Luke 3:15-18

“So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.” vs. 18

After recounting John’s vivid description of the brood of vipers and the burning of chaff Luke concludes by calling John’s message “good news” for the people. Now some might wonder how such harsh language could be good news for anyone, mostly because religious folks have gotten used to a less costly notion of grace. We’ve been so anxious to get to forgiveness and mercy that the idea of repentance and cleansing has almost been forgotten. John the Baptist knew better than that and presented the whole package in his preaching by the Jordan–and it’s that whole package that Luke labelled “good news.” We’re only kidding ourselves if we imagine that our life in Christ won’t involve some “come to John” moments, times when we’re confronted with our wayward ways and urged to get down in the water and die. Jesus himself came down to the river, listened to John, and submitted to his baptism. It was in that whole process that he was engaged by the Spirit and called into mission–and when he started preaching the message was the same as John’s, “Repent and believe in the good news.” For too long many have discounted the Baptist and his message–preachers have even joked about his harshness. That certainly wasn’t Luke’s intention. From his study and reading he had concluded that John was a purveyor of good news, and his conclusion deserves our attention.

Thought for the Day: What’s a “come to John” moment?

Luke 3:7-14

“And the crowds asked him, ‘What then should we do?’” vs. 10

When John launched into his tirade about snakes and stones, axes and fires, the crowd was pretty much terrified. They all pretty much took what he said personally and responded much like any of us would have. “What then should we do?” they wanted to know. Any number of situations can spark those words. “What do you want me to do,” we say to an angry spouse or boss. John’s answer to the various groups in the crowd is surprisingly simple–essentially he says, “Just do what you’re supposed to do!” And that’s it–that’s all any of us are expected to do. “Just do what we’re supposed to do!” We are the children of God and we’ve been programmed to do good in this world. We’ve been created to share food and clothing with the poor, do our jobs, and be content with what we have. It’s not rocket science! And we don’t do what we’re supposed to do to keep from burning in hell, we do good because of who we are, the precious children of God, the much-loved  brothers and sisters of Jesus. So why don’t we? Why don’t we do good for the needy and the hurting? Why don’t we love our spouses as they deserve to be loved? God only knows–and God isn’t interested in our excuses. As John put it, “Bear fruit worthy of repentance!” That really is God’s bottom line!

Thought for the Day: Why am I more interested in making excuses than in doing good?

Philippians 4:6-7

“Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” vs. 6

One of the side-effects of living a joyous life is the absence of anxiety and worry. Some might question whether this is even a possibility given the current state of tension and uncertainty, but for Paul it’s a natural consequence of basking in the grace of God. In such a state, totally trusting in the love and the goodness of God, we learn to use prayer to take any kind of intruding concerns to God as soon as they show up on our radar. Of course this is entirely different from making Christmas lists and sending them off to family members. That’s an Advent activity that would have been entirely foreign to Paul. Those who make such lists are relatively certain they are going to get everything they ask for. That’s not the case with prayer requests. Taking things to God in prayer is a way for us to separate out the things we can’t control from those we can. Some of the blips that show up in daily living are a big nuisance, but we can take care of them. But the things we can’t control are another matter–and those are the matters we take to God in prayer. Wise people know the difference, and also know the amazing serenity that comes in the process. It’s the peace that passes human understanding!

Thought for the Day: How do I deal with anxiety?

Philippians 4:4-5

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.” vs. 4

As Paul brings his love letter to the Philippians to a close he says good-bye by encouraging them to be people of joy. This is the best way to show him honor and give him thanks, and he even repeats it. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.” It’s doubtful that he’s telling them to be happy all the time. Being happy is a pretty shallow aspiration and Paul has something deeper in mind. In Greek the word for joy and the word for grace are nearly identical, so Paul’s admonition to “rejoice in the Lord” is very close to “bask in the grace of God.” It’s a deep contentment that boils over into expressions of thanksgiving in every circumstance. Joyful people won’t be happy all the time but they will exude a kind of serenity and gentleness–there’ll be a smile in their eyes even when they cry. Obviously this isn’t a response to winning the lottery or how we feel when our team wins–it’s completely unrelated to the standards of the world. The joy we have in the Lord persists in the good times and in the bad, not even the death of a loved one can take it away. In fact because it’s rooted in faith there’s nothing in all the world that can destroy it. Along with love it is one of the sure signs of Christ’s presence in our lives.

Thought for the Day: What’s the best way to show our joy?

Isaiah 12:2-6

“Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be known in all the earth.” vs. 5

Pink Candle Sunday, the Third Sunday in Advent, is just a few short days away and we rejoice as it comes close. It’s an annual reminder that the Lord has done gloriously and that the whole earth is yearning to know that God’s love is unyielding, overwhelming, and all powerful. Sadly, so much of religious history has revolved around our human propensity to construct God in our image and imagine that God is full of anger, vengeance, and petty judgments. We’ve invoked God’s name against enemies of every kind and raised the banner of Christ in bloody crusades against imagined infidels. We’ve terrorized children in our religious schools and blamed God for every natural disaster. In our hands religion has become a tool of the state and national banners are hung in our sanctuaries. In other words we’ve done all that we can to destroy and malign the God of our salvation. But not everyone has gotten on board! There are many who have not bowed the knee to those mythic gods of our power hungry culture. These are ones who are singing for joy this week. These are the ones that know that God dwells in the souls of every human being and, and that God works through the Spirit to bring a message of peace and love to every hurting person. Through them evil is vanquished and goodness triumphs!

Thought for the Day: Why do many people hate in the name of Jesus?

Zephaniah 3:17-20

“I will deal with all your oppressors at that time. And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth.” vs. 19

In the course of his hopeful reassurances Zephaniah returns to a familiar theme, one that runs through all of the prophetic writings of our scripture. He believed, beyond question, that the Lord had a particular concern for the needy and the outcast, and that they would most certainly be included in any future restoration. That basic conviction has continued to be at the core of the Jesus Movement in nearly all of its manifestations, both liberal and conservative. We all have a basic understanding that we should be providing assistance to the oppressed and the hurting. And because we have demonstrated that conviction in the past, at this time of year we are being deluged with requests for charitable contributions–scarcely a day goes by without a heartfelt mailing from some organization asking for our gifts. It’s good that this is happening! It’s our Advent reminder to give generously and often! Of course we can’t give to all those who are asking, and sometimes it’s a challenge to figure out where our money should be directed. But we do it! It’s what the people of God do! We do our research and find the agency whose mission most closely identifies with our own. In the process we rediscover the ancient truth: it feels good to give!

Thought for the Day: Where will my Advent contributions be directed?

Zephaniah 3:14-16

“Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! vs. 14

Pressed in by powerful enemies on every side the people of Jerusalem didn’t have much to rejoice about in the days of Zephaniah. But they had a good and righteous king, Josiah, on the throne and some felt that he provided a measure of hope. The prophet agreed and said that even though the Day of the Lord still loomed, for the moment it appeared that destruction had been avoided. Now was a time for rejoicing, for singing aloud to the Lord who had not abandoned them and had brought relief. That’s how some of us feel now. These last two years have been hard, but now there are signs of hope, and we’re glad for the opportunity that Advent gives for singing aloud with all our heart. And even though some of the holiday songs we’re hearing from Pandora are pretty cheesy and shallow, there’s something in the familiarity of the tunes that gives a spring to our step and even lifts our spirits. Even better are the concerts that are popping up in our churches and those put on by various chorale groups. The happy voices and smiling faces are a reminder that God dwells among us and even joins in the singing. And even though many are still wearing masks at worship it just feels good to belt out old favorites, especially since we know our off-notes will be muffled by the fabric. 

Thought for the Day: Why is singing so important?

Luke 3:3-6

“He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins…” vs. 3

John may not have been a member of the Essene Community at Qumran but he was undoubtedly influenced by its practice of ritual immersion for cleansing and renewal, a practice that became the central feature of his ministry. For him the baptism was a sign of repentance and was connected to the forgiveness of sins. It was a simple ritual, one that could be conducted anywhere there was available water, and the area along the Jordan was easily accessible from any direction. People came from the whole region, listened to John’s cry for repentance, and submitted to his baptism. We need those external signs in our faith life. While it’s obvious that God’s grace and forgiveness is based on God’s unconditional love, our water connection is priceless. The ritual is a way to act out what God gives freely and provides an indelible way to demonstrate our faith. Just as water cleanses from every kind of soil and stain, God’s love completely overwhelms any residual sin that might be in our lives. Of course we don’t need to be baptized to receive forgiveness, but it is undoubtedly a wonderful opportunity for thanksgiving and praise. In this world of uncertainty and personal doubt baptism is a delightful reminder of the special place we have in the heart of God.

Thought for the Day: How do I respond to a call for repentance?

Luke 3:1-2

“…during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.” vs. 2

After a mostly poetic preface to his gospel Luke launches his third chapter by giving his best shot at describing John’s historical context. He might not have gotten all the details exactly right, but there’s no doubt about where John began his ministry. He’d left the corruption of religious Jerusalem and had probably found refuge in the purity of the Essene community near the Dead Sea. It was in that wilderness setting that the eternal Word made a connection and he began to give voice to convictions that had been planted in him years before. That sort of thing still happens when we can find a retreat in the midst of conflicting and confusing messages and practices. We live in a noisy world and sometimes it’s hard to even find time to think. Advent is designed to be that time for meditation but it’s been horribly corrupted by the culture and commerce. But when we do find our wilderness, that quiet time and place, and use it for prayer and reflection, it’s not at all unusual to get a clear word from God about any number of things. Like John we might get a call to stage an intervention, to speak words of truth to friends and family who are struggling. Or we could offer prayers for those who may be hurting. It’s a matter of opening our portals and listening with all our senses.

Thought for the Day: Where is my place and time for opening portals?

Philippians 1:7-11

“It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God’s grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.” vs. 7

When we read that the Philippians held Paul in their heart some will assume that he is speaking figuratively, that such a connection is not literally possible. The problem with that assumption is that it fails to take into consideration the nature of God. God isn’t a faraway entity lurking somewhere in a nebulous kingdom called heaven, God is in us and we are in God. We really are! And God isn’t a foreign spark in us, God is a part of our DNA, a natural part of who we are, and the God who is in each of us is the same God who is in the other! That’s what Paul is talking about. The Philippians hold him in their heart, and they are in his, and together they share in God’s grace in every circumstance of their lives. Imagine how believing in this way transforms us! The “other” is completely destroyed–people are not the enemy, they are an extension of ourselves. Just as brothers and sisters share DNA so in Christ, all are one. We all share in God’s grace. We are literally brothers and sisters, the much loved children of God; and that means EVERY ONE OF US, WITHOUT EXCEPTION!

Thought for the Day: What would happen if all believed this great truth?