Psalm 29:6-11

“The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord sits enthroned as king forever. May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace!” vss. 10-11

All of us are acquainted with what we have become accustomed to call “natural disasters.” These are the regularly occurring hurricanes, tornados, floods, fires, tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanoes that are a part of our human experience. We’ve learned to predict their coming, and make preparations for their regular appearances, but no matter what we do, they always leave devastation in their wake. Many have a hard time correlating such events with a benevolent God and question why God allows them to take place. The psalmist had no such questions. In his belief system they were signs of God’s presence, and they left him singing songs of praise to such an awesome God. We might not agree with the psalmist–we probably don’t connect such naturally occurring phenomena to God at all–and so we’re left to wonder. What we often don’t realize is that we live on a planet that is alive, and the creative process is continuing. All of the things we call disasters are in fact signs of life, and unless they occur, the earth would become uninhabitable. And so, like the psalmist, we just learn to live with the vagaries of nature, and see in them the living presence of the God who is. And we occasionally get smart enough not to build houses on flood plains!

Thought for the Day: How can we best deal with “natural disasters?”        

Psalm 29:1-5

“The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over mighty waters…The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.” vss. 3, 5

The beauty of creation regularly brings us to our knees in awe and admiration. We’re especially drawn to sunrises and sunsets, or the appearance of a rainbow in the sky. In those moments we’re drawn to give thanks and praise to God for the wonder of life and the privilege of being a witness to the splendors of nature. We don’t need to think about our response, the joy rises spontaneously within us, and we run to find a camera to capture the moment. The psalmist surely had those moments, but there were other times too. Here he describes the Lord as a  thunderstorm, one with brilliant flashes of lightning and powerful winds. For him the storm was a reminder of God’s power and might, and his own weakness and fragility. We who have been caught out in such storms know what he’s talking about. The thunder literally shakes the ground, while the lightning turns night to day, and the winds are relentless. Unless we have shelter we will be blown about like leaves–the strength of the storm is overwhelming. While we know that God is more than a storm god, there’s nothing like a tornado or hurricane to remind us that God is more than we can even imagine, and certainly deserving of our praise and glory.

Thought for the Day: How do big storms affect me?

Genesis 1:1-5

“Then God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. And God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness.” vss. 3-4

Our faith ancestors didn’t give any shape or substance to God, nor did they picture him occupying any space. From their perspective God is, and since there was no need to say any more, they began their story of creation with the words, “In the beginning God…” Many centuries have passed since then, and not even the most brilliant minds have been able to come up with anything better. And now as we begin yet another year on our beleaguered blue planet, there’s no better thought with which to guide and comfort our reflections and resolutions. God is, and because God is, even though it seems as though chaos rules, the entire universe has been bathed in light. In other words, the universe has been enlightened by the presence of the God who is. And even better yet, that enlightenment is available to every created being, and even to every darkened human heart. For centuries wisdom seekers of every creed and clan have sought that enlightenment through a variety of means, often involving some form of meditation or study. In our time, as we begin to see the consequences of our preoccupation with wealth and power, many more are seeking the enlightenment that comes from the God who is. And January 1 is as good a day as any to get started!

Thought for the Day: Where do I seek enlightenment?

Luke 2:33-40

“There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four.” vss. 36-37

In Luke’s infancy stories of Jesus he gave the major speaking roles to Mary and Elizabeth, and he continued that pattern in today’s text by pairing the prophet Simeon with the prophet Anna, an even older woman who was a fixture in the daily temple scene. Then, in his descriptions of Jesus’ ministry he lets his readers know that women regularly walked with him and even offered financial support along the Way. As the Church took shape and began to grow women continued to play a significant role, with many now remembered as saints for their spiritual insights and leadership. Although the ministry of women has been significantly hampered by antiquated traditions for many centuries we are blessed in these latter years to see their roles expand in many denominations. Today it’s not unusual to experience the leadership of female pastors and bishops in our congregations. While they have always been a force for good in the Church it’s been a huge blessing to see them step out of their traditional subordinate positions to assume the roles for which they have been so richly gifted. We can be confident that as the Holy Spirit continues to reform and revitalize the Church in the coming years, the voices of women like Anna are certain to be heard. 

Thought for the Day: How have women shaped my faith?

Luke 2:22-32

“Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation…” vs. 29-30

Those who have the privilege of living for many years sometimes begin to believe that they’ve “seen it all,” that there is nothing new under the sun, and to some extent they are right. There is a certain rhythm to life in this world, and some of us have been able to experience several of the repeating cycles. Simeon was like that, but he had something more, a sense that there was something big remaining to take place, and he longed to live long enough to see it. And according to Luke’s little post-birth story, that moment came when he saw Joseph and Mary enter the temple with their baby boy. Luke tells us that it was a Holy Spirit thing–there was no particular reason for Simeon to pick out this child from the many.  But whatever had happened, whatever he’d seen, Simeon was satisfied–his heart was filled with peace–now he was ready to die! That doesn’t often happen for folks–most of us don’t have that spirit of readiness. But sometimes it still happens! We see a person or hear some news or experience some event, and it is enough. Everything on our bucket list has been checked off, and we’re ready to leave. What a blessing that feeling is! What is truly amazing is that for some it’s a part of everyday living! They’re ready even if they have stuff left to do!

Thought for the Day: What’s left on my bucket list?

Galatians 4:6-7

“And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’” vs. 6

Most people think of faith in personal terms. God is not some amorphous blob, a giant dollop of nothingness, but a being with whom we can have a warm and lasting relationship. And it seems to be most natural for us to think of God as a parent, and more particularly as our Father. Paul says that’s because the Spirit of Jesus, the Son of God, dwells in our hearts, and his Spirit, together with ours, cries to God as Abba or Father. For some that language, as a remnant of a patriarchal societal system, is difficult, and they would rather use some other term to address God in prayer. Some, following the long tradition of goddess worship, have begun to think of God as Mother, and that’s certainly a worthy alternative. Our problem comes from language. It’s almost impossible to find gender neutral descriptions of God that carry any kind of intimacy or closeness. Parent just isn’t a warm substitute for either father or mother. Perhaps it’s best to simply stop worrying about proper usage and use the language of our hearts. Whether that’s Abba or Amma doesn’t make any difference. We are all children of God and it’s proper for our prayers to reflect a high level of intimacy. Remember, it’s our prayer that counts and not the form of address.

Thought for the Day: What’s my heart language for God?

Galatians 4:4-5

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children.” Galatians 4:4-5

Paul tells the Galatians that Jesus had been born in the fullness of time, that all preparations had been made, and all conditions were just as they needed to be. And as we look back at that time, that period in history, he seems to have a point. To put it another way, it was a propitious moment! Not only were the stars aligned as Matthew puts it, but the geopolitical world was ready too. This was the time of the great Pax Romana, and all of Europe, northern Africa, and Eastern Asia was experiencing the peace that comes with strong autocratic rule. Good roads stretched from one end of the Empire to the other, shipping and commerce were booming, and travel had become relatively safe. In the cities nearly everyone understood Greek and people were eager to explore new and exotic religions. In other words, there was no better time, before or since, for the rapid spread of the gospel. The world was ready for the Jesus story! We know what that is like–many can share stories of how the gospel entered their hearts, how the Spirit seemed to know the exact moment of vulnerability, and when they heard, they were ready to receive and believe. It was their fullness of time.

Thought for the Day: What was the fullness of time for me?

Psalm 148

“Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps, Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars! Wild animals and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds! Young men and women alike, old and young together!” vss. 7, 9, 10, 12

The psalmist believed that everything in the universe had its origin in God and was of God, and that all things, whether in the heavens or on earth, offered praise to the Lord in its own peculiar way. And those who are alert to the nuances of the creation can see the truth in his convictions. All around us praise offerings can be seen and appreciated: from the play of kittens, to the beauty of an orchid, to the rich red Christmastide beauty of the bougainvilleas. From the animate and the inanimate we see and hear the glories offered to the One who is all in all. Only among humans do we see a reticence to offer praise to the Lord for the wonder of life. Only among men and women do we see acts of pointless destruction and disdain for the environment. But not all are afflicted with that shortsightedness.  Some among us do see, and are filled with awe at the great gifts bestowed by our Creator. Each day they see the glory of God made manifest in the world around them. And everyday their hearts are filled with joy at the great gift of being alive! And they gladly sing with the mountains and valleys, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow.”

Thought for the Day: For what will I praise the Lord today?

Isaiah 61:10-62:3

“For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.” vs. 11

As one year yields to the grim reaper and another eagerly awaits its birth, there is a natural tendency to reflect and predict. We look at the year gone by, consider its triumphs and tragedies, and then make our best guess at what the new year will bring. It’s relatively easy to measure the past, though in these times of lies and deception we can’t always know the truth of what has happened, but we have a dickens of a time with the future. This year, as 2023 winds down and 2024 dawns, people are having a hard time being optimistic. Not only is it an election year, the wars around the world are continuing to bring death and devastation to millions. Nations are unwilling to make the hard choices needed to slow global warming. Refugees number in the tens of millions. The future really does look dismal! But Isaiah, writing thousands of years ago in a time of great anguish, invites us to take another look. He says that God will cause righteousness and peace to spring up before all the nations–and that it’s inevitable! That’s an amazing promise, one that we’d be well advised to hang on to as the new year dawns. The bad stuff doesn’t triumph!!!! Good will prevail!!! 

Thought for the Day: Why are folks so negative about the future?

Isaiah 61:10-62:3

“For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.” vs. 11

As one year yields to the grim reaper and another eagerly awaits its birth, there is a natural tendency to reflect and predict. We look at the year gone by, consider its triumphs and tragedies, and then make our best guess at what the new year will bring. It’s relatively easy to measure the past, though in these times of lies and deception we can’t always know the truth of what has happened, but we have a dickens of a time with the future. This year, as 2023 winds down and 2024 dawns, people are having a hard time being optimistic. Not only is it an election year, the wars around the world are continuing to bring death and devastation to millions. Nations are unwilling to make the hard choices needed to slow global warming. Refugees number in the tens of millions. The future really does look dismal! But Isaiah, writing thousands of years ago in a time of great anguish, invites us to take another look. He says that God will cause righteousness and peace to spring up before all the nations–and that it’s inevitable! That’s an amazing promise, one that we’d be well advised to hang on to as the new year dawns. The bad stuff doesn’t triumph!!!! Good will prevail!!! 

Thought for the Day: Why are folks so negative about the future?