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?

1 Samuel 16:1-13

“The Lord said to Samuel, ‘How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.’” vs.1

One thing is sure! We’ve been grieving about political matters for a long time, though it does seem like the process of choosing a new ruler was a good deal less cumbersome in the days of Samuel. Some might wish that there was a prophet now, with horn and oil in hand, to choose a leader from the myriad of clamoring candidates. It would be easier, they say, than listening to the onslaught of lies and exaggerations that are typical in a modern campaign. Of course it wasn’t easy for Samuel to choose either. He was told by the Lord to pay no attention to the external appearances of the sons of Jesse so he rejected them all. And then when the last son was hauled away from the sheep and finally stood before him, he chose him–because he had beautiful eyes and was handsome! So much for following the Lord’s instructions! As it turned out David was not a bad choice–though ultimately Israel learned that kings make poor messiahs. By this fall we’ll have figured out our choice, and we’ll probably make our decision based on appearance too. It’s hard to do otherwise. Whatever the pick, none of them will be our messiah! And that’s okay! We’ve already got Jesus, and he’s the best!

Thought for the Day: How will I make my choice this fall?

John 4:27-42

“Do you not say, ‘Four months more, then comes the harvest’? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting.” vs. 35

When the disciples looked around it’s likely they saw little more than villages full of despised Samaritans. They hadn’t even imagined that such folks would be interested in the gospel of grace being proclaimed by Jesus. But Jesus knew! In his eyes these weren’t Samaritans, these were people hungry for words of love and acts of kindness. They were hurting, and he stayed with them two more days to preach and teach. We too are called to lift up our eyes to the people around us, especially those who have been missed and alienated by our traditions and rituals. There are literally thousands of folks who hunger for purpose and love…but they’re looking in all the wrong places. We probably won’t be able to reach them in the old ways, but if we’re alert to the Spirit moving among us we’ll be able to figure out new ways to connect. One thing for sure! Our reaching out will always draw us into relationships with hungry people. Folks are yearning for authenticity and compassion, and we might be just the ones to make the connections. True love will never be obsolete and we might be uniquely positioned to break through current cultural barriers–just like Jesus with those Samaritans!

Thought for the Day: Where do I see fields that are ripe for harvesting?

John 4:14-26

“Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.’” vs. 21

During the time of Jesus’ ministry it was inconceivable for both Jews and Samaritans that worship would take place anywhere but in Jerusalem or on Mt. Gerazim. That’s the way things had been done for centuries! But with the Roman response to the Jewish insurrection and the destruction of the temples, all that changed in a flash! Directed solely by the Spirit of God, worship became something entirely different for Jews, Samaritans, and followers of Jesus. Those were tough times for believers, but ultimately things got figured out–at least for a time. Some believe that the same sort of precipitous change lies ahead for us too. The age of denominations is rapidly coming to a close–even Roman Catholics are being forced to consider what were previously unthinkable possibilities. It’s a scary time for those who are tied to the ways of the past. Soon we’ll be considering new creeds and rituals– worship is going to be changing in big ways–already we’re seeing the changes. So what does all this mean? Of course we don’t know for sure–predictions about such things are notoriously inaccurate. But the one thing we know for sure is that the Spirit of Christ will never go away. Many things will pass away but the Christ will remain forever and beyond.

Thought for the Day: What will replace denominations?