Philippians 2:1-4

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.” vss. 3-4

From time to time we run into people who actually follow Paul’s prescription for the life of faith. They’re all around us, and many can be found in our congregations. Sometimes we don’t even know that they’re there. By nature and conviction they call no attention to themselves, gladly remaining in the background and adopting a servant attitude and posture. It is people like this, from every walk of life, who are the bulwark of every faith community. Because they are completely overshadowed by the attention-grabbers who dominate the media we need regular reminders of their presence. The politicians, movie and television stars, athletes, and musicians who daily compete for our allegiance and support are the real nobodies of our world. They contribute little to our daily well-being and actually distract us from our calling to be the living presence of Christ to our families, friends, and neighbors. Oh what a different society we would have if more people chose humility instead of arrogance as a lifestyle! It’s not an easy decision. We’re taught from our earliest days that the squeaky wheel gets the grease and self-promotion is regarded as necessary in our ego-centered, success oriented culture. So putting the interests of others before our own may not come naturally, but it provides enormous dividends for the people of God.

Thought for the Day: Are people humble by nature or by choice?

Psalm 25:1-9

“Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for your goodness’ sake, O Lord!” vs. 7

All of us have a history! It begins in childhood and continues through our entire lives, and everything is recorded! Some would just as soon leave some early events out–they’re not proud of what they’ve done. The psalmist probably would have fallen in that category. He asks the Lord to forget about the sins of his youth and his transgressions. And unless we’re interested in writing our memoirs for posterity and want to be completely transparent, that’s not a bad idea. Some have stuff from the past that they’ve been dragging around for most of their lives–some even have the notion that they can’t ever change, that they’ll always be the way they’ve been, and that’s a pretty stagnating way to live. One of the basic principles of the Christ life is that our past does not define our future. We don’t have to keep on living unsatisfactory lives, and even if we’ve messed up royally in the past, there’s absolutely no reason to keep on doing that. We can change! Our old faults and failures need not define us. In terms familiar to most, we can be born again. That good news comes straight from the heart of the gospel, and is music to the ears of every sinner. Forget your past and embrace your future! Be surrounded by the steadfast love of God!

Thought for the Day: When does the past get me down?

Ezekiel 18:25-32

“For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, says the Lord God. Turn, then, and live.” vs. 32

Bad things had been happening to the people of Israel and many of them had concluded that all of this was the Lord’s fault and that the Lord could not be trusted. Ezekiel reminded them that all the bad stuff that had happened in the life of the Israelites was their own fault. If they wanted a better future for their nation, all they had to do was clean up their act. He sums it up by saying, “Turn, then, and live!” Those same words could be applied to many nations in our times too. All over the world we see countries struggling with the same issues: rising temperatures, unceasing wars, massive numbers of refugees, natural disasters of every kind, and some would say God has really messed up. Really! The truth is that the world faces impending disaster because of our own malfeasance. We live in a finely tuned beautiful creation, one that is highly sensitive to the changes wrought by humanity. If collectively we really do want a better future, the solution is the same as the one suggested by Ezekiel, “Turn, then, and live!” Things can improve! It all depends upon how much we want it, and how much we can change the way we’ve been operating. Unless we do, the years ahead will be pretty much like the ones we’ve been enduring!

Thought for the Day: What are the prospects of humanity changing?

Ezekiel 18:1-4

“Know that all lives are mine; the life of the parent as well as the life of the child is mine: it is only the person who sins that shall die.” vs. 4

It was written in the law of Israel, “I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation…”  The sentiment seems severe, yet we can see its truth. Children suffer because of what their parents and grandparents have done. They live in deplorable conditions and face enormous obstacles, not because of their actions, but because of what those who have gone before them have done. It’s as plain as the noses on their faces. Yet the prophet Ezekiel dares to put forward another great truth. A child is not liable for the sins of its parents. This hopeful corrective to the law means that we are not bound to walk in the ways of our ancestors. Even if they’ve been the scum of the earth, we don’t need to be that way. We can be different. This is much more in line with the teachings of Jesus and takes away the sense of inevitability for what happens in our lives. Every single person gets a fresh start in Christ Jesus and each person can chart their own path through life. Of course parents will have an influence, at the very least there will be a genetic connection, but they can’t determine our future–and we can’t blame them for how we’ve turned out.

Thought for the Day: What parental influences have I noticed?

Matthew 20:8-16

“Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’” vss. 14-15

In this delightfully composed parable Jesus describes how the owner of the vineyard pays the same daily wage to all the workers that he had hired, whether they had worked twelve hours or one. As we might expect, even though all had initially agreed to the wage, there was a mighty protest from those who had worked all day. In their eyes, it just wasn’t fair! And most of us would say “Amen”! In our world management can’t get away with such blatant inequities. But Jesus isn’t talking about some sort of labor dispute, this parable is all about God’s boundless compassion and steadfast love. But even though we know that, there are still some who think God is being unfair–they really don’t like the idea of equality when it comes to spiritual benefits. The idea that some are getting more or less than they deserve breeds resentment–and it’s a notion that is deep-rooted in our faith communities. In every congregation there is great disparity among members–some are generous, some not so much. And it’s just hard to accept that all have equal status in the eyes of God. What a blessing it is to find a congregation in which no distinctions are made, and all are content with what they receive!

Thought for the Day: What inequalities have I experienced in church?

Matthew 20:1-7

“When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went.” vss. 3-4

The disciples had made significant sacrifices when they decided to follow Jesus and there came a time when they wondered if their commitment had been worth it. Jesus does his best to assure them that they were on the path of salvation, but then he had added these enigmatic words, “But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.” He followed this up with a mind-blowing parable about the landowner who went looking for workers in his vineyard at different times of the day. Initially it sounds reassuring. Everyone is going to be paid “whatever is right.”

And the workers were perfectly content with that promise. Most of us fall into that category. When we decided to follow Jesus we didn’t even concern ourselves with what benefits we would receive. It was enough to know that as we walked in the Way, the Spirit would fill our hearts with love and set our minds at ease. The new life in Christ is reward enough in itself–we don’t have to worry about a payday at the end. Of course there is work to do on the Way–we have been entrusted with the loving and serving that is part of Jesus’ mission. But God will take care of us and we will receive what is right.

Thought for the Day: What are the wages of life in Christ?

Philippians 1:27-30

“Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel…” vs. 27

There’s a lot we can get away with as followers of Jesus. After all, we have been set free in Christ from all the restrictions of the law, and can pretty much do as we please. And some do! These folks follow the impulses of their flesh and pretty much talk, cheat, and drink their way through life, with little thought of consequences. As long as they don’t kill or steal, pretty much every vice is available to them. Since they will periodically show up for worship they’re fully aware of the unconditional love of God. Occasionally, when needs arise, they will even pray. Such is the life of the nominal Christian. It’s a good life! And not very costly! But still we wonder. Is this what Paul had in mind when he spoke of living our lives in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ? It’s pretty obvious that the answer is no. When most Christians are more passionate about their sports teams than they are the faith of the gospel, our congregations will be impotent and dying. What’s the answer? Well, there’s no need to return to the days of fire and brimstone, but praise God for Spirit-filled followers of Jesus whose every word and deed is a reflection of the gospel!

Thought for the Day: What’s a nominal Christian?

Philippians 1:21-26

“I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better; but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you.” vss. 23-24

While in prison Paul began thinking about death and then shared his reflections in this letter to his friends in Philippi. Knowing that death was not the end and that there would be new life for him in Christ, he wasn’t afraid to die. But he also knew that to remain alive would give him an opportunity to continue sharing the good news of Jesus. It’s interesting how our thoughts about death change as we begin to get older. In our younger years we generally are focused on the joys and pleasures of being alive. Many of us have work that we love, and we don’t even like to think about any of those good things coming to an end. But sooner or later we’re forced to come to grips with our own mortality. No matter how much we cling to life it becomes obvious that there will be an end. When that happens it’s a blessing to realize that new life in Christ awaits, but it’s even better to know that life, even beyond the golden years, is still worth living, especially when we are still loved and appreciated by others. And if we still have work to do, all the better–each added month is a blessing. Paul is right! For people of faith, death is a defeated enemy–there’s no way that we can lose!

Thought for the Day: What do I do with thoughts of dying?

Psalm 145:1-8

“One generation shall laud your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.” vs. 4

As we get older we often think of our legacy, those things which we will pass on to the next generation. For some that will involve material possessions, a generous inheritance or some precious artifacts that we have managed to collect. Those are obviously good things, particularly if they can be turned into cash and used to increase our children’s investment portfolios. (They’re not likely to be quite so thrilled with furniture or used golf clubs.) But the psalmist says that our most important bequest is the passing on of our faith. This is a toughie for many of us. Sometimes it seems as though our heirs are as little interested in our spiritual convictions as they are the contents of our closets. But the truth is that they are watching how we live, not so much the words we say, but they do notice how we practice our faith. And when they see our God connections, they are being influenced, particularly if we believe with the psalmist that “the Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” That good news has been passed from one generation to another for thousands of years and we can be confident that ours will not be an exception.

Thought for the Day: How is the next generation being influenced by my faith?

Jonah 4:2-11

“But God said to Jonah, ‘Is it right for you to be angry about the bush?’ And he said, ‘Yes, angry enough to die.’” vs. 9

As Jonah pouted outside the city of Nineveh, he was grateful for the shade offered by a bush God had graciously provided for his protection. But then the plant withered and died. With the sun beating down Jonah became even more angry, and the Lord questioned his right to be angry about the bush. It’s an almost amusing conversation, a reminder of our total lack of perspective in the way we perceive the world. We get angry about the dumbest things, flying into rage at being cut off on the freeway, and going into a three-day funk because our team’s running back fumbled at a crucial moment. We flood social media with racist comments and libelous insults, all because we’ve gotten angry something hasn’t gone our way. In the meantime there are floods, earthquakes, and wars with thousands of casualties that we mostly ignore because we aren’t touched by their consequences. We complain about homeless people on our streets and then are enraged when a city buys a motel to house them. How in the world did it come to be, that we who live so well, get so hateful and upset about little things, and blithely ignore the real issues of our time. Where does all that rage come from? It’s certainly not from Christ!

Thought for the Day: Why are so many filled with rage?