2 Timothy 2:14-15

“Remind them of this, and warn them before God that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening.” vs. 14

The letters of First and Second Timothy, together with Titus, are often known as pastoral epistles because they address concerns being experienced by the leaders of the early Christian community. The gospel as preached by Paul and others had  spread rapidly and congregations had formed in most of the cities of the eastern Mediterranean. Jesus had left no organizational system and there were no synods or regions–and there certainly wasn’t a single unifying creed or liturgy. Guided by the Spirit folks were operating according to local customs and some basic unifying traditions. A lot of the time they were just making stuff up! As a consequence in some places there was a ton of confusion and disorder. Charismatic leaders were boldly moving in a variety of directions and sometimes the gospel message was being obscured or lost altogether. Evidently some were expert at wordsmithing and loved to fight about language and words. Some of us can easily relate! We’ve been at synodical assemblies or congregational meetings and been witness to the wrangling that can go on. It would be comical if it weren’t so destructive to many of those who listen. Obviously decisions need to be made by communities of faith. But how sad it is when the debates become acrimonious and divisive. In such a setting the good news is distorted and our mission grinds to a halt.

Thought for the Day: Where have I observed “wrangling over words” in the church?

2 Timothy 2:8-13

“…if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.” vs. 13

People in the early church firmly believed that those who die with Christ will also live with him. That phrase shows up in early hymn fragments and was probably recited at baptismal rituals. But they also believed and taught that if they were faithless, Christ would remain faithful. This simple teaching was at the core of their hope–they knew in their hearts that their salvation did not ultimately depend on the strength of their faith. In fact even if they were faithless, God in Christ would continue to be faithful. This is an amazing truth, one that has been sadly obscured in the Christian community. We all know people who have wandered away from the church for one reason or another–many times we know them well–they could include our children or grandchildren. It’s natural to be saddened when this happens–we’d prefer that they remain. But we don’t need to worry about their relationship to Christ. Even if they no longer pray or worship Christ remains faithful to them and is always present in them. Often we see in them the unmistakable fruits of the Spirit. The inborn image of God may be obscured but it can never be obliterated. What a gift this assurance is for us! We don’t need to worry about the ultimate destiny of those we love. They’re safe in the hands of our faithful God.

Thought for the Day: If God is faithful, why is our faithfulness important?

Psalm 111:6-10

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever.” vs. 10

Wisdom has been prized through all generations and many continue to pursue it. Some confuse it with knowledge and believe that if they go to school, study, and graduate with honors they’ll have it. For them it’s connected to having all the answers. The psalmist would not agree. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with knowledge and it’s probably wise to learn all we can about how this world operates–but that’s not wisdom. Wisdom is what allows us to use our knowledge and experience to make good choices and decisions about our path in life. It’s certainly a quality that we crave for ourselves and our children in these turbulent times. It’s hard to know just how we become wise, for some it almost seems to be a gift–we know it when we see it. The psalmist suggests that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and his insight has merit. Of course he’s not saying that we should be afraid of God. He’s speaking of something more along the lines of respect and honor. To fear the Lord is to have reverence for the Creator and all that exists. It requires deep humility, knowing that we aren’t God, and being content with being human. In other words the road to wisdom is a spiritual journey, not an intellectual one, but blessings abound when we arrive!

Thought for the Day: Who are the wise people in my life?

Psalm 111:1-5

“Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation.” vs. 1

The psalmist wasn’t thanking the Lord for any answered prayer or a particular blessing that had come to him. Instead he was reflecting on the goodness and mercy of God throughout all the generations–and he didn’t hold back! His song of thanksgiving came from the heart and he sang as a part of the congregation. Worship was communal to the core–people came to the temple in the company of the faithful–and they loved to offer praise together to the Lord. We’ve lost a bit of that communal connection in these latter days. People report that they come to worship as individuals expecting to receive something–often they’re looking for a bold and provocative sermon or maybe a special presentation from the choir. And if that doesn’t happen they begin to consider abandoning worship altogether. But worship at its core concerns what we do for God–it’s our time for joining the congregation in hymns of praise and thanksgiving and for reflecting on the grace and mercy that God has for every one of us. Sometimes when we gather for worship now it’s sad to see diminishing numbers–congregations are dwindling. We have such a wonderful and generous Lord–and the love just keeps on coming. And even as we grow less faithful, the faithfulness of God continues forever. Praise the Lord! And what a blessing it is to do it in the company of the saints!

Thought for the Day: What reasons do people give for abandoning worship?

2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15

“But his servants approached and said to him, ‘Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, “Wash, and be clean”?’” vs. 13

Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a proud man. He had been told by his wife’s servant girl, a captive from Israel, that there was a man in Samaria who could cure him of his leprosy. After some diplomatic maneuvering he had gotten permission to come to the home of the prophet Elisha–but Elisha didn’t even come out to see him. He sent word through a messenger that Naaman should go wash in the Jordan seven times. Naaman was outraged at the presumed insult to a person of his standing and was ready to go back to Aram until convinced by his servants that he should give the prescribed treatment a try. Many of us are like Naaman. One of our favorite images of God has been as a supernatural interventionist who periodically acts in miraculous and spectacular ways. We’ve had a hard time beginning to understand God as one who is constantly present and who works through the ordinary to bring life and healing. But what a blessing it is to know that God is more than a Being who hangs out in heaven and who occasionally intervenes in our lives. The real God is as near as our breath and acts through ordinary washing and eating and drinking to restore and cleanse our leprous lives.

Thought for the Day: What’s an example of a miraculous healing?

Luke 17:5-10

“The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’ The Lord replied, ‘If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea,” and it would obey you.’” vss. 5-6

Jesus’ response to the apostles’ demand that he increase their faith is enigmatic at best. It seems that he’s telling them that faith is not quantifiable. We can’t have variable amounts! Either we have faith, or we don’t! We’re not used to thinking that way. Like the apostles we often wish that our convictions about God were stronger so that we didn’t have to worry about stuff so much. We may even feel that our faith has eroded through the years and that it’s on the verge of disappearing altogether. But Jesus seems to be saying that what little faith we have is enough, even if it’s the size of a mustard seed. And he’s got a point! After all, what really counts in our relationship with God is the faith God has in us, and that never runs out. Over and over again God keeps coming to us with unconditional offers of mercy and forgiveness–grace upon grace is poured into our lives–and the strength of our faith is not the deciding factor. Of course it would be horrible if our faith disappeared altogether–but as long as that mustard seed sized trust remains, we’ll stay in touch with the love God has for us–and in the long run, that’s much more important than anything else.

Thought for the Day: When have I come closest to losing my faith?

Luke 17:1-4

“Be on your guard! If another disciple sins, you must rebuke the offender, and if there is repentance, you must forgive.” vs. 3

Luke had access to many sayings of Jesus, some of which weren’t connected to any particular time and place, and he chose to group those isolated sayings in sections by themselves. Some seem to have been chosen because they related to issues that were coming up in the early faith communities. Here Jesus addresses something that many believers struggle with, namely, just how much should they say to members of the community who have committed some offense. In particular, those who have immersed themselves in the gospel of grace often have difficulty saying anything that might even remotely be considered judgmental. We may think that words, jokes, or actions are inappropriate or wrong but we tend to ignore them or pretend we didn’t see or hear. Of course that gives no credit to either grace or gospel and ultimately will undermine the witness of the community. Jesus is blunt! If another disciple sins, you must rebuke the offender! This doesn’t mean that our congregations should embrace a spirit of legalism and begin campaigns to exclude sinners–that’s not the point. Forgiveness is at the heart of who we are. But we do have an obligation to hold one another accountable to kingdom principles, and not hold back for fear of offending.

Thought for the Day: When have I been silent instead of speaking up?

2 Timothy 1:8-14

“This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” vss. 9b-10

The message proclaimed by Paul was centered, not on the works of our hands, but on the grace and the power of God. What’s amazing is the conviction of the early church that this grace had been given to us in Christ Jesus from the very beginning. It was the very essence of God–and now had been revealed fully through the person of Jesus–the one who was now called the Christ. It’s that same grace that serves as the foundation of our lives today. It isn’t that works are not important–they are after all the fruit of the Spirit–but God’s power is revealed most completely in the unconditional love and mercy that is even more powerful than death. It’s hard for us to believe that radical message, just as hard as it was back in Timothy’s day. When the realities of life hit us between the eyes our first impulse is to lash out and believe that threats and laws will win the day. Grace seems so weak and impotent–sometimes we feel as though we’re being taken advantage of. But there really is power in grace, so much that Paul was persecuted for proclaiming it, and it continues to be the source of life and immortality for us all. 

Thought for the Day: When have I felt the power of grace?

2 Timothy 1:1-7

“I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you.” vs. 5

Timothy was a leader in the early church and had a relationship with Paul that went back to the early missionary journeys. According to this letter Paul knew the family. Evidently it was Lois, Timothy’s grandmother, and his mother, Eunice, who first became followers of Jesus–perhaps they had met Paul on his first trip to their city. It’s a reminder that faith is regularly birthed in families and is often passed on by the strength of a mother’s testimony. Sometimes we wonder whether our children pay any attention to what we say at all–the teenage years seem to render them deaf and often it appears they can’t wait to get away from any parental influence. When left to their own devices they abandon the faith of their parents and revel in their lack of religious convictions. But we shouldn’t sell ourselves short, particularly if our children have seen the light of Christ shine in us during their time in our homes. The way we practice our faith will have a huge influence and one day they will want for themselves what they’ve seen in us. They may not practice faith in the same way, but we can be confident that the Christ-light has been passed on. And when we see the fruit of the Spirit in their lives, like Paul we will give thanks and praise to God.

Thought for the Day: How was I influenced by my mother’s faith?

Psalm 37:1-9

“Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him; do not fret over those who prosper in their way, over those who carry out evil devices.” vs. 7

In these last years, some people have been caught up in what seems like a constant state of fretfulness. They wonder how friends and family can hold political positions squarely at odds with their own. They’re angry at societal trends that undermine long-standing moral and ethical positions. And then there are the usual worries about finances, children, and health. There are any number of things to fret about–the wrong people win political campaigns, gun violence threatens our schools and churches, the list goes on and on. The psalmist knew about such things and he advises quietly waiting on the Lord and not allowing ourselves to become caught up in worry or anxiety. He says that fretting only leads to evil–we end up doing and saying ugly things and losing friends. He directs his readers to be still and wait patiently for the Lord–it’s almost as though he’s recommending the practice of meditation. There are some who have taken such advice to heart. Instead of immersing themselves in the internet and social media they choose to spend time each day meditating on that which gives them joy and peace. It’s not that they’re sticking their heads in the sand, but they’re making choices about what they feed their souls. And it works! The fretting dissipates and joy abounds! 

Thought for the Day: What do I fret about the most?