Philippians 3:8-9

“For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ…” vss. 8b-9a

Paul knew what it was like to have a righteousness that was based on the law. He had spent his entire life paying attention to the details of ritual and ceremony that were at the core of the religious life, and he was good at it. At one point he had even been proud of his perfection. But when he met the resurrected Christ he realized in an instant that those things didn’t have anything to do with living a God-pleasing life. There’s a higher righteousness than simply following rules and showing up in church on Sunday. It becomes ours when we give up trying to be good and instead trust Christ. That way we’re not constantly going over the tapes of each day and trying to figure out where we went wrong or where we messed up. Doing that sort of thing is a great way to increase anxiety or depression, but it doesn’t do a thing for our well-being. Of course we’re going to fall short–that’s what sinners do! We’ve been doing it for years. But God isn’t in the reviewing game, constantly picking at our weaknesses, God is all about transformation and in Christ we are given daily fresh starts and regular cleansing. And it’s all a gift!

Thought for the Day: When have I come closest to living a perfect life?

Philippians 3:4b-7

“If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more…Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ.” vss. 4b, 7

It’s no accident that Paul was a recognized leader in the early Church–he had exceptional qualifications and was brimming with confidence. And he certainly had no ego issues–he was proud of his ancestry and never backed away from controversy. Yet as he sat in prison, thinking about his friends in Philippi, he came to realize that all the things he’d considered important were nothing when compared to the blessings that had come to him in Christ. His Christ connection was more valuable than lineage or learning or anything else that the world holds dear. That Pauline insight remains true in our own lives. It’s so easy to get caught up in credentials and grade point averages and academic degrees–and we’ve all met people who wear their Scandinavian heritage as a special point of pride. And then there are those for whom denominational connections are the central point of identity! They love being Lutheran or Baptist and give the distinct impression that any other denomination is definitely a lower tier form of Christianity. But really, if Paul is right, all that stuff is pure rubbish, and nothing to hang our hats on. All that really counts in this world is our connection to Christ–and Christ’s connection to us.

Thought for the Day: What do I like to brag about?

Psalm 126

“Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like the watercourses in the Negeb. May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.” vss. 4-5

Many of us have learned through bitter experience that when our smart phone or computer is malfunctioning, the first step in recovery is to reboot, to shut it down completely and then start it up again. Occasionally that works! Service is restored and we are ecstatic! The psalmist seems to have been looking for just such a reboot for Israel. He knew that in the past God had showered incredible blessings on their land, but now things were messed up again. And so he prays, “Restore our fortunes, O Lord.” Turn our tears to joy! Most people can identify. Though each of our lives are different, there are generally times when things go particularly well. Happiness abounds, or at least it seems to! But it doesn’t take much for things to go sour. Sometimes it’s user error, but often bad stuff just gets dumped in our laps. Illness comes, jobs disappear, families disintegrate, and at those times, like the psalmist, we pray for a reboot, a restoration of fortunes. What we often discover is that those down times, the reversals of life, are actually the seedbeds for growth, and our tears provide the nutrients for prosperity. We are never abandoned by God, and as shown in the life of Jesus Christ, even suffering can lead to restoration and resurrection.

Thought for the Day: What were the happy days of my life?

Isaiah 43:16-21

“Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” www. 18-19

Some people live with their eyes on the past. They long for the way things used to be and spend valuable energy trying to get back to original intent when interpreting the documents of the past. There’s much to admire about such an attitude. It’s important to recognize what has worked in the past and what has not–such study keeps us from making the same mistakes over and over again. Certainly that was true for the prophets of Judah–their people had found their identity from their common experience. But this prophet knew they couldn’t get stuck there! They’d never be able to recreate those formative experiences in the future. But they’d still be okay! And so it is for us. Our God is not bound to time but is continually present as we move into what seems an uncertain future. That’s especially true for the Church, the Body of Christ. There’s no way we can return to the 50’s and 60’s when so many of us came to faith and fell in love with Jesus. We can’t even go back to pre-COVID days when some of our congregations seemed so solid and strong. According to the prophet there’s a new day coming–God is always in the process of making a way in the wilderness–we will never be abandoned.

Thought for the Day: How do I feel about new ways in my congregation?

Luke 15:11b-32

“But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger!’” vs. 17

The prodigal had been living large, enjoying the seamy side of life and satisfying the needs of his body with self-indulgence. But then came the day he found himself scrounging for food in a pigsty, and his eyes were opened. As Jesus tells the story, he “came to himself!” So what had happened? Of course he was hungry, but there was likely something else involved. All people are created with God at their core, some call this presence the “Christ within.” For many the Christ is a hidden presence, unseen both by the self and by others. People can live their entire lives with little or no awareness of their divine spark. They follow animal survival instincts and focus on self-interest and being happy. They study, work, and play with the hope of one day retiring and doing whatever they please. But then comes the moment, triggered by any number of things, when they “come to themselves,” and sense the Christ within. For the prodigal this was accompanied by guilt and a desire to go home again, to reconnect with his father. He prepared himself to pay the price for his wandering, but was greeted instead by unconditional love. That’s exactly how it works for us. As we discover the Christ within we are overwhelmed by love–our folly is forgiven, and we are born again!

Thought for the Day: What can trigger a “coming to one’s self” moment?

Luke 15:1-3

“Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, ‘This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.’” vss. 1-2

Even though Luke was writing many years after Jesus’ ministry he clearly understood the reasons for the tension that had arisen between Jesus and the religious leaders. By welcoming sinners and eating with them Jesus was undermining centuries of religious tradition and practice. He identified with sinners to show them that they were included in God’s reconciling forgiveness and grace. The Pharisees and scribes presumably knew that God loved them–they just couldn’t believe that God also loved the outcasts and misfits. That’s still a hard ask for people who walk the straight and narrow and who are proud of their righteous living. Our dualistic minds can’t grasp the notion of inclusive love–universal reconciliation doesn’t make sense for us. Surely there has to be special merit piling up for our good works and careful obedience. So when Jesus showed up with wide open arms and a hug for all, for some it was like a slap in the face of goodness. What’s the point of being good if there’s a party for prodigals down the road? When the Pharisees grumbled, he smiled and told them a story, “Once a man had two sons…” and by the time he had finished talking he hoped they’d paid attention. They do seem to have gotten the point, but it didn’t make them love him any more!

Thought for the Day: Why is it fun to eat with sinners?

2 Corinthians 5:18-21

“that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.” vs. 19

Most of us regularly and faithfully affirm our faith in Jesus as the Christ, and that’s a good and wonderful thing to do. But as we make our confession we should not imagine that Jesus was the first or only Christ–we simply cannot limit our understanding of Christ to Jesus of Nazareth. Christ was present at creation, through Christ all things came into being, and ever since that beginning Christ has been the presence of God in the Universe. Paul says that the work of Christ was the reconciliation of the world to God. Who was Jesus of Nazareth? Well, Jesus was the incarnation of Christ, the manifestation of Christ for human eyes to see and hear. And in him the reconciliation has been made complete–the sins of the world will not be held against them. That message is so powerful, the most incredible news that any sinner could ever hear. All people, all things, have been reconciled to God in Christ! Do all people know that? Sadly, no! Most people still struggle with sin and all its symptoms. Ravaged by guilt they act out in painful and horrendous ways. Paul says that God has entrusted that message of reconciliation to us. Essentially, we too are Christs, and with every smiling word of hope, every loving act of justice and kindness, we are reconciling the world to God–just like Jesus!

Thought for the Day: Who was the Christ in whom I heard the good news?

2 Corinthians 5:16-17

“From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way.” vs. 16

Followers of Jesus love to explore his humanity–they read books about the historical Jesus and have debates about what he was really like. Some go on tours to the Holy Land to follow in his footsteps and see the places where the events of his life took place. For many it’s a profound spiritual experience–and there is value in knowing him from a human point of view. But Paul says that’s not what the life of faith is about. What had happened in Jesus was a movement, a sweeping up of people into ministry. It began along the shores of the Galilee and continued into Jerusalem and persisted through his death and resurrection until it spread through the world. Jesus of Nazareth died, but the Christ in him lives on through the Spirit and is alive in his Body today. In Christ we are a new creation and the movement begun in Jesus lives on. But sometimes it’s wearying to be a part  of a movement–it’s a lot easier to build monuments to Jesus and settle down. We did it in the Holy Land and our massive cathedrals are still there–and we do it with our church buildings and campuses. They are wonderful to look at, but they are not the Body of Christ! We only see that when we look in the mirror!

Thought for the Day: Why do people go to the Holy Land?

Psalm 32:6-11

“Do not be like a horse or a mule, without understanding, whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle, else it will not stay near you.” vs. 9

In recent months many have marveled at the divergent thinking that can emerge in times of crisis. Because all have access to multiple news and information sources, we have the opportunity to consider opposite points of view on just about every subject. And because some have declared that all news that does not agree with what they already believe is “fake,” the public has been hard-pressed to know exactly what the truth might be in any given situation. The result has been disheartening for our world! Where once people were capable of using their BS meters to figure out what to believe, too many seem to have lost the ability to use their critical thinking abilities to make rational choices. Some have even completely turned their backs on the basic lessons of history and science. We’re not like horses or mules who need to be led by bit and bridle through life. As the children of God, made in the image of God, we have been gifted with understanding and beautiful minds. We can make good and logical decisions that will lead to justice and peace. We can choose the way of love and avoid the way of division and hate. Those abilities are in our genes, and should never be sacrificed on the altar of closed and narrow thinking. 

Thought for the Day: What method do I use to discern the truth?

Psalm 32:1-5

“Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not hide my iniquity; I said, ‘I                                               will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ and you forgave the guilt of my sin.” vs. 5

For some reason many people seem to love carrying the burdens of the past as they try to make their way through a life that can at times be horribly difficult. Maybe they’ve been told that “big boys don’t cry” or have the impression that confessing vulnerability is a sign of weakness. The psalmist knew what that was like. He didn’t like to talk about stuff either–day after day he kept the past bottled up inside, even as his anxieties multiplied. Probably, like some of us, he became accomplished at maintaining a facade of contentment and would quickly deny that there were any issues in his life. But we can’t fool our bodies, and as our interior selves are stifled, there will be observable consequences for our health. Finally he gave up the pretense and unloaded to the Lord, pouring out all the pain and guilt he’d been keeping bottled up–and his life was transformed. It is said that confession is good for the soul and nothing could be more true. And it’s not just a matter of reciting a well-worn list of sins periodically. Confession at its core is laying bare all the pain and sorrow of our lives, everything we’ve been denying, all the weight we’ve been carrying. It’s not easy, but when it happens it’s as though we’ve been born again.

Thought for the Day: Who have been my confessors?