Matthew 28:18-20

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.” vss. 19-20a

The gospel of Matthew concludes with what has come to be known as the Great Commission and these few mountain-top words have pretty much defined the Church’s understanding of its mission from the beginning. While the early disciples likely did not have a global strategy there is no doubt that they were driven by the Spirit to bring the good news of Jesus to as many places as they could. And they didn’t worry about doctrines or creeds or erecting buildings. They had a two-pronged ministry, baptizing and teaching, and the Holy Spirit took it from there. They likely hadn’t developed a common ritual for baptism and probably didn’t worry about the distinction between immersion and sprinkling–all they needed was water and the word. And their teaching couldn’t have been too complicated either–like Paul they pointed to the forgiveness of the cross and God’s unconditional love. Of course there was opposition and religious folks were quick to distort and manipulate the message for their own purposes, but there was momentum to that early mission–and in many places that evangelistic spirit is still alive and well. Jesus kept his promise–and he’ll be with us to the very end.

Thought for the Day: Where have I encountered an evangelistic spirit?

Matthew 28:16-17

“Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.” vss. 16-17

The gospels are amazing in their depiction of the disciples. There seems to be no effort to gloss over their fears, doubts, and squabbles. They regularly miss the point of Jesus’ parables and never do figure out the purpose of his ministry. To the end they keep thinking that he came to restore the kingdom of Israel. Matthew has them returning to their homeland in Galilee after the resurrection as Jesus had directed, and there on a mountain he appears to them one last time. And then we see these words, “but some doubted.” And here’s the really amazing part. Their doubt doesn’t seem to have mattered a bit to Jesus–they all get the same commission. And that’s how it has continued to be among the people of God. Jesus works with whoever shows up, and if we have our doubts about his presence, it doesn’t make any difference. The Spirit uses fragile vessels in the work of ministry, and there’s a place for us all. What has happened in Jesus is bigger than any of us and there’s plenty of work to be done. And so we go, the very presence of Christ, full of enthusiasm and plagued by doubt, and the whole world is blessed by our presence and our good news of unconditional love.

Thought for the Day: When do doubts show up for me?

2 Corinthians 13:11-13

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.” vs. 13

It would be another 300 years or so before church leaders would get together to formalize a primitive notion of the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. And some would argue that we’d be better off if those ecumenical creeds had not been formulated. After all, in their attempt to compose one statement of faith they managed to spark centuries of controversy and division. But that doesn’t mean that early Christians were unaware of a three-fold pattern in the way they were experiencing God. Paul sums up that awareness in his final benediction to his readers in Corinth, and his distinctions are worth noting. He connects grace with Jesus Christ, love with God, and communion or fellowship with the Holy Spirit. He’s obviously not saying there are three Gods. But the one God is manifested among believers in three different ways. Grace, love, and fellowship all emanate from the one God. It all starts with the unconditional love that is the essence of God. That love flowed through Jesus in a powerful affirmation of forgiveness and grace. And it’s the Holy Spirit who calls us into community with one another and who showers us with every spiritual gift. We’ll never be able to comprehend the complexities of a Triune God, but we can experience the love of God in multiple ways, and that’s really all that matters.

Thought for the Day: Why do we try so hard to define God?

Psalm 8: 5-9

“Yet you have made them a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honor. You have given them dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under their feet…” vss. 5-6

Having acknowledged the insignificance of humanity in the whole scope of creation, the psalmist then makes the audacious claim that humans are close to divine and have been crowned with glory and honor. More than that, he says, they have been given dominion over all that God has made on the land, in the sea, and in the air. In saying this, the psalmist reflects the viewpoint of human beings from the very beginning. It’s a perspective that most folks continue to hold close to their hearts, and we can see it in the way we deal with the creatures of the earth, and even with other human beings. The problem is that domination is a horrible way to relate to this world and it doesn’t come close to what Jesus, the incarnate word of God, told his disciples. Speaking of the rulers of the Gentiles who lord it over others, he said, “It shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant.” We are not called to be lords but servants, and that’s not only true in communities of faith, it’s also the way people of faith relate to the creation. We are the caretakers of the earth, and not its dominators–there is a difference!

Thought for the Day: How is dominion different from caretaking?

Psalm 8:1-4

“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?” vss. 3-4

When the psalmist ventured out to the hilltops around Jerusalem and took time for meditation he would have been overwhelmed by the brilliance of the dark sky that stretched in every direction. Most of us, in our age of artificial incandescence, haven’t come close to having that kind of experience. His observations drove him to his knees. How could he even imagine that the Creator of this spectacular universe would have even the slightest concern for human beings? Some of us have had similar reactions to the magnificent photos received from space telescopes. Our minds are too small to even comprehend the age and immensity of what we are seeing. All we can do is wonder with the psalmist. Who are we, on our wee little blue planet in an insignificant solar system in the Milky Way galaxy, one of billions of galaxies that stretch from here to infinity? How can we even have the chutzpah to make the ridiculous claim that we are special? And yet, like the psalmist, that’s exactly what we do! It may be pure foolishness, and if it is, may we at least have the humility to admit our insignificance and daily give thanks for the splendor of life in such a magnificent setting.

Thought for the Day: What does insignificance feel like?

Genesis 1:26-2:4

“God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.” vs. 31

Those who wrote the story of creation found in Genesis did not have the benefit of modern day research into the origins of the universe, but they did have a marvelous perspective of its beauty and cohesiveness. After describing the six days during which all things came into existence they concluded that “it was very good,” and there are few among us who would disagree. This world has been a spectacular place for life to begin and to flourish. And when we take time to look at all its wonders and savor its beauty we can’t help but fall on our knees in amazement at the ways in which all things are knit together in such intricate and amazing precision. Our Genesis writers mention them all: the movements of the stars and planets, the light that is the source of life, the seas and dry land, the trees and green plants that blossom and flourish, the marine animals and the birds of the air, the reptiles and mammals, and the wonder of reproduction. We might have our debates and disagreements about how all this came to be, but we certainly must agree with that original assessment. This is a good place to be! And even though it’s obvious to everyone that the world is also broken, it never hurts to first acknowledge its intrinsic goodness.

Thought for the Day: What amazes me about creation?

Genesis 1:1-24

“In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.” vss. 1-2

Many of those who take the words of the bible literally believe that the earth is only about 6,000 years old and that it was created in six days in exactly the way described in Genesis 1. They hang on to their theory of a young earth even in the face of evidence presented by overwhelming numbers of geologists and archeologists. They are convinced that the bible is more trustworthy than anything presented by science. Obviously those who are so inclined cannot be swayed by any argument to the contrary. The problem is that their stubborn insistence on literalism has colored the attitudes of those who sincerely want to understand this magnificent story. Thousands have simply given up on the bible because they’ve been told it has to be taken literally, and they just can’t do that–a literal interpretation of scripture doesn’t make sense to them–and they give up trying to absorb its truths. The underlying message of the bible is the most wonderful story ever told–and as we wrestle with its mysteries we encounter God in a multitude of ways, and learn that God is the one source of unconditional love and forgiveness. And too often it’s the literalists who are likely to miss that important point!

Thought for the Day: Why is literalism so appealing?

John 20:21-23

“Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’” vss. 21-22

There are many passages in our scriptures about the Spirit or the Wind of God. It  animates every living creature and energizes believers with wisdom and understanding. The Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness and filled him with a passion for justice and healing. And now John writes that after his resurrection Jesus breathed the Spirit on his disciples and sent them to continue his mission. And what would be the core of that healing and restorative ministry? John spells it out in just a few words, “If you forgive the sins of any they are forgiven them, if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” And while we can debate what it might mean to retain the sins of any, there is no doubt that the followers of Jesus are to proclaim forgiveness above all else. And there are two aspects to that proclamation: forgiveness of others and forgiveness of self. Both are difficult for us to pull off, but forgiveness of self can be one of the hardest things we are ever called to do. Some would even call it impossible! At the very least it takes enormous faith to receive this gift and take it to heart. But when it happens the resulting peace is beyond belief!

Thought for the Day: When do I have trouble forgiving myself?

John 20:19-20

“After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.” vs. 20

Luke tells us that after the resurrection Jesus was revealed to two of his disciples in the breaking of bread. John, on the other hand, reports that Jesus was known to the disciples in the revealing of his scars. These two very different stories are a great gift to us as we struggle to see Jesus in our time and place. Luke’s story quite naturally points to Holy Communion as that place where we can be assured of encountering the Risen Christ. John however points to Jesus as the Wounded Healer and implies that deep knowledge of another person can only come in those moments when scars are acknowledged and revealed. For many that’s a strange notion. We do our best to hide our flaws, defects, and scars in our relationships. We’re afraid that if others saw our wounds they would be repelled and perhaps avoid getting close. Of course it’s the exact opposite that is true–strange as it may seem, when others see our scars they are drawn to love us more deeply. It’s at the point of our woundedness that true intimacy even becomes possible. It’s in our wounds that people can see us as we really are–it’s in our scars even that people are drawn to see the Christ in us. And when that happens, there’s rejoicing all around.

Thought for the Day: How do people react to my scars?

1 Corinthians 12:11-13

“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.” vs. 12

It seems that Paul had no difficulty believing in the resurrection. All he had to do was consider that little congregation in Corinth that was so dear to him. In them he saw Christ, the same risen Lord Jesus Christ who had called him into ministry on the road to Damascus. And they had been gifted by the Holy Spirit for ministry just as he had, and all of them, though many, were now one body. They, together with all believers, were the living resurrected body of Christ in the world. And so it is with us! Now that’s easy to say. In fact we even have hymns that celebrate our unity in Christ–and we love to sing them. But oh what a hard time we have had in making it a reality! On every level, from small group to congregation to synod to denomination, we allowed our differences to dominate our life together. Again and again, we’ve argued, bickered, and separated on the basis of every conceivable notion of pride and superiority. And every time that happens the precious body of Christ is wounded–but never beyond repair. The Holy Spirit is a resilient healer and uses us in spite of ourselves for the sake of the good. And what a blessing it is when we finally surrender to the Spirit’s leadership and begin to actually live as one body.

Thought for the Day: Where do I see unity in the Church?