Psalm 86:11-13

“Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart to revere your name.” vs. 11

There are some who would say that the truth is relative, and that it really doesn’t make any difference what we believe, that one person’s truth is as good as any other’s. The psalmist would be appalled! In his estimation the truth was a part of the Lord’s essence, and if we really wanted to walk in the way of righteousness, it would be essential to be focused on the Lord’s truth. Now, sometimes in the interest of being nice, we will listen to all sorts of garbage from others, nod our heads, and say that we honor their opinions. But God’s truth is not garbage, it’s rooted in unconditional love and mercy, and it’s a remarkable guide to joyful and fruitful living. And it’s something that doesn’t come to us naturally. Rather, it comes through careful listening to the Holy Spirit, and learning to discern which ideas don’t align with God’s concern for justice and forgiveness. We know full well that there are a multitude of dangerous and hateful voices on our social media that promote every kind of nonsense in hopes of leading us astray. Our prayer should be that of the psalmist, “Lord, give me an undivided heart, that I might discern your truth, walk in your ways and give glory to your name.”

Thought for the Day: What’s my rule of thumb for discerning garbage?

Isaiah 44:6-8

“Do not fear, or be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? You are my witnesses! Is there any god besides me? There is no other rock; I know not one.” vs. 8

The prophet had what we might call a confident faith. Not only did he believe in God, he had a name for God–the one God was none other than the God of Israel, the God who had called them out of Egypt and who had given them an identity. There is great value in having such a specific sense of the deity. Too often folks have a rather nebulous concept of God and are reluctant to give their God a name. Their intention is probably an honorable one–they know there are many notions of God floating around among the major religions and they want to be inclusive, and to avoid being offensive they avoid the particular. The problem with such thinking is that it makes intimacy almost impossible. Prayer is hard enough, and if we don’t have a name for God, it’s hard to make a connection. Scripture gives us a boatload of names we can use–it’s just a matter of choosing one and sticking with it. And if someone else prefers a different name for God, that’s perfectly fine–it’s still the same God. And for those who follow Jesus, there’s probably no better name to use than his, and to confidently trust that he is the rock of our salvation.

Thought for the Day: What’s my favorite name for God?

Matthew 13:18-23

“As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing.” vs. 22

The interpretation of the parable of the sower in Matthew’s gospel shifts the attention from the seed, and it becomes the parable of the differing soils. As such it is an amazingly precise description of the four ways in which the Good News is received by those who hear it. Even a superficial look at today’s church quickly reveals those different categories. Some hear the word and just don’t get it–we mostly don’t see them around very often. Others love the message of forgiveness and love and initially respond with joy–but it isn’t long before enthusiasm fades and they join the list of inactives. Another group dominates the membership rosters in our congregations–they love Jesus, but they love other things too and those rivals offer more satisfying and time-consuming enticements. They’re still seen from time to time–but only at their convenience or when there’s nothing else to do. If these three were the only types of soil, the church would be totally ornamental and the fruit unremarkable. But Jesus points to another group, the ones who receive the word with joy, and who produce a bountiful crop. We see them too–they’re the folks who live simply and well, and who give themselves to being the hands and feet of Jesus. And through them the world is blessed!

Thought for the Day: Which soil am I?

Matthew 13:1-9

“Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” vs. 8

Some of the more practical minded folks among us might wonder why the sower didn’t throw all the seed on good ground. That way all the seed would produce and the crop would be multiplied. That makes sense, but misses the point. The parable isn’t about agricultural practices, it’s about the way God operates in the world. The gospel of John tells us that the Word of God is sent to the whole world. God is generous in giving and the gift of the Christ isn’t just for a few. Christ comes to all, and is in all–but not all respond in the same way. In some the word gets snatched away, or dries up, or gets choked out, and there is little evidence the Spirit has ever been there. But with some there is an explosion of light and there’s no mistaking the presence of God. We see such incredible multiplications of goodness all around, whether in teachers, or health care workers, or neighbors down the block. These people have impacts far beyond their numbers, and the momentum of their selflessness changes the world. Most of them don’t get much acclaim, but their presence is felt in every neighborhood. Why do they respond in such a way? It remains a mystery, but it likely has something to do with their nurturing. As the old saying puts it, “An apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!”

Thought for the Day: Who nurtured me in the faith?

Romans 8:7-11

“But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.” vs. 10

For Paul it was obvious. If we are in Christ Jesus, then Christ is also in us. And this is our hope and our joy. Even though, because of the worldwide sin pandemic, we cannot even be close to perfect, our inner Christ brings resurrection and life. As Jesus put it so clearly, we are the light of the world, and through us goodness and mercy fill the earth. We’ve seen that clearly in these last months as men and women all over the globe have risen up to battle COVID-19 and bring healing to those who have been affected. Beautiful stories abound when we can free our minds from the narrow and divisive political divisiveness that grabs the headlines. With masks on our faces as a sign of solidarity, we’ve emerged from our homes to bring support to health workers, lift up the broken, and keep in touch with the isolated. We weekly gather at a distance for worship, finding comfort in the good news, and day by day the Christ in us proclaims life and hope in the midst of despair. It may seem like our worlds have been turned upside down and we’ve had our share of disappointments, but Christ is bigger than COVID and in Christ the victory has already been won.

Thought for the Day: Beautiful things I’ve seen happen in these days.

Romans 8:1-6

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.” vss. 1-2

Paul’s argument as he lays out the gospel to the Romans can seem convoluted and cumbersome–it certainly isn’t as simple as we might like it. But he’s very clear about the essence of the good news message he wants the people to take into their hearts. Those who are in Christ Jesus have been freed from condemnation, not because of their own actions, but because of what God has done. We can worry about as many things as our little hearts desire, but we don’t have to worry about our judgment or death. We are free to live as the Spirit of Christ directs us and experience the fullness of joy in daily living. One nagging question remains: how do we know that we are in Christ Jesus? Here there are a variety of responses. Some would say the answer is plain–we become a part of Christ through baptism, and that’s why baptism is such a big deal. Others find that answer insufficient–it seems to limit God and leaves a lot of folks out. They believe that all who exist are in Christ–we were born into Christ and remain in Christ through our entire lives. It is Jesus who makes the Christ known to us–in our baptism into him we receive blessed assurance of the life that God intends for all people.

Thought for the Day: What does it mean to me to be in Christ Jesus?

Psalm 65:13-15

“the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy.” vs. 13

The psalmist imagines all of creation living in a perpetual harmony, with each part recognizing the goodness of the other. In this vision of the peaceable kingdom the meadows provide food for the flocks and the valleys joyfully bring grain, while humans work as stewards and caretakers. When all the parts work together, life abounds, peace endures, and God is glorified. For long parts of the historical record this system worked quite well. There was amazing variety in nature, crops were produced in all the valleys of our world, and humans prospered. Some now believe that this intricate balance is threatened and that the environment is facing a huge challenge, not from the vagaries of weather, but from the rapacious desires of humankind. In order to live beyond our means we’ve discovered ever new and inventive ways to extract wealth from the land and sea, and we’ve not been careful to preserve or take care. While some extinction of species has been a part of the death-resurrection cycle from the beginning, the pace has begun to accelerate. Plants and animals of all kinds are threatened by our greed–and we’ve been slow to respond. We don’t yet know the consequences of the recklessness–but it may not be too late. If we repent of our desire for more, it could be that hills and valleys will again resound with the sound of music–and God will be glorified.

Thought for the Day: How can I be content with less?

Psalm 65:9-10

“You visit the earth and water it, you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide the people with grain, for so you have prepared it.” vs. 9

For much of our existence, humans lived close to nature and were familiar with the rhythms of the seasons. They saw God connections clearly and recognized the presence of the Lord in the tilling of crops and the watering of the soil. Some would even say that it’s hard to find a convinced atheist who is also a farmer. The psalmist would heartily agree. Our God is intimately connected to all that exists and is regularly experienced in the everyday miracles of nature’s cycles. In recent years though, the world has seen a massive shift from rural to urban areas as mechanized farming has deprived billions of their livelihoods. Cities have swelled while croplands have become virtually deserted. Some would say that this is a good thing and that massive farm operations are the way of the future. Others suspect that the shift is driven more by a desire for wealth than it is the good of humanity. We really haven’t had time to figure out the consequences of this shift–it’s only been a hundred years or so since the move began. What we do know is that city living is a challenge, and sometimes God seems remote. Right now the shift is an experiment–who knows how it will turn out?

Thought for the Day: What are the blessings of farm life?

Isaiah 55:10-13

“For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” vs. 12

When the prophet brought the word of the Lord to the returned exiles, they had a hard time believing that the nation could ever be restored to its former glory. And to think that the nation of Israel would become a light to the world was beyond their comprehension. Isaiah does his best to assure them that the word of the Lord has power, and those things of which he spoke would indeed come to pass. Even the mountains and hills would burst into song, and the trees of the field would clap their hands. We who are living through the pandemic of 2020 are having the same doubts about the future. We wonder if life will ever be the same again–some even wonder if we’ll ever be free from this scourge. We’ve lived with it for months and there seems to be no relief in sight. But in the midst of all this the Lord continues to promise that there will be an end to this siege, and that life will once more be full of joy. Of course it may well be that there will be changes in behavior, but perhaps those will be for the better. One day we’ll be singing again, and perhaps the mountains will join on the refrain while the trees mark the time. 

Thought for the Day: How will post-pandemic life change?

Matthew 11:25-30

“At that time Jesus said, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants;’” vs. 30

These words from Jesus remind us that not everyone was excited about his ministry to the least and the lost. It seems that those cities most closely tied to the Jewish traditions and the teaching of the elders had a tough time with the liberating words that came from his mouth. And he was irritated–and here makes an interesting distinction. The wise and the intelligent (his tongue is firmly in his cheek) didn’t get the mysteries of the kingdom, but the folks without credentials did! And often that’s still the way it is. Pastors have long recognized that impressive resumes aren’t necessarily good indicators of faith and obedience. And there are often times when excessive knowledge blocks recognition of the Christ in creation and keeps people from opening their hearts to Jesus. As the level of education increases folks begin to question old truths and turn their backs on the faith of their childhood. Some realize the futility of that path and have learned to adopt what some have called a “second naivete.” They stop trying to find answers to ultimate questions with reason and brain power and relax into simple trust. And in that state God comes alive to them and they to God–and their life begins anew. They have been reborn!

Thought for the Day: How has reason threatened my faith?