Psalm 85: 1-2, 8-13

“Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other.” vs. 10

In spite of Israel’s ongoing dysfunction, the psalmist was optimistic about her future, not because the people were behaving so well, but because God had freely showered forgiveness on them. We too live in the shadow of God’s forgiveness. It’s what we have in common with all other people on earth, and it’s what gives us hope, even in the darkest circumstances. When in faith we embrace God’s forgiveness, God’s steadfast love is unleashed in our lives, flooding our hearts and minds with the assurance of God’s grace. In that context the psalmist assures us, righteousness and peace will kiss each other, a beautiful description of the new life we have in Christ. The language implies intimacy, a tender merger of righteousness and peace, a coming together of the divine and human spirit that is the essence of the Christmas gospel. Occasionally we will encounter folks in whom we see that combination of serenity and goodness, and their presence never fails to give us delight. It’s a living demonstration of the wonderful life that is God’s intention for us all. Such life is not dependent on material wealth or privilege, but is received by those who say with Mary, “Let it be with me according to your word.” There is no doubt! When love and faithfulness meet, life is very, very good!

Thought for the Day: What gifts has faith given me?

Isaiah 40:9-11

“See, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him…He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep.” vss. 10a, 11

When our faith ancestors were in a tough spot they eagerly looked for the coming of the Lord, so it’s not surprising that the prophet assured the people that the Lord was on the way, and that the Lord would come with might. What does surprise us is his description of the coming Lord as a shepherd! Too often we’ve gotten the idea that power and might will involve weapons and armies, a kind of military campaign that will overwhelm enemies with “shock and awe.” We have the sense that armed forces are the only might that can make right! But Isaiah suggests another way. He says that the coming Lord will be like a shepherd, and “he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep.” Think of it! In these coming weeks as the Mighty One invades our space, it will not be with the intention of whipping us into shape. That just doesn’t work! What we need more than anything else is gentleness! Now we won’t get that from heavy handed politicians and their silly power games, but that is what we get from the incarnate Christ. God is, and a gentle touch is our sign of God’s presence.

Thought for the Day: Where do I find gentleness?

“Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” vss. 1-2

There are times when we want to throw up our hands in despair and cry out, “Enough, O God, I’ve had enough, and I’m tired of being treated like refuse in this broken world.” Those moments don’t come to everyone but we all know people who have gotten more than their share of trouble in the course of life. They’ve endured loss, illness, death, brokenness…and just when it seems like they’re about to break, something else happens. It may be that they haven’t lived exemplary lives–probably none of us have. But no one deserves the trouble that comes to some. The prophet was charged by God to bring words of comfort to folks such as these, and he did as he was told. And that’s our call too! When people have been beaten up by life they don’t need lectures or pity, they need tender words of comfort from friends who care deeply. And we can do that! There’s something about this season that exposes the pain and hurt that lies deep within, and if we can speak tenderly to these wounded folks, it will mean more than any gift we could buy them. God isn’t out to get anyone–God brings comfort, and not more pain.

Thought for the Day: What words of comfort do I need to hear?

Mark 13:32-37

“Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come.” vs. 33

The emphasis on keeping alert in the apocalyptic teaching of Jesus is puzzling to some. They wonder why it’s so important to keep awake, and why the sleeping would be excluded when the faithful are gathered into the kingdom. We’d expect that if the Lord returns in clouds with multitudes of accompanying angels there’d be such a stir that even the dead would awaken. It’s that dramatic apocalyptic description that gets us off track. The truth is that the coming of the Lord is much more subtle than we could ever expect, and unless we are alert we’re likely to miss it entirely. It can literally happen at any time, and it almost always catches us by surprise. Because life disguises itself as an unending series of indistinguishable days we can easily get caught up in our daily routines and rituals. We have regular encounters with a whole variety of friends and strangers that all melt together and that seem unremarkable. But it’s into that culture and environment that the Lord comes, always in disguise and imperceptible except to eyes of faith.  When we are alert and not lulled to sleep by the sameness of our days, we do see the Lord Jesus and it doesn’t just happen once. It’ll happen this Advent! We can count on it. The Lord has come, and is coming again, and again, and again…

Thought for the Day: What’s the best way to keep alert?

Mark 13:24-31

“So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates.” vs. 29

We don’t need to be particularly alert to know that Christmas is near. Black Friday with all its sales and promotions has come and gone. All the best trees have already disappeared from the well-lit lots on the strategic corners near shopping centers. Yards are being decorated with blow-up sleighs and reindeer–men and women are risking their lives to string lights from their rooftops. And if that weren’t enough, tomorrow is the first Sunday of Advent and all over the world the first blue candle is awaiting its flame. Now our Advent calendars aren’t nearly as ominous as the apocalyptic signs early Christians associated with the coming Christ, but they do remind us that our days are numbered and hope is on the way. Jesus taught his disciples not to fear the unknown terrors that they’d likely encounter in their journey of faith. He said that things could get pretty ugly, and indeed they can–that’s something we all know too well. But on the other side of the suffering would be a joyous gathering, and that’s something we can all hang on to. Advent tells us that Christ is near, at the very gates of our hearts, and it’s worthwhile getting ready to celebrate. And so we will! The secular and spiritual are beautifully woven together through this season and everyone gets involved, saints and santas alike.

Thought for the Day: What do I enjoy most about Advent?

1 Corinthians 1:7-9

“God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” vs. 9

The faithfulness of God has been so woven into the fabric of the universe that we often don’t even see or recognize it. It’s just there: the sun rises, the earth continues on its journey through space, the rains and snows come, and life flourishes in spite of our careless stewardship. Most of the time we don’t even acknowledge that all this is God, an endless faithfulness that has persisted and evolved through billions of years. Some humans though have been and still are connected to that God presence in remarkable and enduring ways. They sense the Spirit of God, and through that Spirit have been called to form communities of faith, in which they regularly worship God, and provide love and support to one another. Jesus came as a part of one of those communities, and by the Spirit of God his message of grace and love has spread through the entire world. Paul was there at the beginning of the Jesus movement and testified to the work of the Spirit in calling people to be a part of that new fellowship. He says that this too is a sign of God’s faithfulness and because it is, we can be confident that grace and peace will persist as long as time endures. It’s this Divine Presence that is the hope of humanity, and not AI!

Thought for the Day: Why do I believe that life is communal?

1 Corinthians 1:3-6

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” vs. 3

Paul began his letters to the congregations by wishing them God’s grace and peace and his words have found their way into worship liturgies as an ultra familiar part of the ritual. Preachers frequently begin their sermons in the same way, almost as a signal to folks in the pews to settle down and start listening because the homily is about to begin. Since the greeting is so familiar it’s easy to miss its significance. In reality these two words, grace and peace, express the summation of all that God gives us in this good and broken world. Grace is such an expansive word that it’s hard to easily define. Put simply it is the free, rich, and powerful gift that God has so generously given to the world through the Lord Jesus Christ. It includes forgiveness, restoration, and new life, and is ours purely because God is good. Because of its cleansing power it is regularly paired with peace in Paul’s writings. Peace is what the human spirit craves beyond all other things, it’s a serenity that comes when we stop struggling to be what we are not. Often described as rest it’s the best way of describing our future life in Christ–one day all will rest in peace, as the riches of God’s grace are realized in full. What a blessing it is to hear these words so regularly in our worship and to then receive them into our hearts!

Thought for the Day: What keeps me from feeling at peace?

Psalm 80:17-19

“Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved.” vs. 19

The psalmist was thinking of the nation of Israel in his prayer, but his words have been used since in countless prayers, perhaps even our own. All face times in their lives when they are deeply conscious that things are not as they once were, that relationships have foundered, health has declined, or inflation has taken a bite out of savings. Whatever the situation we have a deep desire that there be restoration, that our old selves could be renewed, and that impending calamity could be averted. And so we pray–and sometimes restoration comes, and what a miracle that is! Whether it is in ourselves or someone we love, there is incredible joy. It feels so good to see and experience the healing, and all we can do is give thanks to God. But many times that restoration does not take place–our strength is not renewed, the relationship is not healed. Instead the decline continues–often as a corollary of the aging process, and we have to learn to adjust to our changing realities. But it’s funny! We keep on remembering how things once were, and we can’t help wishing for restoration, for a turning back of the clock. And we keep on praying for that miracle. But then one day we stop focusing on the past in favor of the great restoration that is to come, the ultimate merging with the Risen Christ. And amazingly enough, that hope too gives great joy!

Thought for the Day: Times when I’ve seen restoration first hand.

Psalm 80:1-7

“O Lord God of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers? You have fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in full measure.; vss. 4-5

The psalmist believed that Israel was God’s chosen people. In fact, most people with any degree of familiarity with the bible would likely agree. For generations this is what we’ve taught our children. For the most part it can be a helpful teaching, but one of its corollaries has been the cause of enormous difficulty for the church. It simply isn’t true that the Lord is only Israel’s God, and that other nations are unloved or have false gods. Such a narrow view of God does no one any good, and needs to be rejected out of hand. It’s a heresy that has continued to show itself wherever people have come to believe that their country has favored nation status in the eyes of God. We see signs of it in the Christian nationalism that has shown itself in recent years. Too many have come to believe that the United States has special status in the eyes of God and that we are the new chosen ones. The psalmist believed Israel’s problems were a sign that God was angry with them, and he pleaded with God to restore the nation’s favored position. The truth is that the fortunes of any country will ebb and flow with the passing years. And through all the ups and downs God is continually present–all people are God’s precious children–even those we consider enemies.

Thought for the Day: What is Christian nationalism?

Isaiah 64:1-9

“Yet, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.” vs. 8

The prophet was no fool. He knew that the people of Israel had not been living up to divine standards. In fact no one was even praying any more and even good deeds were no more than filthy rags. So he recognizes that the Lord has a right to indignation, and may be inclined to punish the people. But in his prayer he asks the Lord to remember who they are, and concludes, “we are all the work of your hand.”

And indeed, that’s who we all are. We are all a part of God’s family, and we include the bad and the ugly. We have been called “good” in our creation, but we are also broken. To use the language of the prophet, the Lord is our potter, and we are all cracked pots. And since Jesus has called us the light of the world, it’s a blessing to be cracked, because if it weren’t for the cracks, no light could escape and the world would be dark. It’s in our brokenness that we make connections and find unity with others in our suffering. It’s interesting, isn’t it, that the basic goodness of our creation remains even through the worst of times, and can regularly be seen and experienced in spite of our flaws and cracks. God’s handiwork can never be erased.

Thought for the Day: How do I know that I’m a cracked pot?