Psalm 62:5-8

“For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.” vss. 5-6

We don’t know what was going on in the psalmist’s life–we can only imagine and then guess that his journey was not that different from ours. There are times when words fail us, those moments when the things we hold dear seem to be disintegrating. It could be that we’re even feeling that way now. Obviously the pandemic is an everyday concern and we worry about our dear ones while mourning those who have died. Some have lost jobs and are facing the loss of income, while others are troubled, even angry about their children’s experiences with distance learning. Many are dispirited from the recent news on the political front–some friendships are being threatened. And then there are the usual family issues: illnesses, tenuous marriages, concerns about children and grandchildren. Sometimes we don’t even know what to say to those who are hurting–we can’t imagine what it would be like to be in their situation. More than that, we don’t even know what to say to God. Like the psalmist our souls wait in silence–but we don’t give up. There is literally nowhere else to turn–our hope comes from God, the One who is our rock and salvation. And somehow, we make it through. Out of the silence comes tomorrow–new light dawns–and we find strength!

Thought for the Day: When in my prayers am I at a loss for words?

Jonah 3:1-5, 10

“When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it.” vs. 10

Jonah was having a tough time with God. He believed that he had been commissioned to announce to the people of Nineveh that their city was about to be destroyed. He hadn’t wanted to deliver the message–after all, who would want to be known as a prophet of doom! But the Lord hadn’t let him off the hook and he showed up in Nineveh, albeit reluctantly, and proclaimed that destruction was on the way. But then, according to the story, the people repented–and so did God! And Jonah was confused–it hadn’t occurred to him that God had a warm, fuzzy side. And there are still a lot of folks who don’t get that. They have an image of God as judging and condemning, and when they’re shown from scripture that God is compassionate and forgiving, they have a hard time with it. They don’t get that God loves the people they hate. They don’t even get that God loves them, in spite of their checkered past, and their negative self image. It just might be that vast multitudes of people in this world need to change their minds about God, and learn to embrace the God of love and mercy!

Thought for the Day: Why is it hard for some to believe that God loves them?

John 1:47-51

“Jesus answered, ‘Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.’” vs. 50

From the tone of the text in John’s gospel, we get the impression that Jesus nearly laughed when Nathaniel called him the Son of God and the King of Israel. Granted, Nathaniel had been blown away when Jesus did his David Copperfield imitation, but Jesus tells him greater things are still to come. Evidently Nathaniel was so hungry for a hint of the Divine Presence that what could be called a magician’s trick was enough to convince him. We’re not immune to that kind of thinking! In fact we welcome the little “miracles” of life and embrace them as signs that God is real. What others might call a coincidence or a stroke of good fortune we receive as acts of God and answers to prayer. And who’s to say that we are wrong? We will always believe what we want to believe, and no one is likely to convince us otherwise. For a lot of people all of those “coincidences” strung together over the course of a lifetime build an unshakeable faith and cement our allegiance to Jesus as Lord. And what Jesus tells us is that all those little things are as nothing when compared to the ultimate revelation that will one day be ours. And if we’re skeptics? We’re not to worry–someday there will be no doubts!

Thought for the Day: What convinces me of God’s reality?

John 1:43-46

“Nathanael said to him, ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ Philip said to him, ‘Come and see.’” vs. 46

Philip didn’t try to argue with Nathanael. It wouldn’t have done any good. As soon as Nathanael had heard where Jesus was from, he had discounted any possibility that Jesus could be the promised messiah. We’re like that in our interactions with new people. We have our own preconceived notions of value and worth, and when people don’t measure up, it’s an immediate black mark. And so we ask our questions, “Where are you from?” or “What college did you go to?” or “Who did you vote for?” and their answers color our perceptions. And there’s no amount of arguing that can change our minds. Philip knew that, and simply said, “Come and see.” And that remains for us the best way of changing hardened minds. Our prejudices are so ingrained that personal interaction is the only way to open our hearts to new possibilities and new friendships. Many times it’s those previously discounted folks who connect us to the incarnate Word in the most lasting and fruitful ways. They become sources of love and bring regular joy in the continuing relationship. Wonderful surprises come our way from totally unexpected sources, and it happens again and again. Sometimes those uncredentialed folks can even change our lives, just like Jesus did for Nathaniel and Philip. We’ll never know who they are until we stop talking and start listening!

Thought for the Day: My most unexpected friend.

1 Corinthians 6;15-20

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own?” vs. 19

Paul was a champion of God’s grace, but he wasn’t the least bit permissive! There was no way that he could condone the visits to prostitutes that were evidently taking place in the congregation at Corinth. In his estimation such a practice was a sin against the Body of Christ and should not be tolerated. He concluded his argument by affirming the body as a temple of the Holy Spirit, implying that the only dwelling fit for the Spirit was one that was pure and holy. While Paul’s intention was good, his words have triggered guilt pandemics among the followers of Jesus. Many have tried hard to be pure and holy vessels of the Spirit and tet have come up short–some have been driven to despair. Countless people carry chronic burdens of guilt–it’s the way they feel all the time. It is true that we should take good care of our bodies, treat them with respect, and avoid damaging behaviors. Our bodies are gifts from God! But the idea that we need to be pure and holy before the Spirit can work through us is ridiculous. The Holy Spirit is present in all people and works in and through them for the good of all. Of course we will mess up and then deal with feelings of guilt–it’s the Spirit who makes us holy! By grace are we saved! 

Thought for the Day: How often am I plagued by guilt?

1 Corinthians 6:12-14

“‘All things are lawful for me,’ but not all things are beneficial. ‘All things are lawful for me,’ but I will not be dominated by anything.” vs. 12

Paul had asserted that in Christ believers had been set free from the law, and naturally the folks in Corinth had misinterpreted his words. They began doing the things that had been forbidden, particularly in the area of sexuality. The new freedom felt wonderful to them–but when Paul got wind of it he exploded. He couldn’t understand how they could so misinterpret the good news! He agreed that all things were lawful–but not all things were helpful, and they should have been able to figure that out. We’ve had that same struggle in recent times as we’ve tried to figure out a response to the COVID pandemic. Some have felt that individual freedoms trump all, and anything that impedes our ability to do as we please should be disregarded. Others maintain that for the sake of the community it’s important to adopt measures to combat the disease, even if it means inconvenience or even hardship for individuals. This tension isn’t new. For generations we’ve struggled to find the balance between individual rights and community needs. For Paul all behaviors were connected to the health of the body. Some were lawful but not beneficial, and he urged the Corinthians to avoid those which damaged the community. And that’s what many have chosen to do now–out of love for others they put on their masks and stay at a distance–even if it violates their individual freedom.

Thought for the Day: How do I feel about wearing masks?

Psalm 139:13-18

“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.” vs. 14

Whether we’re evolutionists or creationists, when we take time to reflect on the wonders of our existence and the intricacies of our environment, we’re almost bound to join the psalmist in his hymn of praise. We are “fearfully and wonderfully made,” and our bodies have been knit together in a spectacular fashion. When a child is born, it thrills our hearts to see those perfectly formed limbs and fingers. There’s no doubt, the beauty of new life is stunning. We emerge from the womb fully equipped for a long life filled to the brim with joyful experiences and boundless pleasures. And it’s all a gift! None of us are self-made–everything we are, all our talents, gifts, and abilities is by the grace of the universe. And each of us has been given a fixed number of years to simply enjoy life and bask in its glory! And when we’re mindful of that great blessing, we can’t help but take time each day for thanks and praise. Think of it! The universe has been around for billions of years; it’s size is beyond our imagination. But in this place and on this day, we have life! As another psalmist said so clearly, “This is the day that the Lord has made. We shall rejoice and be glad in it.” This truly is our duty and our delight!

Thought for the Day: If all this is true, why do we whine so much?

Psalm 139:1-6

“You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways…Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it.” vss. 3, 6

The psalmist didn’t think of God as some bearded old man sitting on a cloud, a figure like that Michelangelo painted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. No, the Lord was bigger than that, a Being intimately acquainted with all his thoughts and desires, and the director of his destiny. But even that statement wasn’t enough to contain the reality that is God–and the psalmist had to admit that his little mind couldn’t get a handle on it. We’re pretty much in the same position. Oh, we know more about the universe and obviously science has exploded some old myths, but we still don’t have enough knowledge to even come close to describing the essence of the Ground of All Being. Sometimes, in a moment of pride, in conversations with friends, we’ll share our definition and understanding of God, but in our hearts we know that it’s all words, and not even close to the reality. That’s a humbling moment, but a healthy one, and we’re forced to go on living as best we can, following the teaching of the One we have come to know as the Light of the World, Jesus the Christ. He laid out a path of love for his followers, and we trust that in obedience to that directive we will find our own destinies. And that ultimately that’s all we need!

Thought for the Day: What is my understanding of God?

1 Samuel 3:1-10

“Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.” vs. 1

Corruption was rampant in the days of Eli. People were bringing sacrifices to Shiloh where an altar to the Lord had been set up but the priests, even Eli’s sons, were nothing but scoundrels. And in the midst of the chaos the word of the Lord came to a child, the boy Samuel. Sunday School children love this story–with all kinds of grown-ups to choose from, the Lord picked a kid! Some in our time identify with this story of malfeasance in high places. In fact that’s the word on the streets these days! Elections have been stolen and corruption reigns–we fling the accusations against one another with relish–and many are yearning for a word from the Lord. But times are not the same! The word of the Lord was rare in Eli’s time–not so today! Whether we believe it or not, the Word is in the world and its Light is burning brightly all over the globe. And even in the turmoil of our post-election trauma there are those of every political persuasion who are working for peace and justice while practicing love and kindness in all of their encounters. And sometimes we see the Word most clearly in the faces and hugs of our children. In their childlike naivete we see hope–lies will never have the last word.

Thought for the Day: Why does the smile of a child melt our hearts?

Mark 1:9-11

“And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’” vs. 11

We only get a couple of glimpses at what might be called the “interior life” of Jesus in the gospels. The first is here during Mark’s account of his baptism by John. For one reason or another (Mark does not say) Jesus had come from Nazareth and joined the crowds at the Jordan who were listening to John preach. He then went down into the water and was baptized. Then when he was coming out of the river he had an experience of the transcendent God that changed the direction of his life. The heavens were torn apart and he heard and saw the Divine Word–”You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” He never forgot those words–they were his call to mission and they shaped his entire ministry. They remind us that Jesus’ life was shaped by grace and affirmation–and so is ours! We do not find salvation because we follow the rules and satisfy the demands of God. Our salvation is by grace and by grace alone. God comes to us, as we are, and offers words of love.”I love you,” God whispers to us in our awakening, in our baptism, however it is that we encounter the Divine for the first time. We are the beloved children of God and that’s the way it will always be until the close of our days.

Thought for the Day: When did I first realize that I am loved?