Haman learns it the hard way in today’s reading. His attempt to destroy Mordecai results in his own dishonorable demise.

I like to jokingly say that my only superstition if that it’s bad luck to be superstitious. I’m not afraid to walk under a ladder or to step on a crack, but I do have a silly habit of collecting tails-up pennies only after turning them over.

“What goes around comes around” might be more than a superstition. Sometimes it may be part of God’s created order. How I treat people can have an effect on my own quality of life.

Of course my reason for treating others well should be nobler than my own welfare.

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When you say homosexuality is a sin, you are saying I am a sin. That all of us that are queer are sins. I exist. I am queer. Those two statements can’t be separated. There is no straight ‘I’ to exist. There is me, queer and existing, or me, not queer and not existing. There is no third option.

You can’t excise the gayness out of me, like cutting a tumor. It’s not something I only turn on when I see a pretty girl or hold hands with her in public. It’s who I am, everything I am and ever will be.

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I strongly support Beck’s compassionate activism, and I can’t attempt a theological treatment of sexuality in this post. I feel for the painful experience of the comment writer, but I want to respectfully counter one assumption: that our sexual orientations are who we are. Sexuality is a part of human nature, but it does not have to be our most defining characteristic. I am heterosexual, but heterosexuality is not who I am.

Nevertheless people have long been obsessed with sex. We see it today; sex-saturated media shape our minds. We see it long ago in the biblical book of Esther; a drunk king wants to show off his wife’s gorgeous body, demotes her when she refuses to cooperate, and has a series of one night stands to choose his next queen.

Beauty is more than sex; human value stands on our identities as members of God’s creation.

This biblical book ends with Nehemiah reflecting on his leadership career. He repeatedly asks God to remember him, to have favor on him.

My great-gradfather, Roy Clyde Jenkins, died before I was born. As a child I heard stories about him. He’s still a legend in my family. He was a farmer and a preacher and a loving family man. Apparently his last words were “Into your hands I commit my spirit.” (See Luke 23:46.) His life of faith led to a faithful death. He had spent so much of his life in the Lord’s presence that he was conscious of that divine reality even at his final breath.

When I reflect on my lifetime in God’s service, I pray that I will see faithfulness that will allow me to expect divine favor.

In yesterday’s post, I wrote, “Scripture’s examination of us leads to confession.” We saw that confession leads to repentance. In today’s reading, we see repentant people accepting various ministerial responsibilities.

We don’t deal in shekels. Christian worship doesn’t include burnt offerings. But ministers still have responsibilities, and God calls all Jesus-followers to serve as active ministers.

Different ministry roles come with different responsibilities. Whether your role is preaching, teaching, administering, developing children, mentoring emerging adults, caring for aging parents, or something else, repenting (changing) to live for God is a continual process in which we accept various responsibilities. What are yours?

Ezra stands before his people and reads the law book out loud for a long time. What intrigues me is that the people ask him to do that. What surprises me is that they listen.

One of my preaching professors told me a sermon should last around 22 minutes, due to our culture’s shrinking attention span. I’ve learned that my sermon length should be even shorter when I speak to college students.

But the encouragement I find in today’s reading doesn’t come from the people’s ability to listen for a long time. After they hear the words of scripture, they confess their sins and make a commitment of repentance.

Studying the Bible is helpful, but we also need to let it study us. We need to let it put us under a microscope and reveal every little detail of our lives. When we allow scripture to function in that way, we find opportunities for confession and repentance. We admit our sins to God and commit to holier living.

After learning some about me, he welcomed me to a conversation. When he confessed his initial hesitation, I understood.

In today’s reading Nehemiah appoints his brother Hanani to a ministry leadership role, but Nehemiah doesn’t make that decision merely because of the familial connection. He selects his brother because of his integrity and faith.

What great leadership characteristics! Traits we should all pursue. Integrity and faith.

Nehemiah is leading the worthy task of rebuilding Jerusalem. Between opposition in chapter 4 and more opposition in chapter 6, he cares for the poor in chapter 5.

Noble tasks can consume us leaders. Opposition can increase our devotion to our work. We might find ourselves focused so exclusively on worthy actions that we fail to see the needs of the people under our care.

In those situations, let us follow Nehemiah’s example.

Is your life falling apart? Has your faith faded? Has your spiritual resolve dissipated? Is a relationship in ruins? Are you conquered by career chaos? Start rebuilding.

Rebuilding is needed not just in our individual lives. It’s necessary in cultures, governments, organizations, and other contexts. And it’s vital to the church. God blesses each generation of church leaders with the responsibility of rebuilding. We don’t build blindly or alone. We start with foundations bequeathed to us by our predecessors, and we benefit from their wise contributions to our theology and practice.

God’s “gracious hand” is on Nehemiah in this story, and that hand is available to us. “Let us start rebuilding.”

The Renovaré website defines fasting as “The voluntary denial of an otherwise normal function for the sake of intense spiritual activity.” We can fast from food, caffeine, electronic media, and various other objects and activities that might not be bad in themselves but sometimes challenges our spiritual awareness or allegiance to God.

Why do we fast? Renovaré explains:

The focus of biblical fasting is always on spiritual purposes.  The heart of one who is fasting is to seek God, most often privately and with no motive to gain approval from people.  Fasting provides the opportunity to reveal those things that control us.  It reminds us that we ae sustained by every word of God and it restores balance in a believer’s life regarding priorities and nonessentials.

Are there some other purposes of fasting?

Today’s reading shows us some people who begin an important ministry task, and others want to participate. When they don’t receive permission to join the team, they start working against the mission. They try to discourage the workers and fill them with fear. They bribe officials to support the opposition.

Have you ever wanted to participate in a worthy activity but been rejected? Have you experienced such a blow to your ego? Have you known someone who has?

It can be devastating. It can make us feel unworthy, unwanted. It can stir anger in us and lead us to handle conflict in unhealthy ways.

In those trying times, I pray we will resist the urge to retaliate. I pray we will get over ourselves and seek the community’s good. I pray we will persevere to find ways we can serve instead of wasting time by whining.