Acts 1:15-17, 21-26

“Then they prayed and said, ‘Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen…’ And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.” vss. 24, 26

When the disciples wanted to add a person to their ranks to replace Judas, they had two candidates, each with the necessary credentials, so they cast lots, the first century equivalent of flipping a coin. And then they attributed the choice of  Matthias to the Lord, who had presumably worked through the lots–and everyone was happy. For those used to secret ballots and elections it seems a strange way to choose leaders, yet we frequently find ourselves doing nearly the same thing in our decision making. One of the givens about life in this world is that decisions are not easy, and no matter how hard we try to weigh all the evidence, sometimes we reach the point of flipping a coin. The big question then is, does God direct the flip? But more important is the question, does it make any difference? Is one person God’s choice and the other not? The truth is that Justus probably could have served just as well as a disciple as did Matthias. And most of the time our big decisions, while clearly marking important crossroads in our lives, could go any way or another just fine. God will be with us no matter what–it’s what we do after the decision is made that has the most consequence for our futures. 

Thought for the Day: How did I make my biggest decision?

John 15:14-17

“I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father.” vs. 15

Some of us were weaned on the old hymn “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” and have its verses emblazoned on our hearts, if not on our minds. It was a kind of precursor to the praise songs that dominate Christian radio stations now, an evocative hymn, one that triggered our deepest feelings. Friendship is a much cherished relationship and to have that kind of connection to Jesus is precious, much more satisfying than calling him Lord. It’s important for us to remember though that when Jesus called his disciples friends he was calling them to a higher level of service. Being a friend of Jesus means embracing his mission, going into the world bearing his name, and bearing fruit of the highest quality. He assured his disciples that they had all the knowledge necessary to do as he asked, and so do we! That’s because it’s not that complicated. All we are called to do as his friends is love one another and love the poor. Everything else religious people do is just for show! So if we don’t alway have warm cozy feelings on our walk with our friend, Jesus, that’s okay. Our friendship is deeper than that and will persist through every season of emotion and pain.

Thought for the Day: Who is my best friend?

John 15:9-13

“As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love.” vs.9

To put it simply, our life in Christ is a massive love connection, with God, Jesus, and one another. God’s love began with creation, and was amplified in Jesus as a deep and potent sacrificial love, one that extends to all people. Our invitation as those drawn to Jesus is to abide in that love, to bask in it, and remain there for our entire lives and beyond. Sadly, some may have a hard time even conceptualizing what that immersion in love might be like. Love itself is an alien concept to too many! Because of our obsession with self-interest and preoccupation with satisfying our own needs, true love experiences can be rare or even non-existent. Blessed are those who know love, who have been loved, and who can show love to others! Such persons know the consolation and solace that being held in loving arms can bring. It’s where we find comfort, security, and joy–and Jesus wants that feeling to be multiplied and expanded and experienced through a lifetime. Will there be sadness in love? Of course, that’s always the way it is with sacrificial love–there’ll be separation and even death. But love will not die, because it’s rooted in the creative energies of God–and there is nothing in all the world that can separate us from that love. It truly is the most incredible gift that has ever been given–and it’s ours to enjoy in abundance.

Thought for the Day: What have been my deepest experiences of love?

1 John 5:4b-6

“Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” vs. 5

The phrase “conquers the world” conjures up in our minds great Christian armies flying the flag of Christ traveling by land and sea to win victory over pagan peoples in order to bring them into the family of Christ. And indeed there have been times when such armies did range through Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas in one crusade or another. Unfortunately that isn’t even close to what the scriptures have in mind by conquering the world. The world refers to those forces familiar to us all which are allied against the rule and will of God. They pull at our hearts and tempt us to indulge in our natural appetites. The world is creation turned against itself, and the origin of every kind of tyranny we can imagine. Following the way of the world leads us into nightmarish webs of intrigue and selfish desires–and it’s a powerful foe. We see its influence in popular culture, social media, politics, business, and it even creeps into religious organizations. But the thing is, God loves the world, even to the point of dying that it might be redeemed and fulfill its creative promise. As the people of God, gathered around the cross of Jesus, we are charged with overcoming the world, not with force of arms, but with the power of love.  Our conquering will be gentle, kind, and restorative. In and through us the world will be resurrected together with Christ.

Thought for the Day: What are the ways of the world?

1 John 5:1-4a

“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child.” vs. 1

Anyone who has been a part of an authentic Christian community will be able to testify to the awesome mutual love that has marked their life together. Of course there are the usual spats and disputes as the group deals with practices and rituals, but when the rubber hits the road, love blossoms and flourishes. Brothers and sisters in Christ will serve and minister to each other in magnificent style. Prayers are said, hands held, tears wiped away, bellies fed, rides given, hugs shared, stories listened to, and menial chores done. It truly is a sight to behold, and to be the recipient of such love can change our lives forever. That’s the way it’s been from the beginning, as testified to in the book of Acts, as outsiders said, “See how much they love one another.” Of course Christians aren’t the only folks who love in this world. Members of other faith communities are bound together by love in the same fashion. And that’s as it should be! After all God’s love extends to all people. We’re fools to think that Christians are the only ones who experience it. So instead of wasting time criticizing others, followers of Christ will focus on the love which binds them together, and continue to practice loving in all that they do. Such is our purest calling!

Thought for the Day: How have I been loved by my community?

Psalm 98:5-9

“Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody. With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord.” vss. 5-6

The psalmist gives us a glimpse of temple worship and makes us wish we could have been there. While arrangements likely varied from season to season there were plenty of opportunities for musicians to pull out all the stops. They spared nothing in making a joyful noise before the Lord. On festival days we’d have heard lyres, trumpets and horns, cymbals, and melodic choirs–and it wouldn’t have been boring. Court musicians were constantly working on new songs and responsive psalms–it was a full-time job for some. That’s always how it’s been for the people of God–worship really doesn’t seem like worship without the sounds of instruments and choirs, and opportunities to sing our hearts out. For some that’s what’s been missing in this year of COVID, and even when they can watch on Youtube or Livestream, worship isn’t the same without joyful noises and festive shouts. That’s what many are waiting for now as churches begin to open up–only when singing returns will they feel as though their worship is truly authentic. They’ll even be open to new songs; freshly composed hymns of praise and joy reflecting the marvelous work of the Lord in bringing new life to our hurting world. What a day that first festival worship service will be!!!!

Thought for the Day: Why do some dislike new songs in worship?

Psalm 98:1-4

“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises.” vs. 4

We’re not sure what triggered the psalmist’s extravagant hymn of praise to the Lord–it was likely some celebration of God’s special relationship to the house of Israel. But what catches our attention is his sense of the close connection between the Lord and the creation. We get that same feeling every year as we continue our celebration of Easter through the season of spring. It’s as though all the earth is singing with joy at the signs of new life all around. Resurrection wasn’t a one time event, it happens again and again in the course of our lifetimes, as trees bud and burst into bloom, as flowers spring up in the desert, and as birds return with joy to our yards. Easter is a beautiful time of year, and we’re glad to join the trees in their songs of praise. As we sing of Christ’s triumph over the grave, they’re rejoicing at the appearance of the yellow blossoms and bright green leaves. Even the cacti get into the mood and we can imagine their thrill at the appearance of buds holding the promise of new growth. Easter truly is the season for celebrating the earth and encouraging environmental awareness. It’s a reminder that we who are a part of creation can never live apart from creation–all is One in Christ!

Thought for the Day: Where have I heard creation singing?

Acts 10:44-48

“The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles…” vs. 45

Peter and his buddies were pretty confident they were God’s chosen ones and they could recite quite a litany of scripture passages to back that up. They were proud of who they were and the mark of circumcision that had set them apart from all others. It was their belief that what had happened in Jesus was God’s gift to their people–after all Jesus was a Jew and his ministry had taken place in a Jewish context. Outsiders could indeed become followers of Jesus but first they would need to become Jews through circumcision. That was the point of entry–and then could come baptism. But God was bigger than their puny regulations–there were no boundaries that the Holy Spirit could not cross–and it didn’t take long for Peter and his friends to have their eyes opened. That’s continued to be the story for God’s people as the years have passed. God’s heart is bigger than we can imagine and there’s room there for all kinds of loving to go on. We regularly see the fruits of the Spirit showing up in the most unlikely places, even in the lives of people with no faith at all. And we’re astounded! You’d think after all these years we’d have it figured out–God cannot be limited by religion!

Thought for the Day: When have I been astounded by the Spirit?

John 15:4-8

“Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.” vs. 6

Church people have long had an unfortunate habit of taking the bible’s metaphors literally and then using them to destroy the gospel of grace. In this instance they imply that these words of Jesus about the vine and its branches are proof for the existence of a fiery hell. They conclude that anyone who is not attached to Jesus, the true vine, will be tossed aside, gathered together with other sinners, and at the last judgment, will be thrown into hell. Presumably they believed that such scary forecasts were necessary to keep people from drifting away from the church. In reality their interpretation undermines the deep sacrificial love that God has for humanity by making it conditional. Jesus uses the metaphor of the vine and its branches to underline the importance of staying connected to Christ. It’s true that the fruits of the Spirit are threatened when we stray from our source of vitality. Some have experienced the drying up of the soul that can occur in the course of a lifetime. We feel barren and fruitless, almost good for nothing. Those feelings happen, but when they come it doesn’t mean God has stopped loving us or that the Spirit of Christ has departed. It means simply that, for our sake, and the sake of the world, we need to get reconnected–and the sooner, the better.

Thought for the Day: When have I felt fruitless?

John 15:1-4

“Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.” vs. 4

The good news of the Gospel is plain. Christ abides in us–no exceptions, no one is left out. His DNA has been stamped in us from the very beginning. So that’s one thing we don’t need to worry about–there’s plenty of room in Christ for all of us, now and forever. But there is just one more thing! We are also called to abide in Christ–and here’s where it gets a little dicy. Because this is the part of our lives that is directly related to our words and actions, and here’s where we often fall short. We have such a strong attachment to the world and all its glories and riches, and that’s where we’d much rather put down our roots. The idea of abiding in Christ and of being his hands and feet is just not very interesting. The problem is that unless we abide in Christ the world is going to be a pretty barren place. Jesus even says we’ll be unable to produce fruit unless we are first of all connected to him. The love, joy, and peace that spark delight don’t come from us–we bear those fruits because we’re attached to Jesus. They flow from him through us! So our Christ attachment is crucial–not only to us, but to the world.

Thought for the Day: How do I maintain my Christ attachment?