Luke 10:25-29

“But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’” vs. 29

The lawyer who came to Jesus had a pretty good understanding of what was required to inherit eternal life. He answered quickly, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” We would agree. These are the central commandments of the Law. But the lawyer had a follow-up question, and it’s a good one, one that is not so easily answered. “Who is my neighbor?” he asked, and that’s what we wonder too. We don’t always like our neighbors and it’s sometimes a stretch to love them. Like the lawyer we would like a clearer definition. Does it include refugees and rappers? Transvestites and red-necks? The homeless and alcoholics? The profane and unbelievers? There are a lot of people who we would welcome as our neighbors, but if some folks moved next door, we’d put up a “For Sale” sign. And so we ask the question, “Who is our neighbor?,” hoping that Jesus will offer us a loophole or two. Otherwise, this loving thing is just too hard–probably the hardest thing anyone has ever asked us to do. And if we can’t do it, do we miss out on eternal life? Those are hard questions–but that’s how life in Christ is–hard questions abound. And sometimes we don’t like the answers!

Thought for the Day: Who is our neighbor?

Colossians 1:9-14

“so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God.” vs. 10

The Colossians had made a good start. They had heard the gospel of grace and had responded in faith and their little community was growing quickly. But as every generation of Christians has discovered, what had happened was only a beginning. Paul reminds them that the best was still to come. He was now praying that as they grew in the knowledge of God’s will they would lead lives worthy of the Lord by bearing fruit in every good work. It’s a beautiful thing when faith communities mature in such a fashion. Love abounds as people look for ever more ways to reach out to the hungry and the hurting all around the world. To be a part of such a group is to get a sample of what life in the peaceable kingdom is like. It’s not theoretical or something to be experienced after death–it happens wherever people come together and live the way they’re supposed to live. Some may doubt that such communities even exist amidst the ugliness and spiritual poverty of contemporary culture. We see so many people living for themselves that it’s a surprise when we encounter those who cheerfully and heartily live for others. But it does happen! Sometimes right under our noses! The Kingdom of God is at hand and is among us!

Thought for the Day: What is a life worthy of the Lord?

Colossians 1:1-7

“Just as (the gospel) is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world, so it has been bearing fruit among yourselves from the day you heard it and truly comprehended the grace of God.” vs. 6

Things were happening in that little congregation in Colossae. The gospel was bearing fruit and growing and Paul was rejoicing. Life was good! We love to hear those kinds of reports in our congregations–they build enthusiasm and hope. But too often in these latter days we’ve not been hearing about wonderful things taking place. More often we hear of church closings, declining attendance at worship, and splintering congregations. And some are asking what’s wrong. What was the big secret at Colossae? Why can’t our faith communities be experiencing fruitful growth? It doesn’t appear that they had advanced technologies or vibrant youth programs, they seem to have relied on the proclamation of God’s grace. To communities experiencing oppression and poverty, the teaching and preaching of grace was a breath of fresh air. They began to take care of the poor, reach out to the sick, and build loving communities with Christ at the center. And the Spirit took care of the growth! Can that still happen? Of course. Our communities are filled with shell-shocked, spiritually hungry people yearning for hope and a word of mercy. They want to love and be loved–they are looking for exactly what the good news of Christ offers. And many, many, communities, even now, are bearing fruit and growing! Praise God!

Thought for the Day: How do congregations get off track?

Psalm 25:1-10

“O my God, in you I trust; do not let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me.” vs. 2

Guilt and shame have haunted human existence from the beginning, a pair of companions on life’s journey that we would love to be free of. They’re universal feelings–everyone has experienced them, and of the two, shame is the most disheartening. We can negotiate with guilt. It comes as a result of something that we’ve said or done, and when that happens, there’s generally a way to get forgiveness. Most religions have a ritual particularly designed to help us make amends and find peace. But shame is different. Guilt affects the conscience, but shame attacks our souls. It hits at the very fiber of our being. Shame is often unrelated to what we’ve said or done, but it always has to do with who we are. If guilt means “I did a bad thing,” shame says “I am bad!” There are any number of reasons for us to feel shame. Coming from the outside they gang up on us and pommel us into the ground. Like worms we want to crawl in dark holes and never come out. Some first get the message in early childhood, and the words “Shame on you,” reverberate in their unconscious for decades. And since we don’t like to talk about our shame there really isn’t a place for it to go. The psalmist feared shame and found consolation in his conviction that God’s steadfast love could erase it. That’s still our best solution!

Thought for the Day: When do I feel shame?

Deuteronomy 30:11-14

“Surely, this commandment that I am commanding you today is not too hard for you, nor is it too far away…No, the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe.” vss. 11, 14

What is this word that the scribe is describing in these ancient texts, a word not found in a book, or across the sea? It is the very Word that the gospel writer John uses in his prologue, the Word present in creation and made flesh in Jesus. The scribe says that the word is a commandment, but what he has in mind is Love. “You shall love the Lord your God…you shall love your neighbor.” It’s this word that has been planted in the DNA of humans from the beginning and it’s this word that tugs at our hearts daily, drawing us into relationships with God and the people around us. No one should be confused about God’s intentions for humanity or wonder which of a myriad of laws we need to obey. As the song says, all we need is love. And lest we be confused about the nature of this love, it’s not the self-serving romcom variety that we’re served up in movies and social media. This love was enfleshed in the person of Jesus and is self-giving and sacrificial to the core. Often sought, seldom experienced, it abides within us, and is spurred into action by the prodding of the Spirit. And when it appears the angels weep with joy!

Thought for the Day: When do I notice this love in myself?

Deuteronomy 30:9-10

“For the Lord will again take delight in prospering you, just as he delighted in prospering your ancestors, when you obey the Lord your God by observing his commandments and decrees…” vss. 9b-10a

The scribes of Israel believed that if the people obeyed the Lord by observing the Lord’s commandments and decrees, the Lord would take delight in bringing prosperity to the nation. The Lord would make Israel great again! We can understand why this was such a long-lasting and popular teaching. In fact, there are many in the United States on this Independence Day who fervently believe that this can be true for America. Some preach what has come to be called a “Prosperity Gospel,” the notion that God will materially reward those who are obedient to the Law. And if that’s true for individuals, it will most certainly be true for the nation. Admittedly this is a popular teaching, and it does offer hope to people who are struggling. And blessings do come to those who lead decent and moral lives. But the problem is that the prosperity gospel offers a material solution to what is at its core a spiritual issue. Israel found that out through the years–they never did attain their dreams of prosperity, but through suffering they developed a spiritual strength that could not be destroyed or taken away. It’s that kind of spiritual renewal that is the hope of our country, and not an ever-expanding gross national product.

Thought for the Day: What does it mean to be a “great nation”?

Luke 10:16-20

“See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you.” vs. 19

Those who have discovered that they share their homes with scorpions are likely glad that they have been given authority from Jesus to tread upon them, preferably while wearing thick soled shoes. But it’s a bit of a mystery why such a verse should have made it into scripture. A few literalists believe that this presents the supreme test of faith, and some have made snake handling a regular part of their worship services. It’s much more likely however that such spectacles are the last thing Jesus had on his mind and that he meant his words to be interpreted figuratively, as a vivid and picturesque way to assure the disciples that nothing will hurt them as they walked in his Way. But beyond literalism, there is another danger that comes with using this kind of language to describe evil. Not only is it unfair to snakes and scorpions, adding to their already bad reputation, it supports a dualist understanding of existence, i.e. some things are inherently evil, and others pure goodness. And that’s just not the way things are. Snakes and scorpions are a part of the creation and as such contain within themselves aspects of good and evil, in the same way that humans do. There are a lot of things that can trip us up on our journey–but with the Spirit as our guide we are going to be okay.

Thought for the Day: How can I be hurt?

Luke 10:1-11

“Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’ And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you.” vss. 5-6

When Jesus sent out the 70 in mission they were traveling in a world that looks very different from our own. They walked in pairs along rural roads, and stopped in villages with dusty streets to cure the sick and bring the good news of the kingdom of God. It’s hard for us to even relate to their mission. Yet in one way their mission was identical to ours–it required personal connection! When they entered a house they were to say, “Peace to this house,” and that wasn’t just a friendly greeting. The peace they brought was palpable and personal and it connected instantly with the people of peace who lived in the house. And on the basis of that connection marvelous things could happen. If we’re interested in mission, on going with the gospel, we should always remember that we’re not bringing to people something that they don’t already have. The first step is to connect with the peace that God has already given them. And once that common peace has been established the connection can continue in a myriad of different ways and healing will abound. Our goal is the establishment of the peaceable kingdom, and it’s essential for us to remember that the seeds of that kingdom have already been planted in the most surprising places. This is God’s work and not ours!

Thought for the Day: What distinguishes a person of peace?

Galatians 6:11-16

“For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything!” vs. 15

Some of the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem didn’t get what the new life in Christ was all about and they drove Paul to distraction. Their representatives had followed him into the cities of Galatia and were telling new believers that they needed circumcision–baptism wasn’t enough. This conflict within the ranks of the newly formed Church provoked real anger in Paul and he didn’t mince words in addressing his adversaries. It wasn’t just that they were wrong about a doctrinal issue, they didn’t really understand what had happened in Christ Jesus. His crucifixion and resurrection had been a total new beginning. This wasn’t just a continuation of Judaism, this was a new creation. From now on nothing would be the same. It seems to have been Paul’s hope that this new faith would not be a new religion, but an experience of life in the Spirit, one that would be constantly evolving and changing as it encountered new challenges and opportunities. To some extent this is what happened through the centuries, but such a vision is tough to pull off. The tendency is to codify and build hierarchies just like every other religion. But we can’t tether the Spirit. And because we can’t, people across the globe are beginning once again to experience religionless Christianity. Of course it’s hard to explain what that means, but when we see it, the blessings are unmistakable.

Thought for the Day: What is religionless Christianity?

Galatians 6:7-10

“Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit.” vs. 7-8

Paul’s words to the Galatians were not rocket science. They are exactly the sort of thing that parents have been saying to their children from the beginning. We reap whatever we sow! This is God’s own truth, and it applies to every human under the sun. No one is exempt! It would seem that when things are universally true there would come a time when we would catch on. Unfortunately that’s not the case. Without proper nurturing, without parents and teachers who bore us to death with their relentless admonitions, we would be forced to discover God’s truth by trial and error, which is what a lot of us do anyway. And in a time when moral instruction has fallen into disfavor more and more people have been left in that position, i.e. trying to find God’s truth on their own. At first exploring the ways of the flesh, indulging the self, does have a certain appeal and we see many wandering down that way. The problem is, as Paul says, God is not mocked, and there are escalating consequences. The good news is that some come to themselves, see the mess of their lives, and remember that there is another way. And as the Spirit leads them home, they are received into the arms of love.

Thought for the Day: Who provided my moral training?