Genesis 18:23-32

“Then he said, ‘Oh do not let the Lord be angry if I speak just once more. Suppose ten are found there.’ He answered, ‘For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.’” vs. 32

The men around the fires must have chuckled at the sheer effrontery of Abraham as the old story was told, retold, and then remembered. He had dared to bargain with God to save the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah–and he had been successful. Of course it hadn’t made any difference. Sodom and Gomorrah had been destroyed anyway but Abraham had made a name for himself. Some folks still try the bargaining route in dealing with God. When they’re facing some sort of crisis and  lives hang in the balance their last resort is to make a deal with God. They reason that if the right terms can be struck God will come around to their point of view, and they’ll get their way. The bargaining is understandable, most all of us do it, and it obviously has a long history among religious people. The problem that this isn’t who God is, and it most certainly isn’t how God operates. Answered prayers are rooted in the mystery of who God is, but don’t happen because we’ve convinced God to be merciful. God is by nature gracious and merciful, and no matter what happens in our lives, God will be present with strength and support. We’ll be sustained in our weariness and have our joy restored. It happens again and again–and that’s how God works in our world!

Thought for the Day: When have I bargained with God?

Genesis 18:20-22

“Then the Lord said, ‘How great is the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah and how very grave their sin!” vs. 20

For the early part of the Twentieth Century Los Vegas was known as “Sin City,” a place where decadence and immorality were a part of the culture. The phrase “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” was coined to reflect that reputation, and is still quoted with a wink and a smile when people speak of spending time there. Other American cities like New Orleans or San Francisco, rightly or wrongly, have similar stories told about them, and they all bring to mind the ancient story of Sodom and Gomorrah from Genesis. Back then it was taught that such cities would eventually catch the attention of the Lord, and that there would be hell to pay. There are some who still feel that way, and some preachers were quick to bring up Sodom when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005. They implied that the wholesale destruction was the work of the Lord and could have been predicted. In reality of course, such stories always are told post-disaster and are always unhelpful in helping us understand the destruction that periodically comes from volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, earthquakes, or weather events. Yes, those things do happen, and sometimes thousands die, but it’s not because the victims were worse sinners than anyone else. That’s just not how God operates!

Thought for the Day: Why are natural disasters called “acts of God”?

Luke 10:41-42

“But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.’” vss. 41-42

Many of us can identify with Martha. Like her we are worried and distracted by many things. Even though we’re surrounded by technologies designed to make our lives easier, life seems to have increased in its complexity. Professional and relational challenges abound, and the quality of leisure time has been compromised–everything seems harder than it should be. Even vacations can become massive distractions and occasions for worry. The sad by-product of all this activity is the decline of worship, meditation, and contemplation in our lives. When our days were more predictable and we didn’t have a fixation on being productive, all of us had time each week to feed our spirits and care for our souls. Now, with increasing screen time and declining attention spans, we’re hard-pressed to find even a few minutes a day for rest and leisure. It took some gumption for Mary to simply sit and listen while her sister fumed. Sometimes that’s what it takes to carve out time with Jesus–to say no to culture and yes to the Spirit. Perhaps it’s time for the rest of us to choose the better parts of life, those things which shall not be taken away from us.

Thought for the Day: How important is it to me to be productive?

Luke 10:38-40

“But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.’” vs. 40

Martha had been well-schooled in her culture’s practice of hospitality. Like Abraham centuries before she knew what to do when Jesus and his disciples dropped by for a visit. She prepared bread, whipped up a vegetable salad, got out the best hummus and spent hours in the kitchen getting the various courses ready. Jesus was more than a teacher, he was a friend, and she wanted him to enjoy the best. But she hadn’t counted on her sister, Mary, plopping herself down in the midst of the men and listening to everything Jesus had to say–and it made her mad. She’d had to do everything by herself! We know the feeling! When we’ve got work to do, and could use some help, it’s irritating when our helpers desert us. But Martha knew what to do. She brought her complaint to Jesus–and then implied that it was his fault. And in a way it was! The message of liberation that he was proclaiming had caused Mary to conclude that it was okay for her to sit among the men. For those times this was radical–and as the centuries passed more and more “good old boys’ clubs” were upset as more and more women took the gospel to heart and old traditions were transformed.

Thought for the Day: When do I long for the “good old days”?

Colossians 1:21-28

“And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him—” vss. 21-22

There are many people today who would just as soon eliminate the cross from the Christian faith. For them it’s bloody and gruesome, and reeks of a sacrificial theory of the atonement that they think we’d be better off without. They seem content with a teaching and healing Jesus and a message of unconditional love that is uncluttered by primitive notions of sacrifice. Paul, or whoever it was that wrote Colossians, would be appalled by their crossless faith. For him it was the center of everything, and there would have been no reconciliation of anything if it were not for Christ’s death. It’s doubtful that he worried much about consistency in atonement theory, but he whole-heartedly believed that in Christ’s death the estranged and the hostile in every time and place had been made holy and blameless before God. He even says that his own suffering had been absorbed into the cross, and he would likely say the same for us.  In other words, it’s out of suffering that wholeness comes! That is an important truth for everyone of us–it helps us make sense of all the horrible stuff that keeps on happening in the world. All those things are a part of the cross of Christ and they reconcile us to God–and for Paul, and a lot of folks, that’s the best news ever.

Thought for the Day: What would a crossless faith be like?

Colossians 1:15-20

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him.” vss. 15-16

Like the gospel writer, John, Paul believed that Christ was in the beginning, and through him all things were made. And more than that, any who wished to know the invisible God should look first of all to Jesus, Christ’s visible presence on earth. We can’t possibly know everything about God–that’s impossible–but we can know what we need to know, namely, that God has a passion for the broken, and compassion for the hurting, and an unconditional love for all people. Of course many of us would like to know more–we search for knowledge by studying ancient books and peering into the depths of the universe. And the more we learn, the more awesome our God becomes–all the libraries of our world could not contain the full knowledge of the One who brought all things into existence and who sustains them from day to day. And finally we come to realize that it is enough to know that God fills all and is in all–from birth to death and beyond we are ever in the hands of God. In fact, it is the very breath of God that gives us life!

Thought for the Day: Where did I learn about God?

Psalm 15

“O Lord, who may abide in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy hill? Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right, and speak the truth from their heart; who do not slander with their tongue, and do no evil to their friends, nor take up a reproach against their neighbors;” vss. 1-3

As people of faith we have learned from our ancestors that there are certain standards for human behavior that must be upheld at every level if civilization is to survive. This psalmist laid those principles out in a way that cannot be misunderstood–his description of the holy life is as applicable in our time as it was in his. Admittedly, living a blameless life is a big ask, and there are few who would claim to actually walk in such a fashion. But most people don’t even seem to try. We label truths we don’t agree with as being “fake news,” and think nothing of spreading every kind of slander via our social media. Anyone who takes a principled stand will be pilloried with rumors, gossip and threats–and it’s taking place at every level. Instead of speaking the truth from the heart, folks are just making things up and the meaner the better. But just because everyone is doing it doesn’t mean that people of the Way should join the crowd of liars. We will double down on our call to apologize for neighbors, speak well of them, and put the most charitable construction on all that they do. Holiness will never go out of date!

Thought for the Day: Why is walking a blameless life so hard?

Genesis 18:5-10a

“They said to him, ‘Where is your wife Sarah?’ And he said, ‘There, in the tent.’ Then one said, ‘I will surely return to you in due season, and your wife Sarah shall have a son.’” vss. 9-10a

Sarah wasn’t consulted when Abraham invited the three strangers to have a bite to eat in the shadow of the oak trees. It was all on him, but when he decided to serve some cakes, it was all on her. He ordered three of her finest, and set her to work on it. And when the meal was served he stood nearby to receive their thanks and glory–sort of the natural thing for a man to do. But the visitors really hadn’t come to see him, they’d come with a message for Sarah. In her old and shriveled state she was going to have a son! This was the first of those key stories in scripture about children of promise, and always there some sort of obstacle. Hannah, Sarah, and Elizabeth were all too old, and Mary was too young. The people of God have loved these stories and held them close–in them there is a message of hope, and the assurance that the women of God have a key role in the transmission of the good news. And it’s not just that they became mothers! These women were people of faith, and against great cultural odds managed to be remembered. And it’s still happening! Not only are they having children, now they’re leading congregations. Truly it can be said, “You’ve come a long way, Baby!”

Thought for the Day: My favorite biblical woman.

Genesis 18:1-4

“He said, ‘My lord, if I find favor with you, do not pass by your servant. ⁴Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.’” vss. 3-4

The stories of Abram and Sarai were precious to our faith ancestors and they took care to preserve them in the writings that became our scriptures. The people in the stories seem real to us, and their God encounters resonate with our own experience. In this particular story, the visit of the three men to Abraham and Sarah’s tent by the oaks of Mamre, we see a classic story of Middle-Eastern desert hospitality. Of course others have seen more. The Russian monk, Andrei Rublev, in the early 15th century, based his classic icon, “The Old Testament Trinity” on these verses. For him the three angels were the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, gathered around a meal in perfect symmetry. For our part, what we do know is that our faith ancestors believed that God comes close in the course of our lives. These are holy moments, sometimes puzzling, but always times to be cherished and remembered. Often people are involved, the “angels unaware” mentioned in the book of Hebrews; at other times it might be a vision or a dream, or perhaps a song or moment of worship. But we would be foolish indeed if we imagined that in a world that is chock full of God to overflowing, there would not be multiple occasions when we might at least catch a glimpse. 

Thought for the Day: Why are God encounters so often connected to eating?

Luke 10:30-37

“Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?’ He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.’” vss. 36-37

When we think about loving our neighbor, our first response is to question who our neighbor might be. We look for definitions that would limit our loving responsibilities to those we have an affinity for. Like the lawyer we look to Jesus for an answer. But Jesus really isn’t interested in that question. In response he told the parable of the Good Samaritan, one that has been familiar since our Sunday School days–but he doesn’t present the story as an answer to “Who is my neighbor?” He knows that the question is a diversion, one that can only lead to hair-splitting and speculation. The real issue is not who our neighbor is, but whether we act as neighbors to others, regardless of who they may be. And we do that by showing mercy to any who are in need! For the most part people get this. Humans are capable of great compassion and regularly reach out to help victims and show mercy. Amazingly it’s sometimes the religious who have a tough time in providing assistance. For one reason or another they “walk by on the other side,” and provide selective mercy to those in need. Some even “blame the victim” and argue that people “reap what they sow.” However, when Jesus said, “Go and do likewise,” that’s not what he had in mind!

Thought for the Day: What are the limits of my compassion?