Romans 8:33-39

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” vss. 38-39

As the days begin to blur together and we continue to be confused and frightened by contradictory reports of how long COVID-19 will impact our lives, it’s easy to slip into an almost constant state of despair. Many are lamenting that future prospects for economic recovery have been irreparably damaged, and that life will never be the same. Because leaders of all stripes have shown such a casual regard for the truth we find it hard to know who we should believe. Some have fallen into the trap of perpetual disbelief…they no longer trust any authority figures and are convinced that everything they see or hear is a hoax. That’s a horrible place to be–it’s no wonder so many are despairing as they look to the future! That’s why Paul’s words to the Romans are so precious for us today. He was convinced that there was absolutely nothing in all creation that could separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. NOT EVEN COVID-19! Would that each one of us could latch on to that kind of conviction, and never let go! If Paul is right, no matter what foolishness our leaders concoct, everything is going to turn out just fine! God’s love trumps all!

Thought for the Day: What keeps me from despair?

Romans 8:26-32

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.” vs. 26

There are times when prayer seems easy. We know exactly what is on our minds and find no difficulty in laying out our petitions of joy and thanksgiving, while also letting God know what we’d like to have happen. But on other occasions prayer gets more difficult. We have things that lay heavy on our hearts but it’s hard to find the words to express what we’re feeling. Or it may be that the problems of this world are just too overwhelming. We know there are people suffering all over the globe and we’re aware of the tension and despair that grips the hearts of many, but we can’t even articulate what we’d like to have happen. We can mention the names of family and friends and ask for God’s blessing and support in their lives. We know folks who need healing and comfort. But beyond the litany of names there are deep and profound needs, and our minds draw a blank. Any words that we say seem shallow and inadequate. Our thoughts race as our tongues search for the words. Sometimes the best we can do is breathe deep sighs…and try to hold back the tears. Paul knew that feeling, and he assures his readers that the Spirit connects us with God even in our silent sighs. Our most profound prayers do not require words.

Thought for the Day: When do words fail me in my prayers?

Psalm 119:133-136

“My eyes shed streams of tears because your law is not kept.” vs. 136

As the psalmist surveyed the lives of those around him, at times his heart overflowed with sadness at the mess some folks were making of the precious days that God had given them. We know that feeling! Sometimes it’s members of our own families who continually make wrong choices and who regularly experience brokenness in daily living. Many times, not always those choices have involved a callous disregard for the moral and ethical codes that God has planted in our DNA. By experience we’ve learned that words cannot change them–all we can do is love them and pray–and cry on our beds for them. At other times it’s society as a whole that breaks our hearts. There’s just so much ugliness and pure cruelty in our world. We see the images in our video feeds, and our minds are shocked. How can people treat each other so horribly? Children are being killed, suffering is commonplace…and the world seems helpless or unwilling to effect change. And all because we’re unable for one reason or another to follow the basic rules of conduct that most of us learned in kindergarten. It’s not that any of us have attained perfection. We all have flaws and regularly lapse into sin. But there’s a sadness for humanity that persists in our lives–and that’s why some days our eyes too shed streams of tears.

Thought for the Day: How do I deal with the pain of the world?

Psalm 119:129-132

“With open mouth I pant, because I long for your commandments.” vs. 132

The psalmist loved the law and was ecstatic as he pored over its commandments and savored its precepts. We who have been raised on a diet of grace and forgiveness might have some difficulty understanding that unabashed, almost amorous, delight in the law of the Lord. Often that’s because we think of law in terms of judgment rather than instruction. Paul in Galatians describes the function of the law as that of a schoolmaster, a set of teachings that ultimately will bring us to the Christ. Seen in those terms we can perhaps understand the delight of the psalmist. For him it was like the finest teacher, a rabbi that could help him how to live in this world in a God-pleasing way. As 21st century Christians we still need that kind of guidance. Some of us get it from our parents, for others it might be a pastor or teacher who has given us direction on the way of truth. We’re living in a world that grows more complex with each passing year. Our children face a myriad of important choices and options every day and they need good guidance. It’s not a matter of “laying down” the law–no one needs that heavy-handed approach. But all of us need to learn wisdom and discernment, and properly presented, the law provides exactly that–and the Ten Commandments are a good place to start.

Thought for the Day: Who taught me the commandments?

1Kings 3:1-12

“Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?” vs, 9

Solomon’s biographer described him as the wealthiest king on earth. His armies were undefeated and his building projects unmatched, and he spared no expense in providing for himself and his wives. Even the Queen of Sheba came to see him and he lavished her with gifts. And according to his biographer all this happened because, as a young man, in a dream, he had asked God for wisdom and not riches. It’s an amazing story, one that has made the phrase “Wisdom of Solomon” familiar to all, but it’s also a huge distortion! The opulent life-style that Solomon lived, his wasteful spending and dictatorial rule, his collection of love slaves, his embrace of idolatry, was as far from being wise as we can imagine. By the time his reign ended the country was divided and in a state of rebellion. His practices meant the end of a united Israel! The lesson is plain! The true marks of wisdom in a leader are not revealed in what fawning publicists write, but in the effects of their policies among the people they’ve been called to lead. Extravagant living is never a product of wisdom, but is almost always a combination of manipulation and greed. What a blessing it is to have leaders who are servants and not tyrants, and who can govern with understanding minds. Such persons are truly a gift from God!

Thought for the Day: Some examples of wise leaders.

Matthew 13:36-43

“The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” vss. 41-42

The disciples asked Jesus to explain the parable of the weeds in the field–it was tough for them to understand. And now we’d like someone to explain his explanation! For those who have been trying hard to eliminate dualistic thinking his words are a challenge. It appears that Jesus in his teaching embraced a view of the end times that leaves no room for grace or forgiveness. Sinners will burn in hell and the righteous will shine like the sun. Of course those who identify with the righteous find this view appealing, but there’s little hope here for those who see themselves as sinners. So what’s going on here? Is this what Jesus really believed and taught? Or is this Matthew’s interpretation? Certainly it is a perspective that has been extremely popular among Christians through the years and it’s dualistic to the core. The problem is that this passage doesn’t fit the picture of Jesus that we have from the rest of the gospels. This is how religious people believed before Jesus showed up! In his actions, and particularly in his death, we find that his ministry was rooted in love, a love that overflowed for sinners. And if that’s true,  it’s perfectly okay to turn a deaf ear to this picture of fire and brimstone!

Thought for the Day: Why do some people like passages like this?

Matthew 13:24-30

“And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’” vs. 27

From the beginning it has been apparent in the Church that not everyone is on the same page. While there have been countless saints and pillars, people who have taken the words of Jesus to heart and borne fruit in every area, there have also been more rascals and scoundrels that we could even imagine. Sometimes we even see those contrasts in a single family! This has been a perplexing problem for people of faith and various solutions have been suggested. One of the most popular has been to simply kick out the misfits and the evil-doers–from a human perspective such purges bring purity and eliminate unsavory influences. Indeed, church history is full of such attempts–it’s what the word “Puritan” represents. At times followers of Jesus have expended a ton of good energy in getting rid of the bad seeds in their midst–and the effort never turns out well. It’s just not the Church’s business or area of skill. We haven’t been called to be judges! Jesus’ parable of the weeds in the field provides perspective. The landowner tells the servants to quit worrying about the weeds–it’s not their job, and they’d do more damage than good. What a blessing it is when we simply focus on the good news and stop worrying about judgment! It makes us a lot more fun to be around!

Thought for the Day: What’s it like to hang out with Puritans?

Romans 8:19-25

“For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” vss. 24-25

Paul regularly spoke of hope as he wrote to early Christians. He knew that the glories of which he spoke were not readily apparent to them and that they wondered if they would experience resurrection. He also knew that without hope their faith would disintegrate. There are parallels to what he was referring to in our contemporary experience. We’re currently living in the midst of a global pandemic, and while we were told that the disease would soon run its course, some of us are beginning to wonder. We remain hopeful, but in the absence of evidence hope can easily turn to despair. We begin to think that life from now on will continue to be a string of disappointments–and there are plenty of nay-sayers who delight in dashing our hopes. Some are having the same feelings about the issue of racism. This summer’s violence has given rise to cynicism and negativity. Some have lost hope, and are convinced that bigotry will always have the last word–and there are plenty who feed that notion. Paul’s closing word to the Romans was patience, and it’s a good one for us too. There may not be evidence of the things we hope for, that’s the way it is with hope. Our only recourse, apart from despair, is to continue patiently waiting!

Thought for the Day: Which is more powerful for me today? Hope or despair?

Romans 8:12-18

“I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us.” vs. 18

Unlike many Christians of our day the early followers of Jesus expected that there would be suffering along the Way. That’s what had happened to Christ Jesus and there was no reason to expect that it wouldn’t also happen for them. It isn’t that they enjoyed the suffering or looked forward to it–it’s likely that even Paul would have preferred a life free from persecution and conflict. But when it came they didn’t whine or shrink from their calling. They knew that it was temporary, and that one day the glory of complete union with Christ would come. Because Paul embraced suffering, later disciples sometimes practiced self-abuse, even self-flagellation, so that they too could experience pain as they followed Jesus. Fortunately most of us have come to realize we don’t need to seek suffering as a part of the journey–there’ll be plenty that comes our way unbidden. And for most of us it’s relatively rare. Some faithful followers are gifted with pretty tranquil lives, not because they’ve avoided their call, but because that’s how life is. True suffering is random and doesn’t come equally to all. But when it comes, even if it hasn’t come to us, our call is to stand with those who do hurt and offer sweet comfort and peace. And in these troubled days we’re all having plenty of opportunities to do exactly that.

Thought for the Day: Where am I seeing suffering in these days?

Psalm 86:14-17

“But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” vs. 15

Through the years, many religions have offered  compelling descriptions of God and have encouraged their adherents to take them to heart and make them the central truth of their lives. Unless those descriptions match those of the psalmist in today’s text, they should be discarded and forgotten–they simply aren’t the truth! Some would question that assertion. They just don’t believe that anyone can know anything about God! They would therefore reason that anything we say about God’s nature is pure nonsense. Now they could be right, but their agnostic position is essentially hopeless–and most humans choose another way! By faith we believe that God exists, not as some idol crafted by our own hands, but as the eternal Mystery that has brought all things into existence. We may not be able to comprehend the majesty of God, but we can certainly know the benevolent nature of God. Those with eyes to see can experience the Divine Presence every day, and bask in the great gift of life that has been given to them. The psalmist, facing all kinds of naysayers and enemies, knew in his heart that God was merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. And his words are the truth–and they give us hope, the greatest gift of all.

Thought for the Day: Why do some agnostics choose to have faith?