Psalm 22:23-26

“For he did not despise or abhor the affliction of the afflicted; he did not hide his face from me, but heard when I cried to him.” vs. 24

We’ve heard the voices of the afflicted big time during this last year. Every country in the world has been affected, and millions of families have suffered pain and loss. Jobs have disappeared and the education system has been stressed to the max. Some have even echoed the psalmist in making complaints before God, questioning why they have been forsaken and forgotten in a moment of crisis. Humans have endured these times for generations, but the pain of our ancestors does nothing to mitigate our own. We continue to bring our laments before God, asking for some sign of hope, some expression of mercy. This particular psalmist, having made his feelings known to God, expresses praise and thanksgiving for having been heard. Perhaps his suffering had come to an end! Maybe he was anticipating God’s gracious response! But the time had come to recognize that God had been present all along, that there never had been a moment when God’s face was hidden. Some are at that point now in the battle with COVID-19. There is a sense that the tide has turned and healing is on the way. The struggle isn’t over yet but maybe it’s time to start offering praises for the bounty of life in the midst of adversity. We are not alone, our prayers have been heard!

Thought for the Day: How can praises be offered when suffering is not over?

Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16

“I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall give rise to nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” vs. 16

Judaism was for the most part a patriarchal system. Men ruled their families and called the shots–faithful men would pray each day, “Thank God that I was not born a Gentile, a slave, or a woman.” When Jesus began his ministry he intentionally ruptured that system–he proclaimed liberty for the oppressed and brought healing to Gentiles, slaves, and women. The Apostle Paul makes it clear: in Christ there is no distinction between Jews or Gentiles, slaves or free, men or women. But still as the Church developed those old patriarchal habits found their way in the traditions and the regulations–women were expected to stay in their place (wherever that was) while men ran things. It took centuries for that pattern to be broken–seldom was it recognized that in the beginning God’s promises were for both men and women. Sarah received exactly the same blessing as did Abraham–the wording is identical–our faith has its foundation in both a patriarch and a matriarch. We’re beginning to reap the benefits of that blessing now as both men and women are being set free to use all of their gifts for the glory of God and for the proclamation of the gospel. Thank God for those faithful women who refused to be bound by traditions, and were bold enough to overcome the barriers to ministry that men had placed in their ways.

Thought for the Day: How have women shaped my faith?

Mark 1:9-15

“And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’ And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.” vss. 11-12 

Mark is a “bare bones” gospel. As the first to be written it charts Jesus’ ministry from baptism through resurrection, but leaves the teaching and parables to Matthew and Luke. Here Jesus gets no time at all to bask in the glory of his baptismal experience–immediately he is not led but driven by the Spirit into the wilderness for the first of his encounters with the Tempter. There are no details, just the facts. His moment of connection with the Divine on the banks of the Jordan was gone in an instant, and then came forty days of temptation in company with the wild beasts. We know what that’s like. Our moments of exultation and recognition are often quickly followed by a cold dash of reality. We can go from certainly to questioning in a heartbeat, and the times in the wilderness are ever so much longer than those fleeting minutes of joy and confidence. We might not like it but it has to happen–the wilderness is where the real growing takes place. It’s here that we sort out our priorities and consider what it might be that God has in mind for us. The good news is that we’re never abandoned–even Jesus wasn’t alone. The Spirit was there and angels ministered to him. In our darkest moments God will be present–and we will be taken care of. After all, we are God’s beloved!

Thought for the Day: Lows that have followed my highs!

1 Peter 3:18-22

“For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison…” vss. 18-19

As early followers of Jesus reflected on his sacrificial death, it seemed absurd to believe that he had suffered only for the living. Instead they began to teach that after his death, he had gone in the spirit to proclaim the good news to the dead. Later generations of believers then included this teaching in what came to be known as the Apostle’s Creed. Initially they had described this as a descent into hell, which is nowhere attested to in scripture. For that reason some have begun using the phrase, “descended to the dead” in the Creed and have looked to these verses from Peter as their prooftext. This correction is a reminder that the salvation we have in Christ Jesus is by no means limited to the living–what happened in Jesus is for all and none are excluded. Not even death is a barrier to the overwhelming and universal love of God. For those who have lived with heavy hearts as they’ve worried about loved ones who have died without having come to faith in Christ Jesus, this is the best news ever. The Creator who gives life will never abandon us–and there are no exceptions!

Thought for the Day: How do I feel about taking hell out of the Creed?

Psalm 25:1-10

“Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.” vs. 6

The psalmist wanted more than anything to have a solid relationship with God. He wanted to walk in the way of truth and righteousness–but he was wondering if he was going to be undone by past transgressions. Would God ultimately remember the sins of his youth and hold them against him? He’d like God to forget about those things and instead look in the mirror. His prayer goes like this, “Remember what you’re like, O Lord! Be mindful of your mercy and steadfast love! That’s how you’ve always been and I really need for you to be that way in dealing with me!” Some of us can relate to that. We have been taught and have come to believe that God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. That refrain is a regular part of our liturgy, especially in the season of Lent. And as we consider the tendencies of our hearts and number the ways in which we miss the mark in our daily living, we need God to be the God who was revealed in Jesus. And really, that’s the step of faith that we take in confessing our sins. We’re assuming that God isn’t going to get us for what we’ve done, but will instead bring healing and restoration. And even though there are days when that’s hard to believe, Jesus assures us again and again, that’s the way God really is!

Thought for the Day: At what times am I reminded of my sin?

Genesis 9:8-17

“When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” vs. 16

Humans have a hard time wrapping their heads around the notion that all living creatures have a divine connection. Generally we understand ourselves as being the center of the universe and give little thought to the thousands of other species that also inhabit this beautiful blue planet and that are loved by God. Our ancestors in faith, those whose creation stories we read in Genesis had a much more inclusive understanding of our relationship to other living creatures. Even in the story of the flood it is made clear that God’s rainbow connection includes Siberian tigers, whales, and burrowing owls. No animal is exempted! It’s therefore natural for people of faith to be energetically involved in the environmental efforts to preserve habitat for endangered species. Our human tendency to exploit the natural resources of the earth for the sake of our own pleasure and gain goes counter to our responsibility to look out for our animal companions, especially the ones most severely impacted by the changing climate. The face of the earth has changed drastically in the last couple of hundred years, and much of the so-called progress has been at the expense of those less numerous species with whom we share living space. Some would say that it’s past time for us to be concerned about our stewardship!

Thought for the Day: How do humans cause species extinctions?

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

“Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.” vs. 1

Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, traditionally the time for followers of Jesus to receive the imposition of ashes at worship as a sign of repentance. In most congregations the ashes are imposed on the forehead in the shape of a cross with the words, “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.” Believers are then encouraged to leave the ashes on their foreheads through the day as a public expression of their faith. It’s a worthy ancient tradition, though some wonder if it isn’t a violation of Jesus’ warning against “practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them.” It may be that for some it is a way of showing off, though in our secular times that usually isn’t something for us to worry about. Most of us are so careful about practicing our piety in public that our friends and neighbors don’t even know that we are people of faith. On this one day, the cross on our forehead, retracing the mark etched there at our baptisms, is a powerful reminder of our connection to the suffering and death of Jesus. We are people of the cross, familiar with suffering, and doing all we can to bring the message of redemption and grace to a guilt-wracked and hurting world–and we’re called to do that every day, not just Ash Wednesday.

Thought for the Day: What does the imposition of ashes mean for me?

Psalm 51:1-17

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.” vs. 1

Through the years we’ve come up with some creative ways to deal with the problem of sin in our lives. Most recently a sizable number of folks have decided that there’s been too much talk of sin in the church, and that we deserve a break. Some congregations have consequently eliminated the confession from the order of worship–it’s too negative, their leaders say, and people don’t want to be reminded of their faults and failings. They want to sing praise songs and raise holy hands–and so that’s what they do. The psalmist would have had a tough time with such a notion. He was constantly aware of his transgressions and knew that his spirit needed a major restoration. So he poured out his heart to God, confessing his sin and crying out for mercy. It’s hard to believe that people in our time are that much different from the psalmist. Oh, we can deny our sin and guilt and say we’re just fine as we are–but in our heart of hearts we know that our denials are one big lie. In truth we are sinners to the core! But that doesn’t mean that we are without hope! The psalmist never forgot that God is gracious and merciful, and full of steadfast love. Our sin can be forgiven–if we confess it! And our guilt can be lifted. Praise God!

Thought for the Day: Why is confession good for the soul?

Isaiah 58:1-12

“Is not this the fast that I choose: to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them…? vss. 6a-7

The prophet imagines a conversation between God and Israelites who are wondering why their prayers aren’t being heard when they have been so faithful in making their temple sacrifices and keeping their ritual fasts. In the prophet’s estimation, God has a different agenda for them–they’ve missed the point of faith. We’re coming up on the season of Lent, a time in the church year that has been set aside for reflection on the suffering of Jesus and a commitment to spiritual disciplines. Often there are mid-week services and a call to “give something up for Lent.” Some see it as a time to model discipleship, to consider what it means to take up the cross and follow the Way. When these forty days are used for such reflection and for serious meditation on the meaning of repentance they can have real value in the life of a believer. A few might even choose to reflect on the challenges of Isaiah 58 and make serious commitments to seeking justice for the oppressed and the eradication of hunger. Such things are not just planks in a progressive political platform–they issue directly from the teaching of Jesus and the prophets. In this season of COVID there is so much we can do for the poor–perhaps this is the Lent when we actually do something!

Thought for the Day: What fast is God choosing for me this Lent?

Mark 9:7-9

“Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.” vs. 8

Most people have a variety of spiritual and religious experiences as they search for a unitary expression of faith, one that will stand the test of time and withstand the doubts that stalk them. There are days that our faith is strong, buttressed by internal certainties rising from what we perceive to be divine encounters. On those days there’s a bounce to our step and we feel confident that God is real and readily accessible. There is within us an overwhelming sense of awe–it’s wonderful to feel so close to the Lord. But then time passes. The cloud of God’s awesome presence dissipates and we’re left on our own and doubts gain the upper hand. We start wondering about our experiences and begin to think they might just have been wishful thinking. It may seem that there is nothing left–but then, as we look around we realize that not all has gone away. Jesus remains! And he is enough! He’s real and not a product of our imagination, and he beckons us to come follow him on the path of love. And so, along with millions of others, including the patron saint of this day, St. Valentine, a third century martyred Roman priest, we keep our focus on Jesus and spend our lives loving others. And it’s not just a Hallmark love either. The love Jesus inspires extends even to our enemies and it’s been enough to change the world.

Thought for the Day: Why is Valentine’s Day so popular?