Romans 8:10-11

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

Sometimes when we read words like this in the scripture, we long for the life which they promise, and we wonder what it might be like if Christ were actually in us. And we wish someone would tell us how we could actually make that happen. Does it take a special ceremony or maybe a specific prayer? But the truth is, Christ is already in us! The same Christ present in Jesus during his life and ministry, the same Christ who gave Jesus life in the presence of death, that universal Christ is part of our DNA, and has been with us from the beginning! What’s really sad is that so many live out their entire lives without the least bit awareness of this indwelling Christ. Obscured by sin and our obsession with the material, the internal Christ remains hidden–but not always! From time to time it happens in the course of living, that by grace our inner light shines out for all to see. Those moments are harbingers of the new life that is waiting, a sign that one day Christ will raise us up to new life, and we will see the glory of God. What a blessing it is though, that people don’t need to wait for death to experience new life. It’s here for us now, and through the Spirit we can bask in the righteousness that is ours in Christ.

Thought for the Day: When do I notice the Christ that is in me?  

Romans 8:5-9

“To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” vs. 6

It’s easy to lose focus during troubled times. We can’t even check our social media without being reminded of the latest rumor or report from the CDC. Everyone is talking about the pandemic, and no one knows how long it will last or what it’s effects will be. The one blessing that we have is plenty of time! We’re staying at home, for the most part in company with those we love the most, and we’re actually getting the opportunity to set our minds on the Spirit. Of course that’s not particularly easy to do, but our congregations are doing a great job of sending out every kind of spiritual tool that we could imagine. We can watch streaming worship services from multiple congregations and catch sermons from preachers in diverse places. This has the potential to be our deepest Lenten season ever–if we can only shake our minds away from matters of the flesh. Paul promised that life and peace would be the rewards for those who managed to wrest their attention from toilet paper shortages and focus on the Spirit of the Risen Christ. And he’s right! What a blessing it is to use these uncluttered hours on things that feed our souls! It really is the opportunity of a lifetime!

Thought for the Day: How am I using my extra time?

Psalm 130

“Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications!” vss. 1-2

None of us have ever endured times such as these! It’s a disaster, but there have been none of the usual accompanying signs–no earthquakes, explosions, fires, or winds. The enemy is unseen and subtle, there are scarcely any signs of its attack. Everything seems so normal–yet the entire globe has been adversely affected. Businesses are closing, travel is being curtailed, even worship services have been canceled. We’re being told to maintain “social distancing,” something we’ve never even heard of before–we can’t even visit our loved ones in care centers and hospitals. It’s hard to know how to behave–even the psalmist never experienced anything like this! But he did know what it was like to feel alienated and isolated, and he knew from whence his hope would come. Out of the depths he cried to the Lord, and so do we. Separated physically from our faith communities we reach out by other means, doing whatever we can to lift spirits and provide assistance, and through us the Lord is acting to provide consolation and support. Our voices will be heard and we will not be conquered. Already we’ve seen people coming together in unexpected ways. These weeks will be our finest hour! In them we will experience God’s love as never before.

Thought for the Day: What is my deepest need in these days?

Ezekiel 37:1-14

“I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude.” v. 10

As folks around the world have battened down the hatches in response to the COVID-19 virus that has so changed our lives, we’ve been hyper-vigilant in looking for symptoms of the disease. Some seem similar to those of colds or the flu, and may not even catch our attention. But shortness of breath will almost certainly produce red flags. When we can’t catch our breath, panic is a natural response–unless we can breathe, life is impossible. Of course Ezekiel knew nothing of pandemics, but he did know that there is no life without breath, and in his vision the last step in the revitalization of the dry bones was the coming of the breath. For the people of Israel the metaphor was unmistakable. In order for them to prosper and live they would always need a connection to the Spirit or Breath of God. The same is true for us. Without the presence of the Spirit, our faith communities will be little more than lifeless collections of dry bones artfully displayed on scattered pews. And where does that Spirit connection come from? Where can we get the breathing assistance we need for living the new life in Christ? The scriptures point us to Jesus. As we live in his Way, feasting regularly on his Presence, we are filled with his Spirit and each day becomes a gift. How precious is his breath of life!

Thought for the Day: How do I feel when the Spirit seems absent?

John 9:26-41

“They answered him, “You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?” And they drove him out.” vs. 34

The pharisees were not lacking in confidence or knowledge. They had laws for every contingency and explanations for every mystery, and they could not tolerate testimony that contradicted their airtight theological system. We can understand their feelings. Many of us have faith convictions that we’ve nurtured for a lifetime. Pastors and teachers have given us answers to difficult questions that have stood the test of time, and we’re content with what we know, even if there are some  occasional nagging doubts. And then someone comes who challenges the very foundation of what we’ve believed with new insights and perspectives on the nature of grace and faith. Often our initial reaction is judgment or rejection. We challenge the credentials of our teacher and close our minds to the new teaching, and believe that we are defending God. Like the pharisees we retreat back into the comfort of our closed system and don’t even notice our blindness. What we fail to see is that the Light of Christ is constantly evolving and changing to meet the challenge of the darkness pandemic. This doesn’t mean that the gospel itself changes–our core values will always revolve around mercy, grace, and love–but the manner in which it is live-streamed will most certainly change. Even now, those with seeing eyes are experiencing the Spirit in some pretty amazing ways.

Thought for the Day: How do I react to new teachings?

John 9:13-25

“He answered, ‘I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.’” vs. 25

The Pharisees were throwing all kinds of questions at the man who had once been blind, implying that he hadn’t been blind in the first place, and then claiming that Jesus had been a sinner. The man’s responses are plain and to the point. He doesn’t know about all the things the Pharisees are claiming, he doesn’t understand the law they know so well, he’s not an expert–but he does know one thing, that once he was blind and now he could see. That’s pretty much what it comes down to for most of us. We don’t know much theology, few of us have been to seminary, and we really don’t understand the nuances of atonement theories. But we do know one thing.  Our faith in God’s grace gives us peace and serenity, and is more precious than silver or gold. And we love to sing the hymn “Amazing Grace”! Even people with tenuous connections to church know many of the words and it has become a classic for most every tragic circumstance. In those moments when words fail us and explanations fall short, we gladly join our voices in singing “I once was blind, but now I see,” and our spirits are lifted. We feel the same joy as the man felt in the presence of the questioning Pharisees. He couldn’t explain a thing…but he certainly knew that he could see!

Thought for the Day: Why does singing Amazing Grace feel so right?

John 9:1-12

“Jesus answered, ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him.’” vs. 3

Some might conclude from this passage that God made the man blind so that Jesus could come along and heal him, which isn’t even close to what the gospel writer, John, had in mind. God does not randomly assign folks to get dread diseases or cancers so that there can be miraculous healings. But we do live in a world in which ugly things can happen–people are born blind, children get leukemia, crippling diseases hit without warning–we’re all witnesses to the wide variety of maladies that come our way. Often there seems to be no rhyme or reason to their arrival, they come to the righteous and sinners alike. But they always provide an opportunity for the light of Christ to shine brightly! All of us have been witness to the amazing love that flows when tough times come to individuals and families. The atmosphere around Special Olympics athletics is a prime example–those who work in that program are regularly blessed by the experience. We’ve seen it too in congregations as families and friends rally around the hurting and provide unflagging support and assistance. Nothing touches our hearts more profoundly! We may not see blind persons receive their sight but we will see examples of self-giving love in abundance. God doesn’t cause illness, but through illness, we will regularly see God at work.

Thought for the Day: Where have I seen love in the midst of pain?

Ephesians 5:11-14

“For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly; but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light.” vss. 12-14a

Darkness can be a comfortable place to live. Folks can do what they please, not worry about who they hurt, and shamelessly gratify every passion and desire, while living totally for themselves. But the moment light shines in that darkness, everything is up for grabs. People can no longer go on living for themselves, and the light that has been hidden in them is drawn toward the invading light. In those circumstances hardened sinners will begin to let their light shine before others. That’s how evangelism at its best works in this world. It’s not a matter of hammering sinners with the law, hoping to shame them into doing good in response to guilt. Instead we simply let our light shine in every circumstance and before every person. The only thing capable of piercing the shroud of darkness that hangs over so many is focusing the light of love on it. Focused light burns holes in the most impenetrable defence shields and destroys the power of sin. As it says in the gospel of John, when the Light of Christ came into the world, darkness could not overcome it, even death was rendered powerless. Our mission as children of the light could not be more obvious–it’s simply a matter of obeying the command of Jesus to let our light shine. It’s an old refrain, but the only true tune!

Thought for the Day: What darkness still resides in me?

Ephesians 5:8-10

“For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light—for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true.” vss. 8-9

The writer of Ephesians knew that it was possible for people to lead good, decent lives, and always tell the truth. It was simply a matter of behaving as we are! As Jesus once put it, “You are the light of the world.” Our call as the people of God in Christ Jesus, is to act in congruence with who we already are. We have been programmed not for sin but for goodness! It’s about time we stopped making excuses or blaming the devil, and start behaving as children of the light. Every person in the world is capable of producing the fruit of the Spirit–it is past time for us to start doing exactly that. So what keeps us from living as authentic persons? Why do we keep on doing the crap that we do? Who knows? Each of us has to answer that question for ourselves–but the truth is that we’ve gotten to be experts at self-deception and sloth. But not all of us! Praise God for the people around us of every race and religion who do get it! Their good lives make life on this planet a pleasure. Every day we see them showing forth light, telling the truth, loving enemies, feeding the poor, and exuding goodness with every word and deed. And if they can do it, all of us can! Why wait?!

Thought for the Day: What keeps me from being a child of the light?

Psalm 23

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” vs. 5

Often we think of the Lord as our place of refuge in tough times and our comforter when things get dark–and that’s appropriate, because that’s what shepherds do. And as the children of God we are well taken care of in every circumstance. The psalmist knew that, but he knew something more too. Sometimes life is so good we almost run out of words to thank and praise the Lord. Not only do we have plenty to eat in a world where enemies abound, but our cup overflows. We have so much that we can’t believe it! We’re deeply conscious that we are God’s chosen ones, and the blessings just keep on coming. Occasionally in those moments people will say, “Oh, but you deserve it,” and we want to protest. There is absolutely nothing that we have done to merit the embarrassing riches that have come our way. So, why do such days come, and if they come to some, why not to all? Those are good questions but there are really no good answers. The best we can do is simply enjoy the goodness. It does no one any good to put on sad faces and say that life is tough when it really isn’t. After all, it likely won’t be long before we’re back wandering in valleys of dark shadows. Life brings both weal and woe, and our shepherd is with us in both.

Thought for the Day: When has my cup overflowed?