Psalm 23:1-3

“He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul.” vss. 2-3a

For some these words from Psalm 23 call to mind a tranquil day on the golf course, minus the traps and the out-of-bounds. For them golf is exactly what the psalmist is describing, a restful day on beautifully contoured green fairways with calming water features always at hand. It’s a beautiful experience! Of course for most these verses are a reminder of God’s never-failing care in a confused and frenzied world. They direct us to relax and to put our cares into the hands of the Good Shepherd, to maybe take a nap in the middle of the day, and trust that God will provide restoration for our souls. Now it’s not easy to put all our burdens in the hand of the Lord–we try so hard to figure out how to fix ourselves and others, and sometimes wish that God would just tell us what to do. And then there are the times when our lives seem like a cattle stampede, one with wranglers waving their hats and dogs nipping at our heels. We find ourselves racing along without any idea of where we’re headed. What a blessing it is when we can learn to settle into the gentle rhythms of the Shepherd, patiently biding our time, confidently trusting that all is being taken care of, and that the Shepherd is even present to us through the times of dark shadows.

Thought for the Day: When am I the most relaxed?

Acts 2:42-47

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” vs. 42

Luke writes that after Pentecost the followers of Jesus, remembering his teachings about the folly of riches and the accumulation of wealth, practiced communism in their faith community. They had all things in common, sold their possessions and distributed the proceeds to all, as any had need. Undergirding those practices was a community life that centered on the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayers. It shouldn’t surprise us to see that those four elements have continued to support the Body of Christ through its entire existence. While there are certainly variations, this is the Spirit-led pattern for sustaining vitality in every congregation. In fact, congregations who are serious about evaluating their ministry focus will carefully consider how these four pillars can be strengthened and broadened. Luke tells us that this Jerusalem congregation won the good will of all the people and that their numbers increased daily. We can’t say that merely imitating early Christians is the answer to the dwindling numbers being experienced in our congregations, but it certainly couldn’t hurt. Even though communism, for a lot of reasons, has fallen out of favor among believers, these practices are the conduit through which the power and presence of the living Christ flows into the Body and when they are neglected the whole Body suffers.

Thought for the Day: Where are those four pillars present in my congregation?

Luke 24:25-34

“Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.” vs. 35

The post-resurrection appearances of Jesus, as recorded in the gospels, are mysterious and compelling. Each of the gospels has different stories with surprise endings and various twists. Luke’s account of the appearance to two unnamed disciples on the road to Emmaus has long spoken to the hearts of believers in every age. Some would argue that it’s the very best way of describing what happens in Holy Communion and helps to explain why this sacrament is the central part of our worship. As Jesus sat down at table, took the bread and blessed it, and then gave it to the disciples their eyes were opened and they recognized him. Through the centuries countless others have had similar experiences in Holy Communion, but that’s not the only way Jesus is made known to us. He really does walk with us on our journey, and while we may not recognize that he is there, there will be occasions along the way where, by very ordinary means, he is made known. As with the disciples those moments will be fleeting, a momentary flash of recognition, but they are precious times, regular reminders of his very real presence in our lives. And when we really do want to make a connection, it’s a blessing to know that he’ll always show up in the eating and drinking of Holy Communion.

Thought for the Day: How has Jesus been made known to me?

Luke 24:13-24

“Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.” vs. 24

It’s really hard for any of us to believe in things that we have not experienced. And if we are going to believe in them we will need to have supporting evidence. According to Luke that’s what disciples of Jesus were looking for when they were told by some women that Jesus was alive. They wanted proof, so they went to the tomb–and found nothing. The body of Jesus was missing! For some of them, that evidence was not enough, they needed more than an empty tomb to believe in a risen Christ. Now for many people lack of evidence isn’t an issue when it comes to belief. They will accept the most preposterous ideas and theories on the flimsiest of evidence or even with no evidence at all. And if they want to believe something bad enough they’ll even manufacture evidence. So is that the way it is with our faith in the resurrection of Jesus?  Some would say so. They can see no convincing proof that he is alive. But from the beginning millions of others have chosen to believe–even hard-nosed skeptics like Paul and Thomas were convinced, and spent the rest of their lives proclaiming that good news. They experienced the Risen Christ first hand, and that was all the evidence they needed.

Thought for the Day: What evidence fuels my faith in the Risen Christ?

1 Peter 1:21-23

“You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God.” vs. 23

Early believers thought of themselves as having been born anew by the implanting of the living Word of God in their hearts through faith. They had then been gathered by the Holy Spirit into small communities where they were bound together in mutual love where, in this writer’s words, they were “to love one another deeply from the heart.” It’s this vision of small loving communities that continues to draw people into the life of faith. There is nothing in this fast-paced world of artificial intelligence and virtual reality that even comes close to satisfying that basic human need. The love that is experienced in small communities centered in Christ transcends the divisive political rhetoric that is slowly destroying our nation. In these groups people are determined that nothing in all creation, no principality or power, no hateful speech or bigotry will be able to overcome the undying love that comes straight from the heart of God. Members will stand with each other through every tragedy and triumph, and regularly offer prayers of encouragement and consolation.  This can only happen when the tie that binds them together is rooted, not in a common ideology, but in the sacrificial love of Christ. What a blessing it is when the Holy Spirit delivers us into the hands of such a faith fellowship! 

Thought for the Day: Where do I find loving community?

1 Peter 1:17-20

“You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish.” vss. 18-19

It’s no accident that the liturgies of many congregations contain references to Jesus as the Lamb of God. After all that’s the language of scripture. Sacrifice was at the heart of Jewish temple worship, and it was natural that the Jewish followers of Jesus would see his death on the cross as a sin offering. As this writer put it, we are ransomed from sin by the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without defect or blemish. In recent years this descriptive language has fallen out of use among some believers–for them it’s an archaic image that needs to be replaced. The problem is that when we avoid the transactional language, a ton of passion drops out of the Passion Story. We’re left with a brave revolutionary who died at the hands of a dominating power, a kind of Che Guevara figure, someone who we remember with an image on a t-shirt or a poster on the wall. Even though we may not like sacrificial language in describing what Jesus did, there is no denying that his sacrificial death speaks to our hearts. And while the minds of literalists may boggle at the notion of an ancient death having anything to do with forgiveness, countless folks continue to believe that the blood of Jesus has been shed for them.

Thought for the Day: In Communion, what does “shed for you” mean?

Psalm 116:12-19

“What shall I return to the Lord for all his bounty to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord, I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.” vss. 12-14

The psalmist was alive–he’d been as good as dead, cried out to the Lord, and had been restored to health. Now what? In his mind there remained only one thing to do–he would raise a drink to the Lord and make an offering of thanksgiving before the congregation, and everyone would know how grateful he was to the Lord for the gift of life. We may not have made a miraculous recovery from a horrible illness like the psalmist, but nearly all of us can identify with his delight in being alive. But unlike the psalmist we have a dickens of a time finding the time or inclination to return thanks to God for this most precious gift. Oh we might breathe a prayer of thanks as the glorious light of the sun wakes us in the morning, but it doesn’t dawn on us to use Sun day as a time to offer those praises in the presence of the faith community. That’s what “going to church” is! Worship isn’t about “getting something” out of songs and a sermon, it’s part of the rhythm of creation, a time to gather with the faithful to give thanks to God for the gift of life.

Thought for the Day: What is my main reason for worshiping?

Psalm 116:1-4

“The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish. Then I called on the name of the Lord: ‘O Lord, I pray, save my life!’” vss. 3-4

The psalmist had a powerful story of deliverance that he believed would lift up and encourage the entire congregation of believers. He’d been close to death, perhaps with a dread illness, and had cried out to the Lord for help. And he had been restored to health! And now as he gave his testimony with abundant thanksgiving he made sure that God got all the credit for his recovery. We hear these stories in our congregations too. Occasionally they’re shared in worship. Those are powerful and moving times. Tears flow as people recount their experiences with tragedy, prayer, and recovery. And always the stories end with a declaration of deep and profound gratitude to God. It’s the most natural thing in the world to give glory to the Lord for healing in every circumstance–and when the whole congregation joins in the thanksgiving, every heart is filled with joy. Of course there will also be times when prayers seem to go unanswered and suffering continues. In those times, quite naturally congregations will join in the grieving. But those moments are no reason for doubting the efficacy of prayer! Healing is a mystery and when restoration occurs, it deserves full-throated songs of thanksgiving and praise to God. Healing is hard-wired into the universe and we should never be surprised when it comes.

Thought for the Day: How do I celebrate healing?

Acts 2:14a, 36-41

“So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added.” vs. 41

According to Luke Peter got quite a response to his Pentecost sermon in Jerusalem. While the number 3000 can be questioned, there’s no doubt that not long after Jesus’ crucifixion, many Jews joined the ranks of the believers. Some of them may have been in the crowd shouting for his death, but when they heard Peter’s words they were convicted and wanted to know what they could do to make up for what they had done. Peter invited them to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus, receive the forgiveness of sins and be filled with the Holy Spirit–and thousands were baptized. Some wonder if that sort of thing could ever happen again. We live in a time when some congregations are declining in membership–some receive members by baptism only occasionally. Pastors are wondering if we are witnessing the last days of the Church. Everyone seems to have an opinion, and new strategies are being plotted–surely there has to be some way of reinvigorating our congregations and filling them with the spirit of Pentecost. It’s almost as if people see no need for repentance or baptism and are bored with the good news of Jesus. Of course believers know that Christ has risen and isn’t going away, but shouldn’t there be more excitement about the new life he offers? Maybe the old, old story needs a makeover! People are wondering!

Thought for the Day: What can reinvigorate our congregations?

John 20:26-31

“Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.’” vs. 27

Thomas had told the other disciples that he would not be convinced of Jesus’ resurrection unless he could touch his wounds–he didn’t need another sign, the scars would be enough. He needed to know that the resurrected Christ was the crucified Jesus! And his wish was granted. Jesus appeared, Thomas saw the wounds and confessed Jesus as his Lord and God. John’s account of this experience reminds us again that it’s in our woundedness that we offer the most convincing testimony to the continuing presence of Christ in our lives. We can tell story after story of our successes and the strength of our spirituality in an effort to impress others, but until they see our scars, our words will be empty and unconvincing. It’s only when we dare to pull aside our facades and allow people to see our scars and pain that we gain authenticity. In these moments, when pretending is put aside, connections are made on a deep and a personal level. It’s here that we become credible to others and doubting is turned to believing. That’s why the most trusted and respected spiritual leaders, both clergy and lay, are sometimes known as “wounded healers.” They can bear witness to the joy of the resurrection life because they have never covered up the marks of their suffering.

Thought for the Day: Wounded healers I have known!