Ephesians 2:1-3

“All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else.” vs. 3

When the writer of Ephesians penned this letter he made no distinction between himself and those he was addressing. All were in the same boat, all were following the desires of their flesh and senses, and they were dead to the riches God had for them. Now that may seem like a harsh thing to say, but in actuality, that’s not a bad place to start. Jesus himself says that losing one’s life is the first step in discovering new life. In order for the Christ that is in us to take root and flourish something has to die. That’s how a seed grows–the old hull rots away and the fresh shoots spring forth. The problem is that some never recognize how rotten and misdirected their lives are. They don’t even know that they’re wasting the riches of God’s goodness on shallow trivialities that masquerade as accomplishment in the world. What will wake people up? Paul got a visit from the Risen Christ–and sometimes we do too. No one can tell what life event will be the death of us and the signal that we’ve reached wit’s end. Everyone one’s bottom is different–and some go skating along on thin ice for a lifetime. But for those who do wake up, the results are astounding, and we wonder why it took us so long to smell the roses of grace, joy, love, and life.

Thought for the Day: When was my “bottoming out”?

Psalm 107:17-22

“Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress;” vs. 19

Again and again in the psalms and other portions of scripture we read about how God reaches out to those who are in distress or any kind of trouble and offers them healing and restoration. This psalmist has in mind the occasion in the wilderness when the Hebrews were being tormented by poisonous serpents and God provided for them. It was a familiar story–and was remembered whenever the people found themselves in a tight spot. We like stories like this too–but sometimes this isn’t how it is in life–and we know it! Many have found themselves crying out to the Lord in time of trouble–and nothing happens. Things can even get worse! So what shall we do then? Shall we give up on God? There are some who do–and we can’t really blame them. But what other recourse do we have in our misery? Sometimes there’s nothing else to do but keep on crying out to the Lord–even when we get no response. And that’s what people of faith do! Right up until the gates of death we keep calling out to God for help, and if we feel forsaken, well, that’s how Jesus felt too. And one day, it may be that the word of healing that has gone out from God will come to us, and we too will hear and be restored. And that will be one glorious day! May it not be delayed!

Thought for the Day: Why do some folks miss out on healing?

Psalm 107:1-3

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

Stories are often told, hopefully in jest, of crusty old husbands who are reluctant to use the language of love with their spouses because, “I said I loved her once and if I ever change my mind I’ll let her know.” In truth, such foolishness has no place in a marriage. An “I love you” never loses its power through frequent use; in fact, regular usage strengthens marriage bonds–the words never grow old! That’s why the psalmists never tired of celebrating the steadfast love of God. Again and again we hear them exhorting the faithful to give thanks to the Lord and to celebrate God’s goodness. They knew that fragile human egos need constant reassurance and that there is comfort in knowing that we were created in love, and will be sustained by the never-failing love of our Creator. Even when precious relationships disintegrate, when divorce and break-ups are commonplace, God’s love continues. There are enough disappointments in human relationships, we certainly don’t need to worry about falling into disfavor with God. As Paul tells us, there is nothing in all creation, not even death itself, that can separate us from the boundless love of our God. That doesn’t mean we can simply ignore God or imagine that what we do makes no difference. As any person in a relationship can testify, our actions are crucial to its intimacy. Deeds are important, but with God, the context is always unconditional love.

Thought for the Day: How often do I need to hear words of love? 

Numbers 21:4-9

“So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live.” vs. 9

Given the general distaste for snakes that exists among humans, it can be surprising to learn that the symbol used to designate medical professionals is a serpent coiled around an upright rod or stake. It’s origin is traced by scholars to the rod of Asclepius, the staff associated with the Greek god popularly connected with medicine and healing. It’s somewhat surprising to learn that the Hebrews had a similar story that they connected with a wilderness incident involving Moses. The common element is the serpent. According to their recollections the bronze replica of a dreaded killer, by the grace of God, became the instrument of healing for people who had been snakebit. For centuries after, there’s evidence that the Hebrews continued to use the serpent on a pole as an object of cultic worship, though ultimately the practice was discontinued. For early Christians this story from Numbers was perfect for understanding what had happened with the death of Jesus on the cross. And after a few centuries the image of Jesus on the cross came to dominate church sanctuaries in every land. The message was unmistakable:The crucifix (Body of Christ on the cross) was balm for all our woes. In looking to him we are healed through the forgiveness of our sins.

Thought for the Day: What does a crucifix mean for me?

John 2:17-22

“After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.” vs. 22

John tells us that the disciples didn’t understand what was going on when he wreaked havoc in the temple–it was only much later, after his resurrection that his words made sense to them. That was probably the case with much of what Jesus said and did during his ministry. In fact, what we have in the gospels is not so much a “play-by-play” of Jesus’ words and deeds, as a compilation of his disciples’ memories, things that they remembered as the Risen Christ came to them some years later. Not only does this account for some of the differences in the gospel record, it’s a fair account of how the Spirit of God works in each of our lives. We don’t always know the significance of things as they are happening–it’s only at a later date that our memories kick in and give meaning to what our parents and teachers may have said. That’s certainly the way it is with faith. Sometimes it takes years to figure out what we’d seen and heard in the days of our youth. Bible stories that seemed childish when first told to us become in later years the foundation of our faith. The things we re-member, even when we get details mixed up, are what keep us on track in a constantly changing world.

Thought for the Day: What old memories have centered my faith?

John 2:12-17

“Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.” vs. 15

According to the gospel of John Jesus took his family and disciples to Jerusalem for the celebration of the Passover toward the beginning of his ministry. When he came to the temple for worship he was outraged. The whole outer courtyard had the atmosphere of a country fair. There were cattle and sheep for sale, and money-changers had their tables set up to serve the pilgrims seeking to change their Roman coins into image-free ones that could be used for the temple offering. Jesus considered the whole show to be a sacrilege and chased everyone out. It’s a reminder of how easy it is for the purity of worship to be subverted by the ways of the world. In our time, every congregation is a corporation and has business obligations to the state and its membership. Always there is a concern for proper accounting and for operating within budgetary limitations. But sometimes things get out of hand, and making money can become a congregation’s primary mission. Our purpose as the people of God in this world is not to stay in the black but to go with the gospel and spread the good news of God’s unconditional love and grace. When that mission is undermined, from Jesus’ perspective, we might as well shut the doors!

Thought for the Day: How can a congregation’s mission get side-tracked?

1Corinthians 1:22-25

“For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles…” vss. 22-23

Some of us spend a lot of time trying to make the gospel palatable to unbelievers and skeptics, and that’s really not anything new. For centuries Christian thinkers have tried to make sense of it through logic and systematic theologies. And sometimes those efforts have produced fruit–some people have found their work satisfying and convincing. Even now there are preachers who can find appreciative audiences for their logical and carefully reasoned expositions of scripture–and if they can throw in some jokes, it’s all the better! But as nice as it is to have such gifted presentations, we ultimately run into a brick wall. The gospel in its purity is both a stumbling block and foolishness! It can’t be made palatable to our human appetite for a “feel good” message. The gospel begins with crucifixion, the death of our messiah, and as disciples we are called to lose our lives for Christ’s sake. Of course it doesn’t end there–this is only the beginning! As St. Francis put it, “It is in dying that we are born to eternal life.” Even though it would be nice to begin at the end and simply focus on the life part, that’s not how it works. The journey begins at the cross, as nonsensical as that may seem, and the suffering, either individual or collective, has to be endured. As Paul discovered, this is how the power of God is made manifest!

Thought for the Day: How can I believe something that doesn’t make sense?

1 Corinthians 1:18-21

“For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” vs. 18

Paul quickly discovered that both Jews and Gentiles had a tough time wrapping their minds around the cross as the central image in the message he was proclaiming. They simply couldn’t believe that the path to salvation ran through excruciating suffering and death. Messiahs were supposed to triumph over all–that’s who they are! But Jesus had been abandoned by his followers and then executed as a common criminal. The whole story didn’t make sense! Times haven’t changed. The message about the cross still seems absurd, yet those who have absorbed its truth marvel at its power. Where people have centered their faith on the cross they have found enormous resiliency and strength. They don’t expect their lives to be free of pain and loss–Jesus suffered and so will they, and in their cross moments they have drawn closer to God than they ever dreamed possible. In their darkest times they have found strength and vitality in their suffering Savior. And as they’ve walked with Jesus through the valley they have discovered that the end of the story is not oblivion but eternal life. Out of the darkness has come light! There are days in which we wish the story of salvation had been different–we’d like life to be all about prosperity and wealth. But such stories are frauds! The way of the Cross is where the power is!

Thought for the Day: How can we avoid suffering?

Psalm 19

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” vs. 14

The psalmist had been led to create a prayer for the use of his congregation, and he used the opportunity to pour out the meditations of his heart with as much grace and beauty as he could muster. He was a keen observer of nature and saw the fingerprints of God in every part of the creation. As a person of faith he also recognized the blessing of the law, and saw in the commandments God’s design for the perfect life. But as the words of his poem came together he became deeply conscious of his own fallibility. He knew how easy it would be for him to slide into error–there was no guarantee that his writing would be worthy. So he closes his prayer with the familiar words, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord…” He wanted all the glory to go to God! Those same words are often used by contemporary preachers and teachers as they prepare prayers and sermons by meditating on the texts of nature and scripture. To present the Word is a massive responsibility and it’s so easy to be led astray. Thank God for those persons whose meditations are guided by humble spirits and whose words inform and inspire our lives. They are indeed a gift from God!

Thought for the Day: How do faithful preachers craft their sermons?

Exodus 20:12-17

“Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” vs. 12

Typically this commandment is referenced most often by parents who are having a tough time getting the respect and obedience they desire from their children. Out of control kids are forcefully reminded that God wants them to behave–they are to honor their fathers and their mothers or face divine anger! That might be a good thought but it has little to do with the intent of this commandment. Kids do disobey and discipline is important, but this word from God was intended as a safety net for the elderly. There wasn’t a network of nursing homes available for aged parents, instead it was expected that they would live with their children, and be well taken care of. As a result, grandparents were an integral part of a family’s daily life, and the system worked pretty well. Of course we live in different times and customs have changed but we’re still called to honor our parents–and sometimes, with our splintered families, that can become a major issue for us. We spend long hours wondering how it will go when mom and dad can no longer care for themselves. Will there be a place for them in our homes, or is it better to find a care center for them? Where do they want to be? Those are tough questions–and we struggle to find loving answers–but we do know that elderly parents deserve to be honored!

Thought for the Day: How have the elderly been honored in my family?