Psalm  96:1-9

“Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.” vs, 7

To his credit, the psalmist did not consider the Lord to be Israel’s national God. Even though there was a temple in Jerusalem, there was no statue of the Lord to be found there. The God of Israel was also the God of the nations, and the psalmist dreamed of a day when all the families of the peoples would ascribe to the Lord glory and might. It is a worthy vision but it hasn’t come close to being a reality. Instead the world is adrift with gods galore and even people of the same religion or faith are hopelessly split by their contradictory definitions of the Divine Presence. We can agree in theory that there is but one God but we show by our practices that we prefer the old gods of our various traditions. We’re separated by our rituals and dogmas and will fight to the death to preserve our separate ancient creeds. Instead of being a great unifier, religion has continued to be a source of division and even warfare. Our most horrendous atrocities continue to be those done in the name of religion–is it any wonder that millions have sworn off religion altogether? Some even say that humans would be far better off if they stopped ascribing allegiance to any god–and it’s hard to make a good argument against such a notion. Perhaps some day we’ll grow up and truly become one people under God. Who knows?

Thought for the Day: What might cause me to give up on faith?

Isaiah 45:5-7

“I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form light and create darkness, I make weal and create woe; I the Lord do all these things.” 6b-7

According to Isaiah, Cyrus, the Lord’s anointed, did not know the Lord, but that didn’t make any difference. Because God is, all things have their being in God. In fact, Isaiah says, not only do light and darkness come from God, so do both good and evil! That thought may seem offensive to those who say things like “God is good,” and who blame evil on demonic, satanic beings who have somehow infiltrated God’s good world. There are in fact many who prefer that easy to understand dualistic view of existence, and we can find bible verses to back up that perspective. But Isaiah doesn’t think that’s an adequate way to understand existence. For him all things have their origin in God. And when we think about it, that way of looking at things makes a lot of sense. Neither good nor evil can even exist without the presence of the other! And if we’re not a fan of the word “evil” perhaps we could simply say, “the world is both good and broken.” Put that way most all of us can agree, because that’s how we experience it! Granted, we have a strong preference for the “goodish” side of things, both in ourselves and in others. But we’re never surprised when the cracks and flaws show up. That’s just how it is in God’s good world!

Thought for the Day: What would life be like if there were no evil?

Isaiah 45:1-4

“Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped to subdue nations before him and strip kings of their robes, to open doors before him— and the gates shall not be closed:” vs. 1

Talk about the ironies and the vagaries of history in the Middle East! Back in the days of Israel’s captivity in Babylon, the prophet wrote that Cyrus, the king of Persia, was the Lord’s anointed, and that Cyrus would be the Lord’s right hand in setting Israel free and in bringing them back to their homeland. Fast forward to the present and we find Iran (modern day Persia) vowing to leave no stone unturned in driving Israel into the sea. It’s a reminder that in reality no nation can make a claim to be God’s favorite–and while the policies of any one nation or people have enormous effect on their neighbors for good or for evil, ultimately all people are under God. And while there is little doubt about the immediate cause of the war between Gaza and Israel, it is also true that the root causes go back for many hundreds of years. Our role as the followers of Jesus is to pray for an end to the violence and to reach out to those who are suffering, both Jews and Palestinians. We pray that a new anointed one would be raised up and that one day out of the pain there would emerge healing and restoration.

Thought for the Day: What can I do in this moment of crisis?

Matthew 21:11-14

“But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?’ And he was speechless.” vss. 11-12

Matthew really didn’t need to add this little addendum to Jesus’ parable. Up to this point the story was straightforward and blunt, and it had a happy ending–the banquet hall was filled. But now we have this bit about a guest without a wedding robe, and it isn’t at all clear what the problem was. It doesn’t seem to have been a minor faux pas either–the man was thrown out of the hall and into a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth. The only clue is in the final verse, “For many are called, but few are chosen.” This mysterious phrase points to one of the realities of life in a faith community. Just because people have become a part of the church doesn’t mean they’ll all be clothed with white robes of righteousness. Sometimes we run into real rascals in our congregations, and we can’t always trust that our brothers and sisters in Christ are going to be paragons of virtue. It really gets tough when these people are those that we’ve come to call “friends.” This may not be what this parable is about, but it could be, and it’s likely something that we’ve all experienced.

Thought for the Day: Times when friends weren’t who we thought they were.

Matthew 22:1-10

“…while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.” vss. 6-7

In this parable Jesus tells about a king who issued invitations to the wedding banquet of his son, and how some who received the invitation actually responded by mistreating and killing the messengers. In his story the king was enraged, sent troops, and destroyed the murderers and their city. As we read these words this week we cannot help but think of what has happened in Israel–only what we’re hearing and seeing isn’t a story, it’s an actual event. Hamas has committed an atrocity, and now Israel, full of anger and rage, is in the process of destroying Gaza. Obviously, we can have long conversations about context and the long simmering tensions between Israelis and Palestinians, but for now what we are seeing is pure hatred and revenge, and we fear that what we are seeing is only the beginning of even more bloodshed and loss of life. Ironically, Jesus’ parable ends with a great wedding banquet and a wedding hall that is full of guests, both the good and the bad. Is it too much to hope that someday this parabolic scene might become a reality, and that Jews, Palestinians, and Christians, both good and bad, could sit down together to eat and drink a celebratory meal? Some would say “No way,” but surely there is always room for hope, even if it’s an impossible dream!

Thought for the Day: When is revenge ever satisfied?

Philippians 4:6-9

“Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” vs. 8

Paul’s final admonition to the Philippians is worthy of our attention, and many would reply to it with an “Amen.” It is important to focus our thoughts on those things which are uplifting and edifying–it’s a good way to keep from spiraling into depression by being caught up in negativity. Some have had a hard time doing this during these last few days as events have spun out of control in Israel and Gaza. The news reports and videos have been heartbreaking–many have a hard time even looking at the scenes that are being broadcast to the world. The atrocities are  beyond comprehension! In the face of this barrage, many have chosen to take Paul’s words to heart. They deny the images and the stories entry into their conscious minds and choose to focus instead on what is honorable, pure, and commendable in their immediate surroundings. It just breaks their hearts to see the horror, and they would rather not deal with it. We can understand that decision.  At the same time we know that people of faith can’t turn away from suffering and pain any more than Jesus could have turned away from the cross. It’s just that sometimes it really hurts to see the pain!

Thought for the Day: How do I deal with horrifying news?

Philippians 4:1-5

“Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved. I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.” vss. 1-2

For centuries Pauline scholars have wondered what it was that Euodia and Syntyche had been up to that caused Paul to mention them in his letter to the Philippians. Evidently both were equally culpable, but all we know is that they were active in  the congregation, and were not of the same mind about something. Of course it’s not a surprise to find folks were bickering in Philippi, after all, the same thing happens regularly in every one of our faith communities. The reasons vary. There seems to be no limit to the things that cause people to get irritated and voice their complaints. Sometimes we disagree about matters of substance, but mostly the issues that come up seem petty and superficial. But no matter what the cause, the disagreements do affect the feeling of unity within the Body. For Paul this was a big deal–he wanted all the believers to have the same mind within the congregation that they had in Christ Jesus. And that can happen even when we have different opinions. We don’t all have to think alike or belong to the same political party, but we can be one in the Lord. And when that does happen among us, it really is a beautiful thing!

Thought for the Day: What do people bicker about in my congregation?

Psalm 23

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.” vs. 6

The psalmist knew that he continually lived in the Divine Presence. There was never a day when he was apart from God, and as a result goodness and mercy were his constant companions. He had the kind of close connection that many crave, and few seem to have. It really is a gift to have that intimacy, and people all around the world, from every kind of religion, keep trying to figure out how to make it happen. Of course it has little to do with theology or doctrinal purity, and it isn’t even necessarily connected with going to church. In the end, the road to unity with God isn’t that complicated or difficult. The simplest formula can probably be summed up as “Be still and know that I am God.” Those few words hold the key to a God connection that can be sustained for a lifetime. For some, those words lead to a regular practice of meditation, a sustained period of silence in which we let go of our thoughts and efforts to connect, and allow our souls to be restored. In those moments the God who is fills our presence with goodness and mercy and we learn to live in God’s perfect peace. Why doesn’t everyone do this? Well, the truth is that it’s hard to be still! And when we can’t be still we really miss out!

Thought for the Day: What keeps me from being still?

Isaiah 25:6-9

“On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines…And he will destroy on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all peoples, the sheet that is spread over all nations; he will swallow up death forever.” vss. 6a, 7

Isaiah had a vision for this world that extended far beyond the power politics of warring Middle Eastern nations and the relentless thirst for violence that has bedeviled humanity from the beginning. One day, he says, the Lord will prepare a rich feast for all the peoples of the earth and swallow up death forever. That’s exactly the vision of the future that our world has needed in every tormented age, and especially in these latter days. Everyday we hear stories of unspeakable cruelty and many can’t even imagine how it is that people in the 21st century can behave in such barbaric ways. We would like to believe that in this time of advanced knowledge and progressive thinking it would be impossible for such things to take place. It would seem that in the right circumstances anyone can engage in wanton killing, and even find justification for our behaviors. Can it really be that Isaiah is right and that one day there will be a heavenly banquet at which all people will feast and be satisfied? It’s hard to believe, but such is the promise of scripture–and we can only hope that it’s true!

Thought for the Day: What might lead me to become a killer?

Isaiah 25:1-5

“For you have been a refuge to the poor, a refuge to the needy in their distress, a shelter from the rainstorm and a shade from the heat.” vs. 4

As a prophet Isaiah regularly took the people of Israel to task for behaviors unbefitting the people of God. He pointed out their sin and called them to repentance, but those words of judgment should not imply that he believed God to be angry and vengeful. Indeed Isaiah had the highest regard for God and understood that God is a refuge to the poor and to the needy. The downtrodden don’t stand much of a chance in this world of tyrannical rulers and dominating powers. Those who battle to control the wealth of the nations simply don’t care about those on the bottom of the economic ladder. But as God works through the hands and feet of the faithful millions, the poor are given relief and the needy are lifted up in their distress. In times of earthquake, flood, and scorching heat God gives shelter and enables survival for the broken and forlorn. If ever we should wonder where God is, we should look for those places where the least of these are being fed, clothed, and sheltered. It is God who gives asylum, who offers work permits and green cards. This is how God operates. Isaiah knew it and gave praise and thanks! And so do we!

Thought for the Day: What signs of God do we see in the lives of the rich and powerful?