Revelation 21:4-6a

“And the one who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new.’ …Then he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.’” vss. 5-6a

In the beginning was the Word–and in the end will be the Word. All that exists is bookended by the Mystery in whom all was created and in whom all will be brought to completion. In the meantime we who have been given the breath of life are called to live out our lives with full knowledge of our divine origins and with the confidence of a secure and beautiful future. In the spectrum of time our lives seem so short, scarcely a wrinkle when compared to eternity, yet in truth they are long enough. Of course there are some who “die before their time,” but for most there are plenty of hours to enjoy the beauty and wonder of the universe, particularly if we stay alert to the nuanced Presence of the Divine that is a part of every day. This is especially true for those who are blessed by loving relationships oozing with affirmation and kindness. Those hugs and embraces cause time to stand still and overwhelm us with the wonder of God’s grace. And even though our physical bodies are magnets for aches and pains during the fragile ending years, it is enough to be loved and to live in anticipation of reunion with the Omega One who awaits. Life is good! Praise God!

Thought for the Day: What makes for a contented life?

Revelation 21:1-3

“And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” vs. 2

Apocalyptic writings emerge in times of fear and dread, those moments when nations are on the move and catastrophes loom. It should be no surprise then, that our age teems with apocalyptic thinking. A glance at the trailers of current movies shows a huge interest in science fiction (the new apocalyptic) and abound in doomsday scenarios. There are massive explosions, monsters from outer space, invasions of aliens, and complete disaster on earth. And evidently movie buffs love it! We could say that the book of Revelation could provide a great contemporary film script, except for one thing: it doesn’t end in disaster! Instead there is a new creation, and the whole universe gets a reboot! It’s a happy ending, the best we could ever imagine, and it’s one that we gladly claim for ourselves and for all the saints. Our ending is a wedding day, a time when what we have seen in part through all our lives is revealed in all its glory and delight. It’s the consummation of all that we have hoped for, the completion of all our hopes and dreams. This is a vision worth hanging onto for all of us, saint and sinner alike. Think of it! One day goodness will triumph over evil, life will conquer death, and all will be one in Christ!

Thought for the Day: How do I feel about the future?

Psalm 24

“Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? Those who have clean hands and pure hearts, who do not lift up their souls to what is false, and do not swear deceitfully.” vss. 3-4

These verses are likely a fragment of a liturgy that was used at the door of the temple as Israelites came for worship. A priest would ask a question, “Who shall stand in the holy place?” and the people would respond, “Those who have clean hands and pure hearts…” From this little window into an ancient practice we catch a glimpse of the holiness standards that were at the core of the religion. Times and expectations have not changed. While there is a general acknowledgement that we are all sinners, it is also true that we are all saints, having been made righteous by the grace of God. As saints we are expected to have clean hands and pure hearts, a recognition of the connection between external behaviors and internal convictions. For some this seems impossible. They have no difficulty calling themselves sinners, sometimes even seeming to revel in their sin, but they resist being thought of as saints–maybe because they think it means giving up some of the sins they’ve grown so fond of. But what a blessing it is when we can acknowledge our own sainthood and recognize that our words and actions have tremendous importance in this troubled world. It is right that people have high expectations for followers of Jesus–it’s not for nothing that our sins have been forgiven!

Thought for the Day: Why don’t we like to be called saints?

Isaiah 25:8-9

“Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces, and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.” vs. 8

Sometimes when death comes to a loved one, particularly after a long and painful illness, we’re surprised to feel an almost guilty sense of relief that the struggle is over. A burden has been lifted. Only later do the tears come. At other times, when death comes abruptly, the sense of shock brings with it an almost immediate gushing forth of tears. The loss is unfathomable–we may wonder if life will ever be the same. The common element in those experiences is the weeping–the natural response of humans to the presence of death. It’s what caught Isaiah’s attention as he lived in Jerusalem so long ago. In his time so far as we can tell, the notion of resurrection was pretty much unknown. But he did believe that one day God would wipe away all tears and that death would be no more, and followers of Jesus are more than willing to give an “Amen” to his vision. We too confess and are glad to affirm that one day all things will be brought to completion in Christ, and that death will be no more. That’s why, when death does take a loved one, we gather in tears as communities of faith and dare to sing hymns of joy and praise. And sooner or later, even in the present, the most stubborn tears will be wiped away!

Thought for the Day: What are my most stubborn tears?

Isaiah 25:6-7

“On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines, of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear.” vs. 6

For a long time, back in the days when pot-lucks were regularly held at churches, a familiar table prayer would be sung before the meal. “Be present at our table, Lord, be here and everywhere adored. These mercies bless, and grant that we, may feast in paradise with thee. Amen.” Sometimes the simple singing of the song, replete with every imaginable harmony and a drawn out Amen, was enough to bring tears to our eyes and joy to our hearts. The words, composed around 1741, bring to mind the vision painted by Isaiah. Even then, long before the resurrection of Jesus, the prophet imagined that one day the Lord would make a banquet of the finest food and drink, and that all peoples would be invited, and death would be no more.  Today is All-Saints’ Day, and for many Isaiah’s words provide the perfect way to picture the life that is to come. Some of our most memorable times with living loved ones are connected to eating and drinking, and to imagine that the saints triumphant are at table in the feast to come brings amazing peace and comfort. We do know that in Christ life continues after death–and if we’re looking for ways to describe it, we might as well use the most delightful images we can muster!

Thought for the Day: Favorite memories of meals with loved ones!

John 8:4-6

“So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” vs. 36

In Christ we live by grace and truth and not by the law–and this is all a gift, not our own doing. Therefore, John tells us, we have been set free, and furthermore as Paul told the Galatians, since we have been set free, we should never again submit to the slavery of the law. These are important truths, ones that we learn to relish as we continue in faith, but sometimes we wonder exactly what this life of freedom looks like. Obviously it doesn’t mean doing as we please–no one could be so foolish as to believe that. And of course it doesn’t mean we are exempt from obeying the laws of the land. So what is it? Put simply, the freedom we have in Christ revolves around two things: First, it’s freedom from the coercive moralisms and restrictive pieties that religious leaders have long used to control and manipulate believers. For too long people told to “live by the book” have been robbed of the joys that come with Spirit-directed immersion in this incredible creation. Secondly, freedom means loving our God and our neighbor with all our heart, soul, and mind! That’s why we’re here on earth in the first place. Freed from guilt and sin we have been equipped to love unconditionally and universally in every imaginable way. And, oh what joy it brings when this freedom finally takes root, and we can live in Christ without abandon!

Thought for the Day: What does it mean to “live without abandon”?

John 8:31-33

“Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’” vss. 31-32

There are countless people in our world who have, at one time or another in their lives, made some sort of commitment to Jesus. Perhaps they went through the rite of baptism or confirmation, or maybe at a revival they made a personal decision to follow him–there are many such opportunities available. Yet, if we can believe the statistics, only about 25% of those calling themselves Christian actually engage in regular worship. In other words, having committed to Jesus, they’ve later dropped out, become inactive, or gone in another direction. Sadly, to use John’s vocabulary, they’ve not continued to trust Jesus; and because they haven’t, they’re not really disciples, they don’t know the truth, and they don’t have freedom! That sounds harsh, but John has a point. Continuing in the faith is the key to knowing the freedom that life in Christ can bring. It’s relatively easy to make a good start on the Jesus journey–hanging in there through boring sermons, career distractions, and cultural obsessions is another matter. But for those who do continue in the word, the rewards are great. It’s not that our lives will be free of pain or suffering, but freedom in Christ brings serenity beyond description. It’s a spiritual security that goes beyond a monthly check!

Thought for the Day: What is the key to continuing in faith?

Romans 3:25-29

“whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. He did this to show his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed; it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus.” vss. 25-26

While we can’t know the mind of Paul, it is likely that he intended his words to be a freeing message of grace and forgiveness for all sinners. Indeed that’s how they’ve been read by millions of grateful readers. However, because of sin, those same gracious words have been twisted by Christians to produce an ugly message of judgment and exclusion. Because Paul wrote that God justifies the one who has faith in Jesus, many have concluded that anyone who does not have faith in Jesus is not justified, i.e. they do not have salvation. As a result we have blithely excluded billions of folks of other religions from fellowship and obsessively demanded that all believers make a personal statement of faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior before they can be saved. We’ve embraced doctrine and rejected works, all the while moving away from the teachings of Jesus, who clearly welcomed sinners and emphasized works of charity and kindness. This can’t be Paul’s intention! He clearly says that all are sinners and all are justified. Salvation is ours purely by the grace of God–and that’s the message of love and acceptance our kids and grandchildren need to hear. 

Thought for the Day: So what part does trust play in all of this?

Romans 3:19-24

“For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,” vss. 22b-24

Paul was a clever man and had come to believe that in Christ all things had changed. No longer would sinners need to battle against the unyielding demands of the Law–that was a hopeless struggle. All the Law did was reveal sin and unrighteousness! It did however put all people on the same playing field–we’re all sinners, from the least of us to the greatest. There is therefore no reason for any to boast. From that dismal insight Paul moved on to describe the gospel in universal terms. Since all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory; all are now justified by God’s grace as a gift. Paul went on to tie that good news to the death and resurrection of Jesus and said that the key to enjoying forgiveness was to trust in Christ Jesus. Nothing more needed to be done! When Martin Luther in the early 16th century realized the impact of what Paul had written, his life was transformed. His salvation did not depend on the efficacy of his confession or the purity of his life. He had been set free from the burdens of the Law in Christ Jesus and would spend the rest of his life in daily celebration of the new life that was his by grace. 

Thought for the Day: Which comes first, grace or faith?

Psalm 46:6-11

“Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.” vs. 10

In the midst of tumult the psalmist shared his conviction that God was in charge and would bring peace and security to the earth. One day, he told the people, there would be an end to the desolations, weapons would be destroyed, and war would be no more. We need those words of hope and encouragement now. Even though we are aware of the immense problems facing the world there is no common will to make the sacrifices necessary to avert disaster. As a result the climate will continue to change and average temperatures will be higher. Polar caps will melt, rising oceans will become warmer, weather patterns will change, and coastal flooding will be commonplace. Millions of people will be on the move to avoid famine and widespread starvation. The outlook isn’t promising, at least for the poorest and most vulnerable. But somehow life will go on, not because we have all the answers, but because God is the source and sustainer of all that exists. And even as we work together to end wars and give aid to the suffering, we know God is in the midst of us. Life will continue to have meaning and purpose. Humans will continue to know joy and love. God is the essence of all that is–and that’s the whole reason we can still rejoice and sing.

Thought for the Day: What’s the biggest challenge the world faces?