John 1:15-18

“No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.” vs. 18

We are so blessed that the Christ was made fully known in the person of Jesus. Through that incarnation we have come to know that grace is the normative word of God for the universe. Obviously humans have needed to invent laws of many kinds in our efforts to live in community. Through the course of time we came to see those laws as the will of God for our life together and have even taught that salvation is dependent upon our obedience. To insure compliance, religious leaders have taught that God is a fearsome judge, one who judges sinners and who condemns the unrepentant to everlasting damnation. But Jesus brought a new word from God, a word of forgiveness, mercy, and love. Of course he wasn’t the first to teach such things–a number of prophets had a similar message for humanity. But Jesus is so clear about grace, and we who are his followers are eternally grateful. God’s last word for us is not, “You screwed up!” but “I love you, and you are mine forever.” There’s a lot we don’t know about the mystery that we call God, but that’s okay–our little minds simply can’t absorb such knowledge. But what we do know through Jesus is enough. Once we know that we are loved there’s little else that we really need to know.

Thought for the Day: Why is love so powerful?

John 1:10-14

“He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him.” vs. 10

It’s been hard for the world to distinguish the Christ. We’ve imagined that God is totally separate from the universe, off in some place called heaven, and that things on earth have been left up to human discretion. Even though all things came into existence through Christ and contain the mark of the Divine Presence, the eyes of many have been blinded to the signs of that Presence, and they’ve chosen to live in darkness. According to John, writing at the close of the first century, that was the great tragedy of Jesus’ life. Most of the people who encountered him failed to acknowledge that he was Christ. They failed to recognize the Word that had become flesh in him. In our day the situation has changed a bit. There are many in the world who have come to believe that Jesus was the Christ and the religion that they’ve invented has come to dwarf Judaism, the religion of John and Jesus. But even when people call themselves Christians, they often miss the dynamic, living presence of the Word-become-Flesh in their homes and neighborhoods. Jesus Christ cannot be confined to an article of the Creed–he’s more than a historical presence. As John puts it, he’s in the world now, and blessed are those who see and know him!

Thought for the Day: Where and when can I expect to see the Christ today?

Ephesians 1:8b-14

“With all wisdom and insight he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” vss. 8b-10

According to scripture all things in the universe have their beginning and their ending in Christ, the one and only Alpha and Omega. This great truth gives perspective and context to the life that we live in our own brief wrinkle of time. Because our lifespans are so short, hardly more than the blink of an eye, and because the universe is so large, it’s easy for us to imagine that what we do or say has little or no significance in the long run. Fortunately that dreary, pessimistic notion was foreign to Jesus and those who chose to follow him. In his vision all life has value–even sparrows and lilies of the field fall under God’s watchful eye. Each of us has been called to a life of purpose and our every word and deed plays a part in a larger scheme. As we move through these first days of a brand new decade we can be confident that we are making a difference, and that future generations are even now being affected by our presence and our actions. That may be hard for us to believe, but in Christ it’s the absolute truth!

Thought for the Day: How am I making a difference?

Ephesians 1:3-8

“just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love.” vs. 4 

In the beginning the universe came into being through the infusion of the Christ, and through billions of years that Christ has continued to breathe life and light into the continuing creation–and that includes every member of the human race. None have been excluded. None have existence apart from Christ, and in Christ we are chosen and called to be holy and blameless while making the love of God incarnate. Too often we’ve avoided our calling by using sin as an excuse, saying in effect that we’re too flawed to be holy and blameless. That claim, of course, is total nonsense, and negates all that God has done in Jesus. We’re not flawed, we’re forgiven! And sin is no longer a barrier to our righteousness. In Christ we can be the people God has called us to be. We can live as Jesus lived, working for justice and peace, showing kindness and mercy to all we encounter. Will we wander? Will we sin? Of course, but in Christ there is instantaneous, restorative power through the presence of God’s Holy Spirit. We aren’t lone rangers on our mission, we’re all members of a team, and by exercising our one weapon of love, together in Christ, we can change the world.

Thought for the Day: Who are the other members of my team?

Psalm 147:16-20

“He has not dealt thus with any other nation; they do not know his ordinances. Praise the Lord!” vs. 20

As we begin a new year, some are putting together short lists of their resolutions…a few may even be so bold as to share them. They do seem more credible when they’re put down where others can see your intentions. A resolution kept to oneself will likely be the first one broken. We don’t know the time of year when the psalmist was writing but he used the occasion to offer praises to the Lord for all the special blessings that had been given to his nation. He honestly believed that no other country was so favored. Israel was special! Some have that feeling about the United States, that we are a nation favored by God–we even hint at that in our pledge of allegiance. While it’s unlikely that we hold that position in the heart of God it is certainly true that our country has been blessed with material abundance. It would be wonderful if we could use those resources for the good of all instead of hoarding them for ourselves. The psalmist believed Israel was special because they knew the ordinances of God–they knew how God wanted them to live. They were to be a blessing to the world. Perhaps that could be our collective resolution this year–that we would look not just to our own needs but to the needs of others, in a generous and helpful way! 

Thought for the Day: What will 2020 be like for the USA?

Psalm 147:12-15

“Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion! For he strengthens the bars of your gates; he blesses your children within you.” vss. 12-13

Traditionally this is a time for recounting the events of the previous year and to celebrate the blessings of our continuing lives. Some of us will be going out to dinner or perhaps inviting friends to share drinks and hors d’oeuvres. Many will make at least some attempt to stay up until midnight and offer a toast to the new year. Others will just go to bed and trust that the new year will arrive safely even if we’re not awake to welcome it. All of us could probably do well to imitate the psalmist and find some time during the day to offer praises to God for the security and the blessings we enjoy and take for granted. To a great extent we live what could be called charmed lives. Most of us have secure housing and don’t worry about bandits and thievery. We go about our business on a daily basis without any concern about personal safety. Police forces are well funded and well trained and offer round the clock protection. Most of us live comfortably and within our means–if we’re honest, we’ll have to admit we have it good. If we’re one of those able to stay awake tonight, maybe we could make our midnight toast a prayer of thanks to our bountiful God. We are among the most blessed people on earth!

Thought for the Day: What’s been the greatest blessing of 2019?

Jeremiah 31:7-14

“Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, and declare it in the coastlands far away; say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will keep him as a shepherd a flock.’” vs. 10

The people of Israel were and are remarkably resilient people. Over 2000 years ago their prophets showed relentless optimism as they looked into the future. Again and again they proclaim that even though their people have been scattered one day they will return under the direction of the Lord. And while for a time it appears that the scattering was so complete that there would never be a return, some have continued to hold on to that dream. In the 1890’s Jewish visionaries began advocating for their people’s return to Zion, and now, a little more than a century later, the nation of Israel is once more a reality, and is now stronger than ever. Of course all this has happened at a cost–millions of Palestinians were displaced and removed from their homes in the process–and we still don’t know the final outcome of the Zionist efforts. Modern Israelis, many of whom are secular, don’t all see this as the fulfillment of prophecy–they see it as a matter of justice. But some do and are rejoicing in what they hope will be the complete restoration of their country to its Davidic borders. Their history is complex and there are no easy answers but all of us are hoping for some resolution of the conflict. We continue to pray for peace!

Thought for the Day: What could be a solution to the Holy Land conflict?

Matthew 2:13-23

“Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, ’Out of Egypt I have called my son.’” vss. 14-15

Matthew was a master prooftexter! It was extremely important to him that the events of Jesus’ life have some basis in the Hebrew scriptures, so he tells his Jewish readers that Jesus’ birth and the subsequent chain of circumstances had been foretold by the prophets of old. The flight to Egypt is backed by an obscure verse from Hosea that in context is a reference to the exodus. Matthew uses it because he wants to make a connection between Jesus and Moses. Just as Moses the great leader of Israel came out of Egypt and gave them the law from Mt. Sinai, Jesus comes out of Egypt and begins his ministry by sitting down on a mountaintop and giving the beatitudes. While we may disagree with the way Matthew uses scripture there’s no doubt that he has written a compelling gospel. His Jesus speaks with authority and in the Sermon on the Mount summarizes the life of discipleship in language that is both challenging and illuminating. If we were to live our lives in accordance with the principles of that sermon the world would be changed for good. Matthew’s exegesis may be contrived but the message gets directly to the core of the gospel.

Thought for the Day: What is proof texting and when am I most likely to use it?

Hebrews 2:10-18

“Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.” vs. 18

Suffering is one of the realities of life in the world. No matter how much we might want to avoid it, sooner or later it’s going to come to us or someone we love. We might even know that it’s coming, and still find ourselves totally unprepared for the onslaught of both physical and emotional pain. And when it catches us by surprise we wonder sometimes if we can even survive. One of the most horrendous aspects of suffering is that it doesn’t come to each of us in equal portions–if it did we likely would have an easier time with it–we could just shrug our shoulders and say, “Well, I guess it’s just my turn.” But there’s a randomness to suffering and it doesn’t play fair with us. Some people get hammered while others skate by relatively unscathed. It’s hard to predict and harder to understand. The writer to the Hebrews believed that Jesus endured more than his share of suffering, and that it enables him to help believers in their moments of testing. If we’ve suffered there’s a good chance we can see the truth in what he writes. When we take our laments to Jesus, he understands our pain,and the moments of suffering become connecting points in our relationship. In our times of deepest anguish it’s comforting to know that our Savior has been there before us.

Thought for the Day: When was my moment of greatest suffering?

Psalm 148

“Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps, fire and hail, snow and frost, stormy wind fulfilling his command!” vss. 8-9

The psalmist doesn’t leave anything out in his review of creation–all things have their origin in God and each in their own way offer regular praise to their Maker. When we’re able to see outside the narrow confines of our consciousness we can see it too. There is no part of the earth, and certainly no creature, that doesn’t reflect the natural beauty and order of the cosmos. We may not like fire and hail, and it’s no fun to be caught in a blizzard, but we can’t help but wonder at the awesomeness of it all. The hills and mountains are alive with the music of the spheres, and often bring deep satisfaction to our souls. How sad it is when we get so caught up in earning a living and getting ahead that our eyes are blinded to that world around us! We’re not just missing out on spectacular beauty but we’re actually missing out on opportunities to connect with God. The universe is not only God’s handiwork, it is God’s very presence. It’s no accident that human religion began with the worship of the sun, moon, and stars…somehow our ancient forebears knew intuitively that God was in all and through all. We imagine such thinking to be primitive–it could be that they were closer to knowing God than we moderns could even dream of being. It’s at least something to think about!

Thought for the Day: What’s wrong with worshipping creation?