2 Corinthians 6:11-13

“We have spoken frankly to you Corinthians; our heart is wide open to you. There is no restriction in our affections, but only in yours.” vss. 11-12

Even though Paul mounts a spirited defense of his ministry to the Corinthians he does not expect that their relationship will be destroyed, and there is no hint that he holds any animosity. He loves them very much and even though they’ve expressed some negativity about his teachings, it has not affected his feelings toward them. That sort of confidence in relationships has been threatened in recent years. Long standing friendships have been fractured as our country has moved toward political polarization. As a result more and more people are taking great pains to hide strong convictions from their friends. They feel freedom in speech only when they’re around those who share their beliefs. And so we’ve become increasingly isolated from one another–some fear that if they say the wrong thing, others will be offended, and a friend will be lost. So we only talk about cultural, political, or religious issues with those who agree with us, and we lose any opportunity to learn and be changed. Living together in Christ transcends differences, making it okay to have frank and honest discussions with our friends. It’s love that binds us together in Christ and not our politics–and people who truly love each other are able to talk about anything, even their profound differences.

Thought for the Day: Why are some political conversations so difficult?

2 Corinthians 6:1-8a

“We are putting no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way:” vss. 3-4

We can’t be sure about what was going on in Corinth–all we have is a couple of letters written by Paul to address his concerns. But from what he says we can be pretty confident that he was getting some blowback from his old friends. Evidently there were some making every effort to undermine his work and standing. Paul wasn’t one to ignore such things, and responds with a rigorous defense of his record in ministry. He’s proud of what he’s done and shares with his opponents a long list of both his sufferings and his virtues. It’s a reminder that sometimes it’s worth defending our record against those who would criticize us. Sometimes, even when we do our best to live beyond reproach, people are going to get on our case. And even though there will be times when, like Jesus before Pilate, we don’t speak on our own behalf, occasionally, like Paul, we will mount a careful and spirited defense of what we’ve done. When that happens, hopefully rarely, it’s good to have lovingly lived as he did, always speaking the truth and being faithful to the message of grace. The Spirit will be with us in those moments and give us the words we need to defend the gospel against all who would destroy it.

Thought for the Day: A time when I defended a position I felt to be just!

Psalm 107:1-3, 23-32

“O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.” vs. 1

As the psalmist looked at the history of his people, he saw a recurring theme. Whenever people got in any kind of trouble, whenever disaster threatened, they would cry out to the Lord and they would be delivered. That happened, the psalmist reasoned, because the Lord is good and “his steadfast love endures forever.” Because this is the nature of God, he tells us, it is fitting for the people of God to live in a constant state of thanksgiving. Now, while that sounds good, there are some who would disagree. Like Job they’ve cried out to God in their calamities and things just got worse. We can be confident the psalmist knew such people too. It’s always been the case that some suffer without finding relief–it’s one of the realities of life in this world. Wonderful books have been written to provide explanations, but truthfully nothing really works–some suffering remains a mystery. But that doesn’t negate the goodness of God, nor does it undermine God’s steadfast enduring love. Goodness and love are the core values of our universe, and because they are, we will regularly and loudly offer thanks and praise to God. Life is pretty spectacular, an extravagant gift from our Creator that should be savored and relished. And if that doesn’t deserve daily thanksgiving, it’s hard to know what does!

Thought for the Day: For what am I giving thanks today?

Job 38:4-11

“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?” vss. 4-5

The writer shows the Lord reverting to sarcasm in his response to Job’s laments, implying that Job didn’t know squat when it came to the creation of the earth. It’s an amusing section and points to the basic deficiency we humans have when it comes to understanding our situation. There are too many things, even in these days of amazing scientific discoveries, that we will never be able to get our puny minds around. We do a pretty good job of describing the stuff of the universe, and we’ve even been able to figure out its age within a million years or so. But as to why things exist, and why we’re here, and why there’s so much pain and suffering in our lives, well, that’s way beyond our pay grade. All we can know is what we experience, and for most folks that’s enough. Without even asking to be born we’ve been plopped down on a globe nurtured by the sun, filled with unexpected and extraordinary delights, and rewarded with lifetimes filled with blessings. And all we’re expected to do is make sure that all the goodness is shared in a way that ensures we all have a crack at joy. Of course we have questions, and naturally we’ll complain about suffering, but perhaps the best we can do is just settle back and enjoy the ride! It’s God’s most precious gift!

Thought for the Day: What is the core of contentment?

Job 38:1-3

“Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind: ‘Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?’” vss. 1-2

The book of Job represents our faith ancestors’ best effort to deal with the injustice of human suffering. It’s a powerful story, one that has been told and retold hundreds of times by succeeding generations. Again and again in the story Job’s friends tell him to acknowledge his guilt, something he refuses to do. For chapter after chapter they argue–suffering is devilishly difficult to deal with and impossible to understand. When we google “suffering” today we find that times have not changed. There are literally thousands of perspectives and explanations–and the words from the Lord are as fitting today as ever, “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?” Because suffering is universal, each of us has a perspective and can speak to it out of our own experience. But the true meaning of our suffering lies beyond our experience and mere words are inadequate in capturing its essence. There’s a divine mystery in suffering that defies explanation–and somehow it’s connected to our salvation. It’s as though there’s a value to suffering, as though it’s something that is necessary for really being alive. The book of Job seems to indicate that it’s what we go through on the road to true joy–kind of like dying with Jesus in order to live with him!

Thought for the Day: What’s the value of suffering?

Mark 4:30-33

“It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth;” vs. 31

Preachers have generally liked Jesus’ parable of the mustard seed. It’s relatively short and seemingly easy to understand–and it provides an opportunity for dragging out a seed or two and talking about how they grow. But still there are questions. Is Jesus talking about the Church? It’s unlikely since there was no Church when he told the story–and he says that it’s about the Kingdom of God. Jesus talked a lot about the Kingdom of God–he said that it was at hand and that people should get ready for it by repenting. Maybe this parable was directed at those who were wondering when they were going to see the Kingdom, and he was telling them to be patient, that like a mustard seed it would grow. If that’s what he had in mind, it’s a reminder to us that the heaven on earth we yearn for is present, but it’s really hard to see. But it is going to grow! That interpretation does fit our experience–while we believe that Christ rules, signs of that rule are for the most part nearly invisible. But they are there, and to eyes of faith there are daily sightings. We’ll see an unexpected smile and get a surprise hug. Out of the blue there comes a word of affirmation or we see an act of sacrificial love. As Jesus says, the seed has been planted–no surprise then when we see it begin to grow!

Thought for the Day: What is heaven on earth like?

Mark 4:26-29

“He also said, ‘The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how.’” vss. 26-27

Even though we know that all people are in Christ, equipped with the Spirit of God, and designed to be the light of the world, most of the time we don’t quite know what is going on. And Jesus tells us not to worry! The seeds of goodness have been sown and there’s daily production all over the world. In the most unlikely places, even without our intervention, people are being changed and are growing to maturity. One day we see a self-serving, self-absorbed teenager and before long we encounter a self-giving, sacrificial servant bearing fruit that’s changing the planet. It really is a miracle, and it’s happening every day in every town, village, and neighborhood all around the globe. Because the growth is the work of the Spirit we don’t always see what’s going on. We’re much more likely to notice the weeds and the dark side of society–we do a bunch of lamenting as we read our papers and watch the news. We get so upset about the bad apples that we completely miss the myriad acts of love and kindness that are all around. What a blessing it is when our eyes become attuned to the rhythms of the Spirit and we begin to see the light of Christ in our neighbors!

Thought for the Day: What happens when I acknowledge kindness in another person?

2 Corinthians 5:14-17

“So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” vs. 17

We don’t see many stories of Jesus in the writings of Paul, and there’s a reason for that. He had never known Jesus of Nazareth–he only knew the risen Christ and believed that in Christ all had died and all had been raised. In his words, in Christ there had been a new creation and everyone was getting a fresh start. This conviction led him to view all people in light of their new status, he no longer saw them from a human point of view. What a difference it makes when we begin to see the people in our lives from this new perspective! Instead of seeing their parents in them, we see the Christ in them! We actually begin to see in them the DNA of the Divine Mystery! Granted, many times it’s hard to pull this off, especially when the persona they present to the world is one that revolts us. We might even think it impossible to see beyond the external flaws to the beautiful child of God within. But when we can close our senses to what is perceived, and be open to the beauty within, we’ll be amazed at the discoveries we’ll make. The caterpillar is already a butterfly–and we won’t even have to wait until people die to see it!

Thought for the Day: How do people see me, as a caterpillar or as a butterfly?

2 Corinthians 5:6-10

“For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil.” vs. 10

We find great comfort in the persistent theme of grace in our scriptures. Because we don’t live as we ought, we love hearing that we have forgiveness in Christ, and that our guilt has been taken from us. We’re less excited in hearing about the judgment in Christ that is also a theme of scripture. In fact most of us would just as soon take scissors to the judgment passages and make believe they aren’t there. Of course we can’t do that–and it’s just as well. There’s a reason why they’re included. They reflect the sense that most people have that there must be consequences for the stuff we do in life. It’s a part of conventional wisdom for people of all faiths. Hindus and Buddhists speak of karma and Christians say “God is going to get you for that!” So it’s not strange to see Paul use Last Judgment language to encourage his readers to be mindful of their actions. In our hearts we really do want there to be compensation for what people do–and we particularly want this for other folks! This conviction only becomes a problem when it leads us to question God’s grace and unconditional love. Judgment does not cancel out sacrificial love–both are a part of life in Christ. And we don’t get the entire picture without embracing both!

Thought for the Day: What do I think about the Last Judgment?

Psalm 92:12-15

“The righteous flourish like the palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. In old age they still produce fruit; they are always green and full of sap…” vss. 12, 14

This psalmist had been around the block a few times and knew that folks shouldn’t be discounted just because they had grown old. He believed that there was a connection between righteous living and longevity and that people could flourish and bear fruit even in their senior years. We still see that in our congregations today–some express sadness because their pews are filled with the elderly, but really it’s a blessing. Even when most organizations are in the habit of handing out golden parachutes to the aged, that never happens in churches. In fact, it’s the old folks who are keeping the doors open in countless congregations. They are the pillars of the church, the faithful ones, and they’re amazingly productive in doing the work of God. Many are using what they call the “third quarter” of life to blossom. They’re finding ever new ways to use their time and considerable talents to serve the broken and the poor. And they’re enjoying life more! Freed from the necessity of working to earn a living, they launch into labors of love and produce remarkable fruits. Even when it seems their energy is failing, their sap is still flowing, and they’re making a huge difference in our hurting world.

Thought for the Day: Where can I find my retirement niche?