John 17:6-11

“And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.” vs. 11

For the people of Norway this is Syttende Mai or Constitution Day, their national day of celebration. It’s a big day, the Norwegian equivalent of the Fourth of July, and many Americans of Norwegian descent will use today to remember and celebrate their heritage. These ethnic celebrations are fun, and some are happy to participate. But they can also become times for division in congregations. Jesus prayed that his followers would be one, and from the beginning, unity has been one of the marks of an authentic Christian community. The apostle Paul certainly reflects that concern for unity in his first letter to the church in Corinth.

Through the centuries ethnic and racial differences have at various times been a challenge to the expression of oneness in our congregations. Something that is a point of pride for one group becomes an emblem of exclusion for another. As people have become sensitive to such barriers some cherished traditions have had to be put aside. For instance, some congregations have discovered that holding annual lutefisk dinners may not be the best tool for outreach!

For some it’s been hard to give up those connections to the “old country,” but followers of Jesus will gladly put welcoming the stranger ahead of “smelly fish” as part of their mission plan!

Thought for the Day: What ethnic tradition is apparent in my congregation?

John 17:1-5

“I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do.” vs. 4

In John’s gospel Jesus  concludes his ministry by gathering his disciples in an upper room for final instructions and a closing prayer. In that prayer he indicates deep satisfaction with the way his life has unfolded. He believed that he had successfully concluded all the work that he had been given to do. That conviction is borne out the next day by his final words on the cross, “It is finished!”

It seems that Jesus’ main intention in life was to glorify God in all that he said and did, and it obviously gave him great satisfaction in knowing that this is what he had done. While on our part we can’t claim to have been sent as messiahs, the way we live our lives is a way to give glory to God.. Throughout history some have done this by using some version of the Latin phrase, “Sola Deo Gloria.” 

People like Bach, Handel, and Bernard Langer, who use such language with regard to their achievements are giving credit for their excellence to God. They’ve only done what they’ve done by the power and direction of God, and their words testify to their faith. It would be wonderful if all believers would use their gifts and talents, not for their own exaltation, but to give glory to God. How good it would be if we could say at life’s end. “I have finished the work you gave me to do. Glory be to you, O God!”

Thought for the Day: How has my life glorified God?

1 Peter 5:6-11

“Discipline yourselves; keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour.” vs. 8

We can’t be sure if the disciple Peter was really the person who wrote the epistle bearing his name. But if it was, he certainly knew what he was talking about. He probably never forgot the day in Galilee, when Jesus, just after calling him the Rock, humbled him in front of his peers by saying, “Get behind me, Satan!” Peter learned from that experience that temptations can come at us from most any direction.

Even our closest friends can lead us from the path of righteousness with empty promises and false assurances, and if we don’t have a strong moral compass we’re easy prey for deception.  Peter advised his readers to develop a solid self-discipline, one that will enable us to recognize those who are likely to confuse and deceive.

In this social media dominated culture the roaring lions prowl unimpeded through the morass of artificial intelligence and the scourge of those who call themselves “influencers.” There was a time when it was a terrible thing to be a liar and a deceiver, but in these latter days lying has become an artform and permeates every realm of society. Surely this is a time for constant vigilance and discipline. It’s much too easy to be victimized by those we thought we could trust!

Thought for the Day: Where does my life lack discipline?

1 Peter 4:12-14

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.”

It’s good for us to get a glimpse of what life was like for Christians in the beginning years of the Church. While they were fired up by the good news of the gospel there were also fiery ordeals for them to endure. Peter refers to those occasions as being times of testing.

What we forget sometimes is that those moments still happen for followers of Jesus. We are not immune to injustice and acts of cruel insensitivity. And often life just isn’t very fair! Children and parents can disappoint us, and we certainly don’t anticipate the twists and turns that are a part of the aging process. Even our congregations can become a testing ground for our faith–it’s uncanny how nasty people of faith can be to each other! A loving community can transition into a caldron of vicious rumors and gossip in a heartbeat.

Peter seems to indicate that we should not be surprised when such things take place and brokenness comes knocking on our doors. That’s how it is in our good world. All people are broken and we are fools to think we’re not going to be affected. But Peter implies that those tough moments are when faith can become stronger than ever. We could even think of them as blessings!

Thought for the Day: What “fiery ordeals” have tested my faith?

Psalm 68:32-35

“Awesome is God in his sanctuary, the God of Israel; he gives power and strength to his people.” vs. 35

In our enthusiasm we are likely to describe most any sort of experience, ranging from the ridiculous to the sublime, as being “awesome.” But sometimes we use it so frequently that its impact gets watered down. After all, the more things we add to the “awesome” category, the less awesome any of them become. 

For the psalmist however, it’s likely that the word “awesome” could only be used to describe God. Everything flowed from God, the Source of all goodness and strength, the Giver of life and salvation, and the King above all kings. If we were to use that standard in describing the people and events of our lives, it’s unlikely that we would ever use the word “awesome.” Nothing could possibly measure up.

But still it would not be a good idea to take the word out of our vocabularies and decide never to use it. Perhaps it would be best to just restrict its use, and reserve it for those things which truly are awesome. Because there surely are awesome times in each of our lives. Those would be the moments in  which we are overwhelmed by the Divine Presence, times when tears come to our eyes and joy fills our hearts, not because of any human achievement, but because God has overwhelmed us. They do happen! God really is an awesome God!

Thought for the Day: How do I use the word “awesome?”

Psalm 68:1-10

But let the righteous be joyful; let them exult before God; let them be jubilant with joy. Sing to God, sing praises to his name; lift up a song to him who rides upon the clouds—his name is the Lord— be exultant before him vss. 3-4

There is a contemporary popular worship song by Robin Mark called “Days of Elijah.” The chorus has an upbeat tempo and its lyrics could well have been written by this psalmist: “Behold he comes, riding on the clouds, shining like the sun at the trumpet call. Lift your voice, it’s the year of Jubilee, and out of Zion’s hill salvation comes.” We love to sing hymns like this, and if it’s a choir number, with all the different parts, it can give a jolt to any worship service.

We need to hear and sing songs in worship occasionally that lift us up and give us joy. When the tunes are familiar everybody sings and good feelings abound. The metaphors in “Days of Elijah” are from biblical themes, and even if we don’t take them literally, the mood of triumph is unmistakable.

It’s not that we’re on the winning team and everyone else is losing. We celebrate because in Christ Jesus we’re all winners, and what better reason could we possibly have for songs of triumph? Besides, we celebrate resurrection every single Sunday and once in a while it doesn’t hurt to be absolutely jubilant with joy–and maybe even clap our hands.

 Thought for the Day: What’s a rousing worship song that I love?

Acts 1:6-14

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  vs. 8

The disciples were hoping for a quick fix after the resurrection. Not having a clue about what lay ahead they were still looking backward and thinking that now might be the time when the fabled Kingdom of Israel might be restored. But the resurrected Jesus let them know that the healing of brokenness would be a process and would happen only through the power of the Holy Spirit and their own personal witness, beginning in Jerusalem and ultimately reaching the ends of the earth.

This story is a reminder of the compelling myth of past glory in shaping our lives. All around the world we’re seeing movements that focus  on restoring the greatness of the past. The irony is that our collective memories are notoriously unreliable. What were the good old days for some were actually times of repression and misery for others. Only a few prospered in those remembered days of glory.

But the Holy Spirit never leads by going backwards. Always the movement is toward a beautiful future of healing and inclusion.  And that’s the direction in which the disciples led the way. They put aside the narrowness of the old ways, and trusted the Spirit to lead them through uncharted waters. Governed only by the law of love they went out with a message of mercy and forgiveness that was for all people.

Thought for the Day: What brokenness remains to be healed?

John 14:18-21

“They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.”  vs. 21

At first this may seem like a tough standard. Jesus says those that love him are those who have his commandments and keep them, and we immediately question just what those commandments are. It turns out he isn’t talking about the Ten Commandments, but the one he had just shared with the disciples at the Passover meal. “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.”

Everything in the Kingdom of Peace established by Jesus is centered on love, the love that we have for God and the love that we have for our neighbor. In another place he mentions that these are the two great commandments, and that they are the standard for a life of faith. Here he makes an additional promise, namely, that through this love he is revealed.

We’re considering this text on the day our country celebrates mothers. It’s no stretch to imagine that what we’re really celebrating is the sustaining and nurturing love that comes by grace from Jesus. Even though mothers are not perfect, there is truth in the metaphor of a mother’s love, For many it’s the finest love they will ever know! So it may even be that we have seen Jesus most clearly in the love of our mother.

Thought for the Day: How is Jesus’ love like that of a mother?

John 14:15-17

“This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.” vs. 17

In order to comfort his disciples on the night before his death, Jesus assures them that they will not be alone, that he will send them the Spirit of truth. He goes on to tell them that the world cannot receive that Spirit of truth, and based on our experiences he was right. Now that we have access to multiple news feeds via social media, radio, and television, it’s simply stunning to observe how little importance is attached to telling the truth. Influencers and politicians seem to say whatever comes into their heads, and it bears little resemblance to what is actually happening. They say what they think their audience wants to hear.

And in this world of lies, the Spirit of truth is active in the lives of believers everywhere. Jesus said that the Spirit abides with us and is in us. Many of us know what that is like. There is within us a deep love for the truth and a sense of repugnance for lies. Every time we open our mouths we are conscious of that Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus, steering our tongues toward the truth. Even when it is not to our benefit we find ourselves speaking deep truths, and offering loving affirmations. Almost against our wills we are molded into truth-tellers and trusting relationships are born and nurtured. 

Thought for the Day: Who do I trust to speak the truth?.

1 Peter 3:18-22

“He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison…” vss. 18b-19a

It’s not easy to know what Peter was referring to as he wrote to the suffering exiles in Asia Minor. He was obviously familiar with the basic message of the early church, that Jesus had suffered on the cross as a sacrifice for the sins of all the unrighteous. Here Peter says that after his death Jesus went in the spirit and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison. No one really knows precisely what this means but the phrase got into the Apostle’s Creed as “he descended into hell,” now sometimes translated as the “place of the dead.”

Through the centuries, as believers have struggled with Peter’s intention, many have come to understand these words as a beautiful expression of God’s unconditional love and mercy. No one, even those long dead, are excluded from the forgiveness that is the heart of the Christian message.

So if we are ever wondering about who is included under the blanket of salvation, it’s worthwhile remembering that after Jesus’ resurrection the first to hear the message of eternal life were those living in the valley of the shadow of death. Even if we struggle with the symbolism we have to admit that it’s a powerful metaphor for the ultimate victory of life over death.

Thought for the Day: Why don’t we just update the ancient creeds?