Philippians 1:21-26

“For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain.” vs. 21

Paul had visited Philippi on his first missionary journey somewhere around 50 AD and managed to stay in touch with periodic letters, including this one written about 58 during one of his frequent imprisonments. He loved this little congregation and bares his soul as he openly shares with them deep feelings about living and dying. Many in our time have difficulty talking about the prospect of imminent death either for themselves or for others. For Paul it was no big deal! Living and dying were both the same for him. Either way he would be in Christ Jesus! What a blessing it is when we can come to that point in our faith journeys! Obviously, given the option, most of us would choose to go on living as we have in the past. It’s what we’ve gotten used to, and because of advancements in medicine, we have grown to expect we’ll be able to lead active lives for a good long time. Some don’t want to consider the prospect of dying–they don’t even want to think about endings. But the truth is that sooner or later death will be on our doorsteps and knocking on the door. Now we’ll never be able to prepare fully for that day, but we can certainly share our feelings about it with those we love. Our words are a powerful testimony of faith and can prepare the way for sweet goodbyes. 

Thought for the Day: With whom do I need to have a talk about my ending?

Psalm 145:1-8

“On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.” vs. 5

With the world living on the edge of crisis and battling a pandemic, while nations rise against nations, it’s easy to be distracted from the wonder of life in this universe. Every day we awaken to new possibilities and fresh evidence of the Lord’s goodness and mercy. The sun and the moon travel in their appointed courses bringing light and dark to a globe precisely tilted in a way that brings an endless procession of seasons, each with its own joys and delights. We are so blessed! Some people in their meditation have learned to set aside the major portion of their quiet time for expressions of gratitude and thanksgiving, and they’ve made incredible discoveries. There’s so much more to give thanks for than they had ever imagined, and the practice has changed their lives. They’ve been turned away from complaining and have learned to embrace the splendor of God’s majesty. And in the process they have begun to exude light and glory in exactly the way that God has always intended. People no longer avoid them because of their whining, but rather are drawn to them for additional tastes of love, joy, and peace. They no longer hope for a better day but have learned to rejoice in the day that the Lord has given them. They daily sing with the psalmist, “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised.” It’s a wonderful way to live.

Thought for the Day: What’s in my gratitude box today?

Jonah 4:4-11

“Then the Lord said, ‘You are concerned about the bush, for which you did not labor and which you did not grow; it came into being in a night and perished in a night.’” vs.10

The parable of Jonah continues with a conversation between Lord and Jonah about the loss of Jonah’s shade tree, an event that has made Jonah very angry. A contrast is then made between Jonah’s concern for his tree and the Lord’s concern for the 120,000 inhabitants of Nineveh. The whole story captures in a nutshell our human tendency to fixate on the trivial while ignoring the needs of the multitudes. Currently we’re facing a global environmental crisis as temperatures are rapidly rising–and yet some of us are far more concerned about the condition of the greens at our local golf course. We rail about inadequate watering of the fairways in the heat of summer and aren’t even aware that the Amazon rainforest, the “lungs of the world” is facing an ecological disaster. Across the board, in every area of our lives, we major in minors, while being unwilling to deal with those crises which affect the daily needs of millions of people. It could be that the problems seem overwhelming and we’re at a loss about what to do. Some people care deeply, but feel impotent in responding. But as more and more of us begin to focus on those larger issues, there are things that can be done on behalf of our planet, and the “Ninevehs” can be saved.

Thought for the Day: What global issues concern me most?

Jonah 3:10-4:3

“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. But this was very displeasing to Jonah, and he became angry.” vss. 3:10-4:1

Most folks associate Jonah with the great fish, and many find the story hard to swallow, which is regrettable, because the book of Jonah is an amazing parable of God’s limitless grace and inclusive love. According to the story, even though he detests the Assyrians, Jonah is sent kicking and screaming to call the people of Nineveh to repentance–and to his amazement they respond. Even the animals turn back to God and the city is spared. And Jonah became angry. Like many of us, he believed that flagrant sinners should get their due. We might not like to admit it, but at our core we take great delight when our perceived enemies experience disaster. That’s why we love movies where the good guys, after 90 minutes of car crashes and explosions, annihilate the villains. The audience cheers as the bullying, evil-hearted sinners meet their appropriately torturous deaths. In real life we enjoy seeing that the mighty have fallen and that the proud have been brought to their knees. We love it when justice prevails and our lust for revenge is satisfied. Fortunately God is patient with our merciless desires, and when we realize the foolishness of our vengeful ways, we too can experience the healing power of God’s tender mercies.

Thought for the Day: When have I enjoyed another person’s misery?

Matthew 18:23-35

“And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” vss. 34-35

The parable of the unforgiving servant hits us squarely in the middle of our righteous indignation! The point is so clear. This rascal of a man had been forgiven a great debt and then refused to do the same for a fellow servant who owed him a pittance. The injustice is obvious and we totally agree with his lord’s reaction! Painful punishment is what all unforgiving people deserve. In fact, after finishing the story, Jesus says exactly that. He warns his disciples that God will also torture every one of them if they do not sincerely forgive. At first we’re inclined to agree with Jesus–but then we wonder. Did he really mean to say that if we don’t forgive others we’re going to be tortured by God? We get the parable–we applaud the torturing of the flagrantly unjust. But does Jesus really think we ordinary folks deserve the same? Whatever happened to unconditional grace? In reality Jesus is hammering home a point about the importance of forgiveness. Nothing is more important for his followers. And if we don’t do it, we’re going to be tortured! We will never know peace or serenity if we cling to revenge and hurt in our relationships. Forgive and we will be forgiven–it’s a natural part of graceful living!

Thought for the Day: How have I been tortured by an unforgiving attitude?

Matthew 18:21-22

“Then Peter came and said to him, ‘Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?’” vs. 21

Peter has had some ups and downs in his role as messianic advisor and wants Jesus to know that he has been paying attention. Following a conversation about forgiveness, he posits a plausible question, along with what he considers to be a generous possible answer. Poor guy! He was still caught up in the old tangle of retributive justice, the system which laid out the limits of God’s mercy. Jesus, showing a hint of frustration, lets him know clearly that forgiveness has no limits. This has been a big issue for the church through the years. We see from this passage that early congregations, the ones Matthew was writing for, struggled to find a practical framework for forgiveness in their life together. It hasn’t gotten any easier for us. While most people gladly affirm God’s amazing grace and openly claim God’s unconditional mercy for themselves, we still prefer to believe that there are practical limits on our own need to forgive. We aren’t even as generous as Peter! We might forgive one or two times, but seven times? Unthinkable! Who does Jesus think we are? Fools? The key for us is to stop keeping track and simply adopt the mind of Christ. When forgiveness becomes our nature, as it is in Christ, we stop counting offenses, and open the door for reconciliation. 

Thought for the Day: When is forgiveness the most difficult?

September 11, 2020 Romans 14:7-12

“Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister?” vw 10

The issue Paul was addressing had to do with choices people were making about being vegetarians–such persons were disparaged as being weak in faith. Paul may have felt that way himself but he tells others to refrain from passing judgment. It should be possible for people of varying convictions to be a part of the same community of faith. It may seem an obvious proposition, but it’s being put to the test big-time as the COVID crisis and the political campaign become threats to the unity of our congregations. As people express their strong convictions about masks, race, closures, and candidates tempers are flaring, and there is a tendency to label opposing viewpoints as foolish or even stupid. Some are coming to despise those holding contrary opinions. Certainly judgments are being flung in every direction, and it may even be that long time friendships will be damaged beyond repair. Paul would say that if we think other people are wrong in what they think or say, that’s not a reason to pass judgment on them. People of faith can have a variety of opinions, even contrary ones, but what binds us together is the love of Christ, and no force on earth is stronger than that. When we really love one another, nothing should drive us apart.

Thought for the Day: Why do people believe foolish things?

Romans 14:1-6

“Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who eat; for God has welcomed them.” vss. 2-3

There had been a controversy among believers about the propriety of eating meat that had been offered to idols. (It was readily available in the markets.) Some felt that followers of Jesus should abstain from such food–Paul didn’t think it made any difference, and he enjoyed a good steak from time to time. But he didn’t think the issue was worth quarreling about in the congregations. Reading about such things reminds us that even food can cause divisions among believers. This has been particularly noticeable in these hyper-health conscious times. Vegetarianism has become increasingly popular and some predict that meat-eaters are going to have to change their ways, with a few saying that meat-eating will soon have to be done in secret. It’s a question worth considering. Is there a God-pleasing diet? Or, does the food we eat have any connection with our spiritual health? Many among us would say that there is, and if we’re serious about matters of faith, we also should be moving toward healthy eating. The key thing to remember from Paul is that we need to be gentle with each other and honor our different convictions about dietary matters. It could be that one day we’ll all be vegans!!!

Thought for the Day: How has my diet changed? How would I like it to change?

Psalm 103:8-13

“He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.” vs. 10

Probably each of us have heard someone say these words: “The Lord is going to get you for that!” More often than not such things are said in jest, and are meant as a joke, but occasionally they’re said in dead seriousness. The speaker sincerely wants the hearer to know that whatever has been said or done is deeply offensive, and is deserving of God’s wrath. And even if such threats are never made many people have internalized the theology that breeds such comments. They believe in their hearts that God is keeping watch over them at all times and that when they sin, God will strike quickly and pay them back for what they’ve said or done. Such persons will respond to the ugly stuff that happens in their lives by wondering what sin God is getting them for now. The psalmist wrote to counter such notions about God, and to plainly tell his readers that God does not operate in that fashion. Instead God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. We might get punished for what we say or do, but such punishment comes, not from God, but from other human beings–and sometimes we deserve it, though not always. The human justice system is riddled with inequities! But we should never believe that the bad stuff in our lives comes from God–that’s just not who God is!

Thought for the Day: What deserved punishments have I gotten?

Genesis 50:19-21

“Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today.” vs. 20

Joseph’s brothers had initially intended to kill him, but at the last minute sold him into slavery, and then lied to their father, saying wild beasts had taken their beloved younger brother. After Jacob’s death, they conjure up one more lie, saying that their father’s dying wish was for Joseph to forgive his abusing brothers. And it works! Joseph forgives them, but more than that, says that through God’s mercy, their evil intentions had turned out for good for everyone involved. We should not conclude however that sometimes God intentionally allows evil to touch our lives in order to accomplish good things. Rather, this story illustrates what Paul was writing about in Romans 8, “All things work together for good to those who love God and who are called according to his purpose.” Sometimes the worst times of our lives, the moments of total despair, turn out to be turning points and produce incredible fruit. Many of us in looking back can attest to the ways in which God has turned stumbling stones into corner stones; the worst days have actually prepared the way for the best. Again, God doesn’t cause the bad stuff to happen–those things come our way on their own, without divine intervention. But when ugliness comes we should not be surprised at the beauty that is just around the corner!

Thought for the Day: Evil that turned out for good in my life.