John 20:19-25

“So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.’” vs. 25

Thomas did not become famous through his first century missionary journey to southern India, but because he was the only disciple to doubt the reality of Jesus’ resurrection. Even non-religious people use his name, Doubting Thomas, as a label to describe anyone with the spirit of a skeptic. But doubt isn’t the only reason for his unbelief! In fact it would be more accurate if we called him “Absent Thomas,” because the primary reason for his skepticism was likely his absence when Jesus came to visit. He didn’t believe because he wasn’t there! Absence continues to be one of the major reasons why people lapse into unbelief and adopt doubt as a personal mantra. Skepticism isn’t likely the reason for the loss of faith among  followers of Jesus. Faith disappears because people just quit showing up! They abandon corporate worship! Everyone has doubts from time to time. It’s a natural corollary of faith–they go together. And when that happens there is nothing more helpful than the faith of fellow believers. Thomas didn’t drop out of the community when he had doubts, and he wasn’t kicked out. He remained with the others and in due time, his faith was restored. And so it is with us!

Thought for the Day: What do I do with my doubts?

1 Peter 1:3-9

“Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy,” vs. 8

This letter is addressed to believers living in five Roman provinces in what is now the country of Turkey. Some had suffered alienation from families and persecution by authorities because they had become followers of Jesus. Even though they had never seen him they had grown to love him, and more than that, they believed in him and were experiencing an indescribable and glorious joy. We can easily identify with those feelings. None of us have ever seen Jesus either–we know him only from scripture or the testimony of others. And yet by faith we have come to believe in him and find hope in his resurrection. We simply can’t overestimate the value of that faith. Against all reason and in the face of great skepticism we continue to trust that in Christ we have new life now and forever. There is really no good explanation for the depth of faith that so many exhibit. Even when things don’t go our way and when suffering touches our families, by the grace of God we continue to trust and love Jesus. And what’s even more astounding, people of faith are among the most joyful we will ever know. And it has nothing to do with material wealth or gain! The joy of the faithful comes purely as a gift of God’s Holy Spirit, and it remains with them forever.

Thought for the Day: What triggers joy for me?

Psalm 16:7-11

“You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” vs. 11

The psalmist knew that the recipe for the good life in this world was not rocket science. He says plainly that everything depends on our God-connection. Because the Lord is always at our side night and day, an ever-present source of strength and comfort in every difficult situation, we can live with confidence and daily joy. And the psalmist is right! A sense of the Divine Presence is of enormous benefit as we trundle our way through the ups and downs of the path of life. Our jobs and families can change–most of the time our personal predictions of the future are laughably off the mark. Circumstances of old age aren’t anything like what we once imagined. But in the resurrected Christ, at every stage, there is always new life and a palpable sense of calm. We know that in God’s hands there will be peace, no matter what new wrinkles in time that we encounter. To live with that kind of equanimity is an enormous gift, and it’s totally related to our faith that the Spirit of God is always at hand. When that faith is second nature to us, we give up our anxieties and worries, and life itself becomes a pleasure. As the psalmist puts it, it’s then that our hearts are glad, our souls rejoice, and our bodies rest secure.

Thought for the Day: What gives me fullness of joy?

Psalm 16:1-6

“The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; I have a goodly heritage.” vs. 6

The psalmist didn’t have anything to complain about as he sang praises to God. Life had been going pretty well, and his inheritance included properties that insured a prosperous life. There are many in our time who find themselves in similar situations. While some have accumulated goods and material wealth through hard labor and wise investments, others find themselves living the good life simply because of their life circumstances. Many believers are in that category. They have all they need for daily living, and more. They understand their benefits to be a part of God’s blessings, and most respond with generous thanksgiving. It’s not that God loves some people more than others! That certainly is not the case. But one way or another, many times because of the accidents of birth and educational opportunities, some of us end up with a lot of stuff. And it isn’t even so much that we have sought these things in life–they’ve simply come to us. Sometimes it’s almost embarrassing when we take inventory of what we have. To put it plainly, we have been blessed! In such circumstances it can be easy to fall out of touch with our Lord, sometimes by giving too much credit to our own efforts, and at other times by neglecting our spiritual health. How good it is when people of faith regularly offer thanks and praise to the One from whom all blessings flow!

Thought for the Day: How did I end up with so much stuff?

Acts 2:22-32

“But God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power.” vs. 24

Luke tells us that from the very beginning, even from Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost, the central message of the Church was that the crucified Jesus had been raised from the dead. He says that it was impossible for death to hold Jesus in its power. Later on Paul extends that teaching beyond Jesus, writing to the Romans that there is nothing in all creation, not even death, that can separate us from the love of God. And that’s the good news that is our bulwark as we move through these uncertain days beyond Easter. Scarcely a week goes by without news of one or another impending catastrophe, and some of us are now regularly hearing that one or another long-time friend or family member has died. It’s one of the realities of our temporal existence. And through those sobering moments when death seems so near, we cling to our faith and trust that God’s love will be our eternal companion. Just as wild flowers blanket the barron hills with their colorful displays every spring, we too will have new life. We may not know the shape of that continuing life–there is great mystery in the details–but we hang on to the hope. It’s the very best defense we have in the presence of our enemy, Death.

Thought for the Day: What is my prayer when I hear of a loved one’s death?

Acts 2:1-4a

“All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.” vs.4

According to the book of Acts the resurrected Jesus promised that the disciples would be filled with the Holy Spirit so that they might be his witnesses to the ends of the earth. That promise was fulfilled in a spectacular way on the day of Pentecost with a sound like the rushing wind and the appearance of tongues as of fire on each one of them. It’s striking that the very first gift of the Holy Spirit was the ability to speak in other languages, which would be a very handy thing if they were going to accomplish their mission. There’s nothing that opens doors faster than being able to speak other languages. That’s why language training is the first thing that happens when people are sent out on missions to foreign lands. In the story of the tower of Babel the language of the people was confused by the Lord and they were no longer able to understand one another. Pentecost turns that story upside down–in Christ all language barriers would be broken down, and all people would be able to hear the good news of the gospel in their own tongues. And to a great extent that is what has happened. With great effort on the part of linguists the New Testament has been translated into hundreds of languages. It’s one of the great gifts that the Church has been able to give the world.

Thought for the Day: What’s kept me from learning other languages?

Matthew 281-10

 “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.” vs. 5b-6

As we come to the end of Holy Week, it is fascinating to see the shifting emphasis of the gospel message. It started with our Good Friday remembrance of Jesus’ death on the cross, a sign of God’s great love, and a reminder that our sinful selves have died with him. That good news underlines the unconditional forgiveness that is ours in Christ Jesus. We have forever been set free from the chains of our past lives so that, in Paul’s words, we might walk in newness of life. And now on Easter the gospel message shifts. The women are told, “Do not be afraid,” and to move on from the empty tomb, and that Jesus will reconvene with them in Galilee. And then as the text continues, there’s another surprise. Jesus meets the women on the way–before they even get to Galilee! And that’s the second part of the good news! We don’t have to fear the future. Jesus has been resurrected and waiting to welcome us with open arms when we breathe our last, but more than that we’re going to meet him on the Way. Not only do we have freedom from the past and freedom for the future, but with the continuing presence of Jesus, we can have perfect peace in the present.

Thought for the Day: What keeps me from having perfect peace every day?

Romans 6:3-11

“Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” vs. 4

For Paul the death of Jesus was intensely personal. It’s not so much that he felt his sins had been forgiven on the cross, but he earnestly believed that in his baptism, his old self had been buried with Christ. Most of us have a hard time getting our heads around what he’s trying to say. We don’t necessarily think of our baptisms as a burial, and it’s really hard to make the connection between our sinful selves and what happened to Jesus on the cross. But some know exactly what Paul is talking about–they too have experienced it. They know what it’s like to die together with Christ because it’s happened in their lives. The old self has died, and, praise be to God, together with Christ they have begun to live a new life. And the difference between the old and the new is like night and day. That’s what had happened with Paul–in Christ he had been reborn. There was a definitive before and after–and it was all related to Good Friday and Easter. It’s that reality that gives hope for us all. We don’t have to continue to live as we have lived in the past. Because Christ has been raised from the dead, we too can walk in newness of life.

Thought for the Day: What was the old me like?

John 18:1-19:42

“When Jesus had received the wine, he said, ‘It is finished.’ Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” vs. 30

The writer of the Gospel of John represents the death of Jesus, not as a sacrifice for sin, but as the moment of his glorification. This was the point toward which his entire ministry had been heading, and now that he had arrived, he simply says, “It is finished,” bows his head and dies. There wasn’t anything left for him to do, no more healings, no more sermons, no more signs; the last item on his “to do” list was his mother’s care, and once he’d taken care of that, his mission was accomplished. Most people probably wish for that kind of death, though it’s not likely we’d like it to be on a cross. What a blessing it is to say to our loved ones when death draws near that we are ready! Of course that’s not true for all believers! For some the final words might be more like, “Wait a bit, Lord. I’ve got a lot more living to do.” And that’s okay–it’s a good thing to love life. But sooner or later all of us are going to reach the finishing line, and even if we’d prefer a few more months or years, it’s good for us and our families if we haven’t left things undone. And, more than having our wills in order, it’s especially important to have our spiritual lives in order. When our spirit is at peace, we’re really ready to go!

Thought for the Day: What’s on my “to do” list?

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

“For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” vs. 6

Holy Communion or the Lord’s Supper has enormous significance for the entire Christian community and is celebrated weekly in congregations all around the world. While practices differ and we have argued for centuries about the significance of the ritual, it is, for most believers, the central feature of worship. And, as Paul indicates in his letter to the Corinthians, it was there at the very beginning. He tells them that as they ate of the bread and drank of the cup, they proclaimed the Lord’s death again and again. And we’re still doing it! Even though some would prefer to focus our energy on Easter, the eating and drinking that is a part of our central worship ritual regularly draws us back to the cross. As we hear the words, “the Body of Christ broken for you,” and “the Blood of Christ shed for you,” we are reminded that the deep and profound love of God for humanity was demonstrated on the cross of Calvary. And as we eat and drink, we receive the forgiveness of sins and are filled with the strengthening life-giving power of the Holy Spirit. We don’t need any loud praise bands or eloquent preachers to know God’s love in worship. All we need is to taste the bread and wine and hear those most beautiful words, “Given and shed for you!”

Thought for the Day: What is my preferred way to have Holy Communion?