Psalm 33:17-22

“Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.” vs. 22

There is a lot of talk about love among people of faith. After all Jesus commanded his disciples to love both God and neighbor, and from the beginning his followers have done their best to do just that. And even John Lennon jumped on the bandwagon with his hit single, “All We Need Is Love.” There’s probably not a sermon that is preached that does not enjoin listeners to love as God has loved us. But with all the talk about love, the truth is that too many people don’t even know what love feels like. And that’s okay, because at its core love isn’t a feeling, it’s a decision, an active choice to treat others in a caring, kind, and generous way, even when feelings of love are not present. This is what gives love its power and tenacity–it’s not dependent on the other’s reaction or response. But still, even if we agree that love is a decision, we can’t deny that it really does feel good to be loved. And when words of love are combined with a touch or a hug, the effect is magnified. But how can we feel the steadfast love of God? Where can we go for a hug? Or is it impossible for anything like that to happen? Some say that it is–and they regularly speak of feeling God’s love. It’s a mysterious elusive moment to be sure, but once it’s experienced, it won’t be forgotten!

Thought for the Day: When have I felt the love of God?

Psalm 33:12-17

“Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage.” vs. 12

The psalmist believed that the children of Israel were God’s chosen people. This sentiment appears regularly in the Hebrew scriptures and has continued to be the foundation of Judaism. Even today the nation of Israel sees itself as having that special relationship to the Lord, and there is a credible scriptural basis for that belief. Of course those who have been called to follow Jesus have a different perspective, and have come to believe that all people are children of God, and that no nation has special status in God’s sight. They see themselves in a larger context as being in Christ, and inhabitants of God’s transnational  peaceable kingdom. In recent years, particularly in the United States, there has been a movement to use the language of the psalmist with reference to our own country. And it sounds good to our ears. We now use it regularly in our pledge of allegiance, where we are “one nation under God,” and we declare on all our coins and currency, “in God we trust.” And now there are some who want to go further still and who would love to make Christianity the American religion. The problem is that adopting such a stance even informally takes us far from the inclusive teachings of Jesus and Paul. All nations are under God, and Jesus is the Lord of all people: Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, and even the atheists, and he loves them all!

Thought for the Day: Why are most politicians so religious?

Genesis 15:1-6

“And he believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness.” vs. 6

It’s just a single verse from one of the ancestral stories in Genesis, yet these few words have had an outsized importance as believers have put together their story of God’s steadfast love and faithfulness. Paul used them as the linchpin of his letter to the Romans in his attempt to show that our salvation doesn’t not depend on our obedience to works of the law. And it’s true! While what we do is important, and always will be important, what really counts is the spiritual connection that we have to the Divine Mystery. Abram had done nothing–he had grown old and had sired no children with his wife, Sarai. But as the story goes, the promise of progenty continued to be made, and Abram kept on believing it. And that trust was what counted. So it is with us. We are promised that the Kingdom of God has come, and yet humanity continues in its same broken ways, and we seem far from the Peaceable Kingdom, but as we keep trusting, as we keep on believing, we actually begin to see signs of fulfillment. The key word is trust! It’s not allegiance to doctrines or a particular denomination, but a conviction that God is and that we are God’s people. And as we continue to trust, in good times and in bad, the Kingdom does come among us, just as Jesus has assured us! And it’s all grace!

Thought for the Day: What keeps me trusting in God?

Luke 12:16-21

“And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you.’” vss. 19-20a

If any of the people in the crowd around Jesus were familiar with the book of Ecclesiastes they would have realized that the truths contained in his parable on greed were found in its pages. While some of his parables were obscure and needed interpretation, the point of this one is obvious. Whether any of them took it to heart is another question. People who devote themselves to the accumulation of wealth are impervious to the wisdom of Jesus and Ecclesiastes. Ask any of the billionaires now running this country and creating tax laws for their own benefit about this parable and they would likely smile dismissively. Most of them only invoke the name of Jesus to impress voters and maintain a facade of faithfulness. They seem not to realize that cutting programs to help the poor and deporting asylum seekers reveals only their blatant self-serving hypocrisy. But we can’t only pick on rich politicians, the truth is that most people do little to curb their lust for accumulation, so it’s also in their best interest to tune out the clear warnings of Jesus. The problem is that he spoke the truth! It is the height of foolishness to devote our energy to pleasure and gain. Only in loving service do we find the fuel that feeds the soul.

Thought for the Day: How do I deal with the convicting words of Jesus?

Luke 12:13-15

“And he said to them, ‘Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.’” vs. 15

Jesus had narrowly avoided getting involved in a family dispute about an inheritance, an issue that’s been around ever since children began to wonder how their parents’ possessions would be distributed after their deaths. Of course there are a myriad of laws to cover such occasions and thoughtful estate plans can be helpful, but few families can avoid hurt feelings and deep anger when assets are distributed. There’s never a winner in such disputes and Jesus wisely avoids getting sucked in. He rightly points out to bystanders that the real issue here is greed, more so even than justice or fairness. Of course it’s nice to receive an inheritance, and sometimes the heirlooms being passed down have symbolic value. But the truth is that family treasures will have little or no significance in the quality of our lives. And if it’s money that’s involved, getting a windfall inheritance doesn’t come close to giving the peace and serenity that is at the heart of our yearning. Some people, being aware of such issues, make a decision to rapidly disperse any goods that are bequeathed to them. In such instances, their generous giving not only defeats the power of greed, but also can serve to meet the needs of the poor and vulnerable. 

Thought for the Day: Who will benefit from my death? What is my estate plan?

Colossians 3:9-11

“Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator.” vss. 9-10

It’s true, lying is not one of the Ten Commandments, yet there’s probably nothing more destructive to human relationships! And it comes so naturally to us. It’s one of the first things children learn how to do–and often it’s their parents who teach them. And in these times, since even AI has been taught lies, lying has become the most potent enemy of the truth. Our politicians have learned to lie with impunity and all of us know it. Are their lips moving? Well then, they’re probably lying. So what can we do about it? As starters we should know that lying is not compatible with our new life in Christ. We are undergoing daily restoration through the cleansing power of the Holy Spirit and being changed into our new selves, the very image of the Invisible God. And all that repentance begins with a renewed dedication to truth in everything we say or do. We don’t have to tell “white lies;” we can speak the truth in love. If we think dancing around the truth is the way to go, we should know that our dance partner is the devil, the Father of all lies. It is stunning how the simple practice of truth-telling transforms our relationships. With it trust is restored and brokenness is healed.

Thought for the Day: Where did I learn to lie?

Colossians 3:1-7

“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” vs. 7

It’s easy to get confused about the writer’s intention in verses like this. Some presume that he’s telling believers to set their minds on heaven, that place up in the sky where angels live. Indeed for long periods of time that’s what Christians have done, and it’s not been helpful! But the “things that are above” refer to the fruits of the Spirit: the love, joy, peace, and patience that are seen in the lives of those who are in Christ. The writer contrasts these things with those that are earthly: like fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed. In Christ we have died to the ugly and profane, and have been raised to live as the presence of God in this world. In today’s terms we might say that in Christ we hit the reset button and begin to live in accordance with our lineage and heritage as children of God. In that capacity we are called to set our minds on that which is pure and holy, and resolve each day to imitate Jesus. As the caring standards of our nation and our world are slowly eroding in the presence of the widespread lust for power and wealth, we are the only hope of the poor and the needy. In us Christ is made visible!

Thought for the Day: What is my mind set on?

Psalm 49:1-12

“Why should I fear in times of trouble, when the iniquity of my persecutors surrounds me, those who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches?” vss. 5-6

The psalmist was feeling persecuted by rich folks, those who trust in their wealth and in the abundance of their riches. We know what such people are like. Their names are always before us and we can’t escape the reports of their profligate spending and ostentatious lifestyles. They have more money than we can imagine and their greatest desire is to have even more. What seems strange to us is their desire to manipulate laws and regulations to give them even more benefits, even at the expense of the poor and needy. That’s likely what the psalmist was feeling, and there was little he could do to oppose his persecutors. As we well know, there’s no way to out-lawyer the rich! They win every time! His consolation was that their wealth was going to get them nowhere, and one day they’d lie “a mouldering in their graves’ in the company of “fools and dolts.” There’s no denying the reality of the psalmist’s words–the billionaires who now run our world will lose their battle against time. Their bodies will shrivel and break, and their brilliant brains will turn to dust. Blessing are those who trust in the Lord who is, was, and will always be. In God and God alone will we find our solace and hope!

Thought for the Day: Who are billionaires beholden to?

Ecclesiastes 2:18-23

“I hated all my toil in which I had toiled under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to those who come after me—and who knows whether they will be wise or foolish?” vss.18-19a

The Teacher’s words will resonate with many in our accumulation-driven society. Many people devote long years of their lives to building their portfolios and establishing retirement funds, and often they don’t even like the work that they’ve been doing! And then when they finally retire, they make a sad discovery! Retirement isn’t nearly as wonderful as they thought it would be–and our enjoyment of it is almost totally contingent on our health. And that certainly isn’t guaranteed! It’s amazing how fragile our body parts are, and how quickly they wear out. And then there are those who come after us! If we’ve done well in the accumulation game, we can be sure that our heirs will know that. And some of them will begin to wonder why we’re living so long–we might even suspect that they’re hoping we’ll die sooner rather than later. After all, the sooner our money finds its way to them, the more time they’ll have to spend it. And who knows how wise or foolish they will be? It’s amazing how often such thoughts creep into our minds, but that’s how it is when the measure of our life is based on stuff! What a blessing it is when such thinking does not preoccupy us! And that’s always true for those who live in Christ!

Thought for the Day: What has toil brought to my life?

Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14

“I saw all the deeds that are done under the sun; and see, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.” vs. 14

Like the book of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes is a part of the wisdom literature of the Hebrew people, and its writer, self-described as Koholoth or Teacher, takes on the persona of Solomon, a man described in the first book of Kings as the wisest person in the world. He says that he “applied (his) mind to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven.” What we have in this book then are his conclusions. It’s a pretty pessimistic picture! All is vanity, a word derived from the Hebrew word for breath. The Teacher intends it as a metaphor for the futility and meaninglessness of life. We wonder what he might think of artificial intelligence, the latest rage to absorb our attention. It too purports to gather all knowledge and then make it accessible in the blink of an eye. We can guess that he would not be much impressed! AI promises the world but delivers confusion, mistruths, and a deep pessimism about the future. What the Teacher presents as his book unfolds is a brutally realistic picture of life in this world, and we see deep truths in his words. Yet he never gives up on God! And neither should we. No matter what AI tells us, however misguided it might be, it can never replace the unsearchable, unconditional love of God. 

Thought for the Day: What is AI doing for me?