Mark 1:4-8

“I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” vs. 8

There seems to have been some controversy in the early church about water and spirit baptism. Water baptism was of course linked with John the Baptist, but Jesus didn’t baptize anyone with water–though according to John’s gospel, his disciples did baptize. Jesus simply interacted with hurting people, laid hands on some, and invited others to become his followers. He didn’t have a ritual of initiation. There weren’t rules about who was in and who was out–he loved them all. But after his death and resurrection, his disciples adopted the practice of water baptism to celebrate the presence of faith in new believers. It didn’t take long at all for water baptism to become ritualized–in fact, the earliest creeds were developed in connection with those rituals. Congregations believed that new members should confess a common faith as a mark of inclusion in the body. We can understand why this was done–there’s amazing symbolic value in the washing ritual–baptism can easily be connected to the cleansing from sin and a resurrection to new life. Even today baptism is a big deal in the Church, both as a mark of faith and as a reminder of God’s grace. But however we practice the ritual, whether it’s for infants or believers, we can’t afford to forget that Jesus was interested in the Spirit’s work in our lives. Whether people were baptized or not wasn’t an issue–he knew that without the Spirit, all our rituals are empty and pointless.

Thought for the Day: Is water baptism necessary for new life in Christ?

Acts 19:4-7

“When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied—” vs. 6

According to Luke, when John the Baptist’s disciples submitted to baptism Paul laid hands on them–and there were spectacular manifestations of the Spirit, much like what had happened in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. It was not unusual in the early congregations for such things to take place–speaking in tongues or “glossolalia” was considered to be a sign that the Holy Spirit was active and present in a person. In some places like Corinth it was so commonplace that Paul came to see it as a kind of a nuisance. It might edify the individual, but it did nothing for the congregation. In fact Paul wrote Chapter 13 of First Corinthians to show them “a more excellent way” to demonstrate the presence of the Spirit. “If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.”  He also wrote to the Galatians that, “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” His words are instructive for us. If people wish, they can practice speaking in tongues–it’s like reciting a mantra and can be a useful meditative tool. But the fruits of the Spirit are far better indicators of the presence of Christ, and they are what we should cultivate.

Thought for the Day: How can I cultivate the fruits of the Spirit?

Acts 19:1-2

“He said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?’ They replied, ‘No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.’” vs. 2

Evidently disciples of John the Baptizer had spread far beyond the boundaries of Judea and Galilee–Paul ran into a few during his first trip to Ephesus, more than a thousand miles away from the Jordan valley. They hadn’t even heard about Jesus and were puzzled when Paul asked them about the Holy Spirit. Of course, most of us have the same sort of puzzlement, and if we were asked if we’d received the Spirit, we’d probably plead ignorance. As far as the Trinity is concerned we have some notions about the Creator and are familiar with Jesus, but the Holy Spirit is a mystery, and subject to loads of debate. In reality, the Spirit is nothing more or less than the presence of God in our everyday living, or as some have put it, “the present tense of God.” That means that the Spirit isn’t something we received when we became believers; the Spirit is the reason we are believers. As Martin Luther put it, “We cannot by our own effort or understanding believe in Jesus…but the Holy Spirit has called us through the gospel…and gathered us into his body, the Church.” In the Acts account then, the disciples of John became believers because of the Holy Spirit, and the faithful testimony of Paul, the Spirit’s instrument.

Thought for the Day: What does it mean to say that God is a verb?

Matthew 2:1-12

“When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy.” vs.10

All around the world star-gazers were out in force on the night of December 21 to observe the “Great Conjunction,” which some were calling the Christmas Star. The planets Jupiter and Saturn had come close together, as close as they’d been in 400 years. Some Christians were saying that this was what the Wise Men had seen as they searched for the infant Jesus some 2000 years ago. Now it is true that the ancients believed that there were portents in the skies, and some among them made predictions based on the movement of the planets. So it’s not strange that some such story would arise in connection with the birth of Jesus. Matthew wanted his readers to know that this birth was no local event, but had connection to the primal forces of the universe. We use the story to celebrate Epiphany, a recognition that in Jesus Light came into the world and that in the Christ our true selves are revealed. Christmas is over now, Christ is in the world, and now it’s our turn to let our lights shine. In us is Light and the Darkness will never overcome it–it’s our calling to take that Light to the nations and spread the news that God is in the land. Redemption is at hand! Kindness and love will win the victory!

Thought for the Day: How can I best light up a room?

Psalm 29

“May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace!” vs. 11

The psalmist had no doubt about the sovereignty of God, and believed that every part of creation reflected the power and majesty of its creator. Earthquakes, winds, thunder, and lightning were all a part of the earth’s posturing before the Almighty One–and as one caught up in the turmoil and messiness of it all, he cried out, “May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace!” And indeed, that’s our cry too as we leave the turbulence of 2020 and head into the uncharted territory that is 2021. Who knows what lies ahead? Futurists and pundits have their opinions. Wall Street analysts are making their projections. But the psalmist nails our basic needs: we need strength, and we want peace! There are few more basic needs for any of us. No matter how optimistic we might be about our personal path, we know by experience that there will be some clunkers along the way, and we’re going to need strength to endure. And if we can have some measure of peace and serenity, that will certainly be a bonus! And it certainly wouldn’t hurt if the leaders of the world could have some degree of wisdom in dealing with the crises and calamities that seem to be increasing as the globe gets even hotter. Individually all of these things are out of our control–but prayer is a mighty tool, and as we echo the psalmist, good things are bound to happen.

Thought for the Day: Why do we persist in praying for global issues?

Genesis 1:1-5

“Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light.” vs. 3

According to the ancient Hebrews, all creation was spoken into existence by God in the beginning, and the first of those words was, “Lights!” And it makes sense! Any movie director knows that nothing can happen on the set until proper lighting is in place, hence the phrase, “Lights, camera, action!” What’s interesting though, is that this light had nothing to do with the sun. This is a primordial light, something that lies at the core of creation and that permeates every part of it. John in his gospel spoke of this light too, and again it’s in connection with the word of God, present in the beginning and then incarnate in the person of Jesus. Again, the light has nothing to do with the sun, but instead refers to the very essence of God, that which is present in the heart of every creature, and most especially in the heart of every human. John insists that this light is connected to grace and truth and is what attracted people to Jesus the Christ. In the gospel of Matthew this is what Jesus is referring to when he says, “Let your light so shine before others that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” It’s safe to say that this light is the hope of the world, featured in the best of all religions, the source of enlightenment for all believers, and embodied in all who love from the heart.

Thought for the Day: Why didn’t light eliminate darkness in the creation story?

John 1:15-18

“No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.” vs. 18

Through the centuries humans have been told that the study of religions will lead them to an understanding of God. And so we have done our work. We’ve dug into holy scriptures, listened to learned teachers, and probed deep into the intricacies of the world’s religions–and for the most part the search has been futile. God is unknowable, and the sooner we come to grips with that, the better off we’ll be. God is too big for our definitions, and God is certainly too imponderable to be captured by our religions, no matter how sophisticated they might be. John, the gospel-writer, knew that, but having said that God can not be seen, he attaches a caveat. He believed that in Jesus, the Christ who was present in the beginning, through whom all things had come into being, the Christ who dwells in the DNA of every human, had revealed God’s heart. And what is in the heart of God? Nothing but grace, love, and truth! Those who drew near to Jesus were healed and cleansed by words of forgiveness and acceptance. From the fullness of Christ in Jesus, grace had been piled on grace–and that’s who God is! And that’s still where we meet God! We see God in the loving hearts of believers–we feel God in their warmth and acceptance. In their hugs and smiles we all receive, grace upon grace, and we are satisfied!

Thought for the Day: Why do humans invent religions?

John 1:10-14

“But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.” vss. 12-13

John the Gospelwriter seems to be saying here that people are not the children of God unless they have received Jesus, that only after believing in him do they truly receive the power to become children of God. And indeed this is how many have interpreted these verses. But it’s more likely that John has something else in mind! It really is incomprehensible that all people are not included among God’s children, after all, scripture is clear in saying that all people are created in the image of God. We would say they contain God’s DNA–none are excluded. John is saying that trusting Jesus gives people the power to actually live as children of God–another way to understand that is to say that Jesus awakens the Christ that is already in us, that when touched by the Spirit of Jesus, we become what we already are! That means that in this world there are millions of people, awakened folks, who are actually living as children of God. And how are they distinguished? Well, not by their religious preferences, political parties, or net worth! We know them totally by their loving hearts–the old camp song has it right, “They’ll know we are Christians by our love!” They aren’t better than anyone else–but they are the Body of Christ incarnate!

Thought for the Day: How does being awakened change our lives?

Ephesians 1:11-14

“In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit…” vs. 13

For many believers these words are linked to the Rite of Baptism as practiced by some of our congregations. After the washing with water and the laying on of hands, the officiant proclaims, “__________, child of God, you have been sealed with the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever.” Those are important words of promise and a reminder that our salvation is secure, not because we’ve had water poured on our heads, but because we have been marked and sealed in Christ even before we were born. This promise is the essence of grace and isn’t the least bit dependent on what we do–it’s all the work of God. Now certainly faith is involved–the grace becomes real to us in our hearing and believing–but faith is always secondary to what has been done by God in Christ. Today is the first day of the new year, an occasion for myriads of resolutions and promises to change our way of living. Those regular attempts at repentance are a blessing for many–and sometimes even result in permanent change. But one thing that doesn’t change with the calendar is God’s overwhelming undeserved grace. Even when our feeble efforts at self-improvement fail, God’s love in Christ never fails. Our salvation has been sealed by the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Thought for the Day: What benefit is grace without faith?

Ephesians 1:3-10

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love.” vss. 3-4

The writer of Ephesians knew that the story of the Christ did not begin with Jesus, but in the very origins of the universe. And that’s where our story begins too. We have been infused with the DNA of the Divine from the very beginning, and our origin is of old. Within the whole context of the created order we humans are the holy and blameless ones chosen to be the embodiment of Divine Love. Tonight we stand on the threshold of a new year and all of us are hoping that it will see the end of the pandemic and the current political divide. Whether it is or not is probably out of our individual control–we have to leave such things to health professionals and national leaders. But we do have a part to play! There is no better time than now for we who follow Jesus to begin living in accord with our call and our purpose. We can resolve in the year to come to live as holy and blameless persons–such a life is not an impossibility! As such we will practice unconditional love in every single one of our relationships, no exceptions, following the example of our Lord Jesus. And the whole world will be blessed!

Thought for the Day: How will I live in a holy and blameless way?