering it up and getting back, "That's a great idea!" along with 10 tactics for moving it along. WOW! I have been running like crazy (mostly on my computer), busy creating and checking off lists of tasks, and really moving the whole process forward. What's more, I am eagerly looking forward to the next step! That tells me I am finding the right focus, that the Spirit is energizing me because my purpose is in line with my spiritual purpose, with God's purpose for me. I welcome my day of rest, but also wake on Monday excited about the week to come, all God wants me to offer the world and the various ways I am figuring out to let people know about it. And a great deal of the credit goes to this small, faithful community that has gathered around me (as I have gathered with them for each of us), where I have learned I have something to offer others in their pursuit of work and purpose, as well as coming to understand what God calls me to give to the world. Hallelujah!

Prayer: Dear God, Thank you for the faithfulness of this small community, for their support in helping me move my business forward in such a positive way. As I seek to live more and more in Your Kingdom, I ask your continued guidance that the choices I make, the services I offer will further your work in the world. Amen.

Yes, we will!

Nehemiah 5:13 Everyone gave a wholehearted, "Yes, we'll do it" and praised God. And the people did what they promised.

Wow. This Nehemiah really has his heart and mind in the right place -- on the things of God -- and yet he is shrewd and wily as a snake. He has come back to Jerusalem, with other exiles of the Babylonian captivity, now taken over by the Persian empire. He inspires the people to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem, in rubble after the long exile, and works right along beside them. When the poor protest against the unfair practices of the nobles and officials who are gouging their fellow Israelites with high interest rates, taking over their lands and selling them into slavery, Nehemiah calls these nobles and officials to account, charging them to lower interest rates, stop seizing lands and selling their fellows into slavery. And they agree, and follow through and actually change their behavior! Enemies try to lure him away, to get him to quit, and he evades their traps. And he doesn't even use the full allowance accorded to him as governor, because he doesn't need it and doesn't want to add to the people's burdens.

All in all, these are some very eery parallels to our own times: the need to rebuild infrastructure, people falling prey to high interest rates and mortgage foreclosures, foreign enemies who continue to want to terrorize us, and most likely this new administration will have plenty of doomsayers who will decry his every move. More important than any of these things, though, will be his ability to call all of us to account, to inspire our participation in his vision of a rebuilt community. We know that Obama is not the Messiah or some other Godlike figure; he is just a human like you and me. So was Nehemiah. We need a Nehemiah to bring all the scattered flocks under one shepherd, to forge the unity of purpose we need in this nation to meet the challenges of this new century. Freezing staff salaries in the face of climbing unemployment may have more symbolic value than actual impact, but it's certainly a step in the right direction.

Prayer: Dear God, I pray that Barack Obama may be the Nehemiah we need. So many are hurting in this country and in the world. We are only as strong as our weakest members. Give our president the power to strengthen us as a community so that nothing can really threaten us. Amen.