2 Timothy 4:1-5

“For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires…” vs. 5

Paul, looking back on decades of ministry, has some sound advice for the young preacher and teacher. “Proclaim the message,” he says “be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage,” and have patience. What Paul advises is not easy in these divisive times, and some pastors have gotten discouraged. Their heartfelt messages are often not well received–and they’ve discovered quickly that people don’t like to be rebuked or challenged. Partisan political and cultural lines have been drawn and people have learned to quickly take offense when lines are crossed. And because we live in a time when congregations are adept at adjusting their message to “itching ears,” people can easily find teachers who proclaim a gospel that suits their particular desires. And if the music and youth programs are outstanding, sound doctrine really doesn’t seem to matter. It’s likely that Paul would not have been surprised by the state of the church today–he’d had a boatload of experience with believers who had abandoned his teachings when a more eloquent speaker came along. The good news is that the gospel of Jesus Christ is continuing to be proclaimed and when all this silliness is over, by the grace of God and the power of the Spirit, millions of people will be walking in his Way. We’re not in charge!

Thought for the Day: What determines whether I stay or go in a congregation?

2 Timothy 3:14-17

“All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…” vs. 16

Early Christians didn’t start from scratch as they proclaimed the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Their whole message was based on the Hebrew Scriptures and most of them had been well-trained in its teachings before they became followers of Jesus. This was their community’s story and they found great inspiration in the writings of the law and prophets and in the psalms. They found that their study often gave them new insights into the teachings of Jesus, and they came to believe that his ministry was the fulfillment of scripture. Sadly, many contemporary followers of Jesus have little understanding or knowledge of these Hebrew Scriptures and only use them occasionally. They may pick out a verse here and there as a prooftext for whatever they’re trying to prove but have little appreciation for the Old Testament as a whole. What they miss is that the Old Testament is the foundational part of our community’s story and without it we have little hope of understanding Jesus, a man whose whole life was lived in the context of those ancient stories. Jesus was thoroughly Jewish, and not at all Christian, and all that he did and said flowed from the Hebrew Scriptures. To know him we will need to know them well!

Thought for the Day: What’s my favorite section of the Hebrew Scriptures?

Psalm 121

“The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore.” vs. 8

If we were to list our psalms of comfort this one would probably rank near the top. This psalmist understood God and he was able to provide a metaphor that describes the ever-vigilant nature of God better than any other. He writes, “I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Those of us blessed to live by mountains understand how good it is to have them as constant sentinels in our going out and our coming in. Decades pass, cities come and go, but the mountains are always there, never-changing through the years (at least to our eyes), a comforting solid presence. That’s how it is with the Lord, the Rock of our salvation! Everyday we go out into our uncertain changing world, and every evening we return. Our homes can change, growing larger through our early years, and then smaller as we learn the joy of downsizing. We all change, vigorous at first and then declining as the years take a toll–aAt the last our going out may be limited to a slow ride in a wheelchair to the dining room of our care center. Our circumstances inexorably change but like the mountains our Lord remains constantly present, our help in ages past and our hope for years to come.

Thought for the Day: What do mountains symbolize for me?

Jeremiah 14:19-22

“We acknowledge our wickedness, O Lord, the iniquity of our ancestors, for we have sinned against you.” vs. 20

According to Jeremiah the people of Judah acknowledged the iniquity of their ancestors and furthermore, confessed it to be their own. Their attitude contrasts with the attitudes of those in our time who refuse to accept any responsibility for the despicable acts of prior generations. In some places teachers are forbidden from teaching anything about the past that might make their students feel uncomfortable. The argument is simple: “Since I didn’t persecute Jews or hold slaves or drive indiginous people from their land, there is no reason for me to feel any guilt on behalf of those who did.” And many would agree. The problem is that the effects of those oppressive actions continue to be felt by millions of hurting people all over the world today. And the benefits gained by the oppressors continue to be enjoyed by their descendants. Whether we like it or not, we are connected to those who have gone before us! Jeremiah knew that–and says that confession is a community obligation. If he’s right, we at least have the responsibility to study the dark sides of our history as the people of God–and if it makes us feel bad, well, it’s never too late for repentance. With corporate confession there is at least the hope of changing how we behave. The truth is we can’t rewrite the future if we don’t know the past!

Thought for the Day: How have I benefited from the sins of my ancestors?

Jeremiah 14:7-10

“Why should you be like someone confused, like a mighty warrior who cannot give help? Yet you, O Lord, are in the midst of us, and we are called by your name; do not forsake us!” vs. 9

Judah was in a period of famine and drought, with powerful enemies closing in on every side, and they needed the Lord’s help. But nothing was happening, and the people were in despair. As was their custom they complained, perhaps hoping they could provoke the Lord into action. We’re not above those kinds of tactics ourselves. When things are not going well in our lives, blaming God is second nature, especially if we consider ourselves to be God’s chosen ones. Somewhere we’ve gotten the idea that God is just hanging around on the fringes of our lives, able to help, but choosing to not intervene. And if we’ve grown up believing that God is an interventionist, one who shows up in times of trouble to rescue and deliver, it’s natural to wonder what’s up when it seems we’re alone. The truth is, of course, that God is never apart from us and is inextricably involved in all that we are or do. When we feel forsaken God is right there with us in our forsakenness, and God uses those feelings to sustain and connect with us. Jesus was never so close to God as in the moment of his death on the cross, and so it is for us.

Thought for the Day: What are the blessings of forsakenness?

Luke 17:15-19

“Then he said to him, ‘Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.’” vs.19

Faith is a big word for the followers of Jesus. We run across it regularly as we read the scriptures and have discovered that it can have a variety of meanings. In this instance Jesus ascribes it to a Samaritan man who had been healed of his leprosy. Evidently all ten of the lepers had faith, they had trusted the instructions of Jesus and had headed off to see a priest. All of them were healed–their faith seems to have been synonymous with trust–they did what Jesus told them to do. But only the foreigner among them thought to come back and give thanks to Jesus. The story is familiar. We love to receive the blessings of God, the healings and the prosperity that are a regular part of life for people of faith. There’s probably not a day that goes by that we don’t reap the benefits of life in Christ, but very few seem to connect those gifts with God, and the ones who do often surprise us. It’s the outsiders, the people on the fringes, who are most likely to really “get it.” They make the connection between the graces that have been showered on them and the person of Jesus, and regularly give God thanks and praise. Most of the rest can scarcely even be bothered to worship! It’s not that they don’t have faith–it’s just that they feel entitled rather than grateful!

Thought for the Day: How do I show my gratitude to God?

Luke 17:11-14

“When he saw them, he said to them, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went, they were made clean.” vs. 14

As we’ve learned to live with COVID we’ve had to deal with ever-changing regulations for quarantine and travel. Once diagnosed we have to be able to show a negative test to resume normal activities, and that hasn’t always been easy. We’ve missed family gatherings and had to cancel trips, all in the interest of public health. Leprosy was the first century equivalent of COVID and the laws were stringent. Even when the rashes had disappeared, a person could rejoin the community only after being declared clean by the priests. So when Jesus encountered the lepers he sent them to the priests, and then, as they went, they were cleansed. The healing was evidently not immediate, but happened as they obeyed Jesus’ instructions. It’s a healing story that will be familiar to many. Often when disease or illness comes we’d love to be free of it as soon as possible, but that doesn’t happen. So we go to our healers, maybe at urgent care, and ask for help, and almost always we are given something to do. We could opt to do nothing and take our chances, but most often we’ll do as we’re told, and as we follow those prescriptions, ultimately healing does come. Sometimes it almost feels like a miracle! And our trust has been key!

Thought for the Day: What’s my healing story?

2 Timothy 2:14-15

“Remind them of this, and warn them before God that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening.” vs. 14

Religious folks love to wrangle over words, especially if they have been educated beyond their intelligence. We see it regularly in our congregations as people engage in ferocious debates over the different nuances of meaning in biblical verses. It would just be silliness if the results weren’t so divisive. But sometimes there have even been denominational splits because people have had contrary notions of what various words mean for proper theological understanding. Of course we’re not going to agree on the fine points of biblical knowledge, mostly because we’re starting from different perspectives. We end up talking past each other, nobody really listens, and onlookers get confused. Jesus didn’t send us into the world to win philosophical arguments or to convince unbelievers that some complicated theological formula was true. We have been sent to love and care for others no matter what their political or theological perspectives might be. And it does absolutely no good at all to argue with anyone in the process. Now it’s fun to learn and it’s always helpful for us to grow in our understanding of the scriptures, but the bible should never be used as a wedge or a club. And when our conversations grow divisive, we need to stop talking and go to lunch!

Thought for the Day: How have people misused the bible with me?

2 Timothy 2:8-13

“The saying is sure: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.” vss. 11-13

Being a Christian in the first century was a dicy experience. To be a believer was often dangerous. Persecutions and imprisonments were common. Leaders like Paul and others faced an uphill struggle in their proclamation of the gospel, and they spent much of their time offering encouragement to beleaguered believers. These few verses were likely part of a baptismal hymn that was familiar to many. They are a reminder of how important it was for believers to persevere and not be deniers of Christ. The words were a warning to be sure, but they also contain a promise that continues to bring hope. Hear again that word of grace, “If we are faithless, he remains faithful!” Wow! So often we think of faith as being our work, a trust commitment to Jesus that enables us to tap the riches of God’s grace. But God also has a faith commitment to us, and even when our reservoir of faith runs dry, God’s promises never fail. They are never revoked. Of course it is best when we can live out our lives in obedience to the gospel imperative–that goes without saying. But we have a God who will never ever allow us to miss out on the joy of reconciliation and forgiveness.

Thought for the Day: What might cause me to become faithless?

Psalm 111

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever.” vs. 10

For centuries there wasn’t much question about the primacy of the Lord. Pretty much everyone, at least in the Judeo-Christian heritage would have agreed with the psalmist–the Lord was in control and showered blessings over the entire earth. Our awesome God had power and might and was also gracious and merciful. But somewhere along the line, as new discoveries opened the way to miraculous technologies, humans began to believe that science was the key to a prosperous and bountiful future. There was no longer a need to practice the old religions–many said that we’d be better off without them. Unfortunately, modern thinking hasn’t produced the hoped for results, and now even science has fallen into disrepute. The new technologies have uncovered the ugliness of the human heart in ways we’d never dreamed possible and humanity seems to be foundering on the brink of destruction. Some are beginning to think that the psalmist had it right after all, that the fear of the Lord really is the beginning of wisdom. People are exploring the Great Mystery with new-found humility and coming to new understandings of the universe’s intricacies and order. We don’t need to abandon science–it can be a wonderful tool–but it can never replace the Lord.

Thought for the Day: How am I feeling about science?