October 6

Isaiah 25:6-9

“On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines, of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear.” vs. 6

As the people of God have looked toward the future, prophets like Isaiah have painted vivid pictures of the magnificent banquet that will be prepared for us by the Lord. This feast of victory will provide the best food imaginable, rich goodies with high caloric content that we’ve learned to exclude from our diets. And there’ll be wine for all, well-aged top shelf wines that we’ve tasted only on special occasions. And the best news of all that it will be for all people! No one is going to be left out–it’s a feast for sinners and everyone is welcome. What the prophet envisioned isn’t at all like the heaven pictured by medieval artists and narrow-minded preachers. And what’s even better news is that the new life spells the end of death. The shroud of sadness that casts a pall over our earthly existence will be destroyed, and the hope of resurrection will be a reality for all people. While that inclusive view of eternity may be different from the dualistic version that has been drummed into our heads in the course of our religious education, it’s really only what we might expect from our ever-loving and compassion Creator. As it was in the unity of our beginning, so it will be in the unity of our ending. In Christ all is made whole!

Thought for the Day: Why is the heavenly banquet such a powerful metaphor?

October 5

Isaiah 25:1-5

“For you have been a refuge to the poor, a refuge to the needy in their distress, a shelter from the rainstorm and a shade from the heat.” vs. 4

Isaiah has nothing but praise and thanks for God, saying “I will exalt you; for you have done wonderful things,” and this time he doesn’t have in mind great victories in battle or economic gain for the nobility. On this occasion, perhaps after famine or forced migration, he has seen God give refuge to the poor and to the needy. These are the moments in which we see the heart of God–it’s not when the wealthy make fortunes in a time of pandemic; and not when leaders flaunt their power and exult in political victories. We see the acts of God in communities offering shelter and aid to those who have lost their homes to fire or floods. Wherever people are finding refuge from abuse and relief from the burdens of debt, there is the hand of God. When hospital workers risk their lives, and care-givers selflessly offer comfort and love, God is always present. It’s there in the margins that we see most clearly what God is up to in our world, and we gladly offer our thanks and praise. And most spectacularly, it’s there in the margins among the outcasts and the needy that we hear the voice of God speaking to us. In the voices of the poor we hear God–and our hearts are touched, and we are transformed. Thanks be to God!

Thought for the Day: How has God spoken to me through the needy and distressed?

October 4

Matthew 21:42-46

“When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them.” vs. 45

The religious leaders of the Jews were not lacking in intelligence–they got the point of Jesus’ parables and knew that he had been talking about them. But it made absolutely no difference in their behavior. They did not repent of their foolish ways and become his followers. Instead they began to plot about how they might arrest him in a way that would not inflame the crowds. They’d rather shut him up than change their ways. Those same instincts continue to fuel passions in our current debates about important issues. Even when people know in their hearts that their lifelong convictions should change, they are seldom inclined to change their positions. It seems that they would rather hang on to the old than embrace the new. Some will even ignore clear scientific evidence about the need for change in order to continue in their old destructive ways. They even look for ways to silence or discredit those calling for repentance. Our old friend, Paul, stood squarely in those Pharisaic circles in his youth. Only a visit from the Risen Christ convinced him to change–and that same sort of thing keeps on happening. Out of the blue Christ comes and we are moved to adopt new ways of thinking about God and our world, and our stubborn denials become a thing of the past. How good it is when the Spirit of God intervenes and the truth dawns!

Thought for the Day: What does it take for me to change my mind?

October 3

Matthew 21:33-41

“They said to him, ‘He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.’” vs. 41

The religious leaders were quick to give Jesus the right answer when he asked them about the parable of the vineyard. The tenants had acted in such a despicable way that they deserved the wrath of the landowner. What the Pharisees didn’t get was that the parable was about them, and that the landowner’s son was Jesus. So in condemning the tenants they were actually condemning themselves. We can’t judge them too harshly. When we do our best to lead decent and god-fearing lives it’s often hard to understand our own culpability in any societal shortcomings. For instance, folks who have lived in White communities with little contact with people of other races often have difficulty acknowledging any degree of racism in themselves. In fact it’s offensive to them when it’s implied that they might have racist attitudes. That’s why it’s been difficult for many to even begin to understand the rage and violence that has erupted in Black neighborhoods over police killings in recent months. And when it’s implied in our White congregations that our attitudes have contributed to the divisiveness in the country, there’s often a wave of righteous indignation. There’s a general unwillingness to even have discussions about issues of race–we’d rather cling to our own righteousness and believe that it’s just not our problem. Our inner Pharisee is always close at hand!

Thought for the Day: How do I feel when it’s implied that I’m a racist?

October 2

Philippians 3:10-14

“Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.” vss. 13-14

There are some who believe that life in this world is a kind of qualifying test for the new life that has been promised to us in Christ Jesus. If we live well, we will be rewarded in the life to come. It’s a logical assessment, one that is fully in accord with the basic principles of our culture, i.e. hard work brings success. And it seems to agree with what Paul wrote to the Philippians. Of course that’s not likely what Paul means–it just doesn’t fit with his heavy emphasis on grace! And if that is what he meant, how could we ever know that we’ve done enough? No, it’s much more likely that Paul is talking about the challenges of life in this world. The road ahead is cloaked with mystery–and none have yet arrived at our journey’s end. So, forgetting what lies behind, we push on toward the goal–and it is there we receive the prize of new life in Christ. The prize isn’t contingent on how we’ve lived–it isn’t a reward! It’s a gift and it’s ours by grace, and there’s nothing in all creation that can separate us from that love that is ours in Christ Jesus.

Thought for the Day: Why do some prefer for there to be winners and losers in the game of life?

October 1

Philippians 3:4b-9

“More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ…” vs. 8

When Paul, the zealous credentialed Pharisee, was encountered by the Risen Christ, the trajectory of his life changed completely. It wasn’t that he’d been a shameful sinner, he’d in fact lived a life that was beyond reproach. He was blameless with regard to the law, what we would call a pillar of society. And he gave up his own righteousness and became known instead as the “chief of sinners.” His story is a shocker, mostly because it’s the opposite of what we’ve been taught to aspire to. Our congregations and our culture have told us that the way to salvation is an upward journey, that as we put aside our sinful nature and practice obedience, we grow in favor with God. Like Jacob’s ladder, every rung leads us higher and higher and one day we will attain righteousness. In truth, the way to enlightenment and salvation is a journey downward–we put aside our own righteousness in order to be embraced by the Friend of Sinners. And that experience of being loved for who we are, and not for who we should be, is worth more than any honor or degree the world can bestow. We don’t have to go up to meet Jesus; he comes down to where we are! Praise God!

Thought for the Day: Why does a blameless person even need to know Jesus?

September 30

Psalm 80:7-15

“Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved.” vs. 7

The psalmist didn’t understand why Israel had fallen on hard times. From his perspective the Lord had gone to a lot of work to insure its prosperity. Using the metaphor of a vine he describes how God brought the root out of Egypt and planted it deep in good ground so that it would grow and fill the land. But then God had abandoned it and left it defenseless against pillaging predators. And the psalmist doesn’t know why–he only craves restoration, a return to the good old days when Israel enjoyed God’s favor. Some of us know that feeling! Many have experienced it in their churches. It’s wonderful when times are good and growth is obvious–people come, programs flourish, and worship fills our hearts with joy. But then things change. Other congregations pluck most gifted members, and everyone else gets old. Staffs shrink and no matter what is tried, the past remains a dream. It’s easy to wonder how God has let this happen–we debate reasons for the decline. Surely it’s nothing that we have done! And it isn’t just the church that’s affected–families change too, and we miss the past–and so we pray with the psalmist, “Let your face shine, restore us!” It’s a common plea–and then one day we realize that God has not gone away. Times have changed, but a new day is coming, and God will never stop smiling on us.

Thought for the Day: What were the good old days like?

September 29

Isaiah 5:5-7

“For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the people of Judah are his pleasant planting; he expected justice, but saw bloodshed; righteousness, but heard a cry!” vs. 7

Our leaders regularly describe our country as a defender of religious freedom and rightly protest when there is evidence that believers of any kind are being persecuted in our world. There have too many instances when nations have stood by in silence as religious minorities have been repressed. So we’re right to speak out! We need to! But the prophet Isaiah reminds us that when countries have been blessed with prosperity they are expected to be bastions of justice and righteousness for all their inhabitants and indeed for the whole world. And sometimes it’s a lot easier to point a finger of judgment at others than it is to take an honest look at our own behaviors. We lead the world in the number of incarcerations by a large margin; the bloodshed in our streets is a national disgrace; drug use is rampant;  climate change continues to wreak havoc; and the gap between rich and poor keeps getting greater. There is much that we can do to right the ship internally, and also make a difference internationally. Solutions abound! Jesus reminds us that God loves all the people of the world, and if we’ve been blessed we have a responsibility to share those blessings. God wants fine wine from us, and not sour grapes.

Thought for the Day: What responsibilities do we have for the world?

September 28

Isaiah 5:1-4

“He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; he expected it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes.” vs. 2

Isaiah’s little love song describes God as a lover, one who lavished care and attention on his vineyard, clearing away stones, planting choice vines, and even hewing out a wine vat in it. The vineyard, of course, was Israel, a privileged chosen nation who had brought only disappointment to her loving Lord. In this conflicted time there are some who are wondering whether this parable might not also be applied to our country. So much has been lavished upon us! We’ve had leaders who imagined this land of promise as a beacon of light for the world. They made bold statements about human equality and inalienable rights and enshrined them in our Declaration of Independence. And at times our country has even put those words into practice and has welcomed “the tired, the poor, and the huddled masses of humanity, yearning to breathe free.” But somehow along the way those ideals have slipped away. We never did grant equality to all, but stole the land from native peoples and used slaves to establish our economy. Racism has become endemic. We’ve abandoned truth and embraced wealth. And now, instead of welcoming the wretches of the world, we’re turning them away. Isaiah might rightly say that we’ve yielded wild grapes!

Thought for the Day: How can our country get things turned around?

September 27

Matthew 21:28-32

“Which of the two did the will of his father?’ They said, ‘The first.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you.’”

Jesus’ question was so easy that even his opponents got the right answer. We don’t need to be rocket scientists to know that actions speak louder than words. It’s a truth that we learn in kindergarten. And yet for centuries people claiming to be followers of Jesus have developed a system that puts the emphasis on what we say. They have told us that unless we say the right words and confess the creeds in exactly the right way, we will never be able to have a relationship with Jesus Christ.

That obvious lie has gained traction in every generation because of our human desire for exclusivity. We want our group to be “special” and not open to every sinner who comes along. And so we’ve dreamed up religious passwords, empty rituals and elaborate theologies to weed out the undeserving. Jesus has some words for those who form such “clubs”! “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you.” Our companions in Christ, now and forever, are people of every folk and nation, all who do the will of the Lord. They include Buddhists, Muslims, Jews and Christians, and millions of others, all who love kindness, do justice and walk humbly with their God.

Thought for the Day: Does it ever make any difference what we say?