John 4:5-14

“The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?’ (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.)” vs. 9

As John tells the story, Jesus doesn’t mess around with the long detour around Samaria that Galileans Jews generally used on their journey to Jerusalem. He takes the direct route and at the well near Sychar, a Samaritan city, gives a Samaritan woman the surprise of her life. He asks her for a drink of water and seems not to care that such an action makes him ritually unclean. It’s a lovely and touching story and reminds us that amazing opportunities for mission happen when we take the time to reach across barriers and violate boundaries. Jesus as the Christ knows that there is really no difference between the sacred and the profane. All those artificial distinctions that humans have invented to make their little group seem special are an affront to the Divine Presence. One of the blessings of living in our time is that some of those differences are being exposed in all their pettiness and as a result our experiences of the other have been amazingly enriched. Of course there’s a lot of work to be done. We’ve spent thousands of years building walls and they’ve only begun to come tumbling down. But some day the Christ’s mission will be complete and all peoples and nations will be one–and what a glorious day that will be!

Thought for the Day: Why do people fear a united world?

Romans 5:6-11

“Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die.” vs. 7

Some theologian types through the years have put forward the notion that Jesus’ death was a sacrifice that takes away the sin of the world. Now they can certainly find verses in scripture to back their position; indeed, there are many parallels that can be made between the Jewish sacrificial system and Jesus’ death on the cross. Unfortunately the sacrificial understanding of the atonement has not been helpful for questioning followers of Jesus. Many such persons are convinced that the best way to understand the cross is as an act of love. That seems to be Paul’s point as he writes to the Romans. Jesus gave his life, not as a sacrifice, but as an act of love, and he did it even for sinners. He died not to affirm the efficacy of the sacrificial system, but to abolish it! Forgiveness is accomplished not through the shedding of blood to appease an angry God, but through the unconditional and merciful love of God. Yes, the cross is the mark of forgiveness in the church, but it’s also a mark of God’s love. Forgiveness was a part of Jesus’ ministry long before he died–nothing magical happened on the cross. Love was there too, and it was love that ultimately brought Jesus to the cross. And it’s also what brings us to Jesus!

Thought for the Day: For whom would I be willing to die?

Romans 5:1-5

“Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand…” vss. 1-2

Paul realized that there was no point in hammering away at people with words of law and judgment. He’d had enough of that as a Pharisee and it had led him on a violent path of condemnation. He knew that even though he had sinned against God in a multitude of ways, even participating in the stoning death of Stephen, the first recorded martyr, he had been made righteous through his Lord Jesus Christ. As a result he was good with God, and enjoyed the serenity and peace he had always sought. What joy it must have given him to proclaim this message of grace to both Jew and Gentile! His letters overflow with passion as he carefully lays out his argument for simple trust in God. No longer would people have to fear the vengeance of an angry God! The Jews could put aside that old narrative from their wandering days–they’d been set free to embrace the steadfast love of God that had been there from the very beginning. Gentiles in search of a forgiving God were introduced to the Christ, the source of light and hope for all generations. And now it’s our turn! The gospel of grace is ours to share as the one source of hope in every time and season. Praise God!

Thought for the Day: What gives me hope?

Psalm 95

“For forty years I loathed that generation and said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they do not regard my ways.’ Therefore in my anger I swore, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’” vss. 10-11

Israel’s family story had some patches of what sounds like parental abuse. As they remembered their time in the wilderness they heard about the problems at Meribah and Rephidim when the wanderers had been directed by the Lord to camp where there was no water. When the people had complained, the anger of the Lord had been kindled against them, and they had been punished. That generation was not allowed to enter the Promised Land. This is not a story of grace! In fact, the psalmist used it as a warning. He believed that if he reminded the people of the Lord’s anger in the past, they’ll be sure to behave in the present. We tend to gloss over passages like this, and it’s probably good that we do. Many of us know what child abuse is all about–we’ve had parents who punished us severely. They may even have said they were doing it for our own good, so that we’d turn from our sinful ways. Some who have been exposed to such treatment, and who read such verses, have concluded that God is like their angry, punishing parent. Some may even believe that God loathes them! What a pity! The psalmist did not have the last word on the nature of God. Jesus did! And he tells us God loves us unconditionally!

Thought for the Day: How did my parents punish me?

Exodus 17:1-7

“From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.” vs. 1

We can assume that Expedia was not available for Moses as he began leading the people through the wilderness. As a result he was forced to rely upon the Lord as travel planner, and it really didn’t work very well. They moved along as the Lord commanded but when they got to Rephidim and set up their tents they discovered there was no water. Naturally the people are upset, but instead of blaming the Lord, they took out their frustration on Moses. As the story comes to us it becomes a parable about the difficulties of living as the Lord commands. Some of us have tried diligently to make career and family moves that are in line with what we perceive to be God’s will. And sometimes the results are disastrous! We find ourselves struggling to exist in situations that seem intolerable with no relief in sight. The natural tendency is to find someone to blame, and while some do choose to blame God, most find it’s handier and more satisfying to blame others, maybe a spouse or a boss. For some people complaining becomes almost a way of life– they’re never satisfied, no matter how often they move or change spouses. In the Exodus story Moses gave the people water from a rock, and ultimately that’s our solution too. And as Paul tells us in Romans, our Rock is the Christ!

Thought for the Day: When my life gets screwed up, who do I blame?

John 3:14-17

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” vs. 16

Sometimes the gospel of John can be a bit disconcerting. Jesus sounds different, more divine than human, and we can have a hard time getting used to the change in voice. In this third chapter, for instance, what begins as a conversation with Nicodemus changes into what seems like a sermon intended for a congregation. It’s not that the words are upsetting, indeed, these are some of the most beautiful and uplifting words in all the bible. Most of us have them memorized! But in reality these aren’t the words of Jesus, these are the words of the Christ! Once we understand this, some of our misgivings fall away and we can begin to appreciate the powerful good news that John has for us. He’s not just writing the biography of an historical figure, he’s revealing the Word of God that was made flesh in Jesus of Nazareth. Here we see Jesus as the Christ, full of grace and glory, and we are invited to put our trust in him as the only Son of God. John, the gospel writer, knew that God has a deep and eternal love for the whole world, sinners and righteous alike, and he wants his readers to trust that in Jesus they can have life. It’s a beautiful message–one that will be cherished for all time–we are loved, now and forever! This is most certainly true!

Thought for the Day: Which is my most favorite gospel?

John 3:9-13

“Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can these things be?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?’” vss. 9-10

Nicodemus didn’t understand Jesus’ talk about the Spirit of God. It wasn’t that he didn’t know the scriptures, after all he was a teacher of the law, but he didn’t get that the Spirit blows where it wills and not according to our presuppositions. People can know thousands of bible verses and still be totally blind to the movement of God in the world. It’s not that knowledge is bad for us–it’s a good thing for folks to get college degrees, study theology, and maybe even go to seminary. But we don’t need all that to feel the wind of God in our faces and to bear the fruit of the Spirit in our daily lives. More often than not we most fully experience the Divine Presence in ordinary people whose lives, for one reason or another, have been brought into congruence with God’s love through daily prayer and quiet passionate living. Such persons speak of what they have seen and bear testimony to what they have experienced and in their eyes we see the Christ-light clearly. Their books and resources are not found in libraries or even on-line, but they have drunk deeply of God’s grace and reflect God’s kindness–and we are grateful to call them our sisters and brothers in Christ.

Thought for the Day: Who or what has been my fount of knowledge? 

John 3:1-8

“The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” vs. 8

It’s amusing sometimes to hear people talk with such great assurance about God’s presence in this world. They seem to have some sort of direct line to the Divine Presence that is available only to themselves, and perhaps, a few others. Often there’s an off-putting arrogance about them, as though they, and they alone, have the answers to life’s perplexing questions. Jesus tells Nicodemus, a man who presumably had been reared in an answer-giving culture, that the Spirit of God is like the wind, it blows where it chooses but we don’t have a clue about what it is up to. His analogy may seem disconcerting to some, they would like God to be predictable and easily discerned. But for most folks this vision of the Spirit is liberating and exciting. They like it that they don’t know what God is up to and they look forward to the surprises that are sure to come their way. Just think of all the unbelievable changes that have happened in just the last few years. Women are seen as equals and gay persons are no longer despised–in some congregations they are welcomed as pastors and leaders! That stuff only happens because the Spirit of God is on the loose–some of us can’t wait to see what will happen next!

Thought for the Day: How has God surprised me?

Romans 4:13-17

“For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us)…vs. 16

Paul was writing to a community in Rome that included both Gentile and Jewish followers of Jesus Christ, and he was thrilled to be able to present an inclusive gospel. Times had changed and Gentile believers did not have to first become adherents of the Law to be a part of the Church. The game-changer was grace, a gift freely given to all who trusted God for their salvation. Grace continues to be the center for every congregation committed to walking in the Way of Jesus. Left to our own devices we would quickly degenerate into law-bound, rule-worshiping bands of exclusivists. We would see ourselves as righteous and quickly sniff out those among us who by chance fell into sin. But Paul’s gospel was different. He knew that God’s promises of forgiveness and life rested on grace and were guaranteed to all, especially to ungodly sinners. What a privilege it is to be among the inheritors of that glorious message of love and mercy! It actually should make us proud to be Christian! We are the purveyors of good news, news that the whole world desperately needs to hear and experience. 

Thought for the Day: What does grace mean in my life?

Romans 4:1-5

“But to one who without works trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness.” vs. 5

Paul takes pains to remind his readers that their ancestor, Abraham, was made righteous, not because of his works, but because of his faith. And then, in the process of making his point, he defines faith as trust. We would do well to remember his definition! Too often we fall into the trap of thinking that faith is something like “believing,” and that it involves assenting to a particular set of credal statements. While it is true that creeds have value for a community of faith, it is trust that binds us to one another and to God. And the most important aspect of trust is allowing our sinful selves to fold into God’s loving arms and knowing that we don’t have to perform well to please God. Even as ungodly persons we have been redeemed and forgiven, and the image of God is being restored. Like Abraham we have been invited to journey with God into a future that is jam-packed with blessings and every goodness. That call has come in spite of our flaws and short-comings, and as we trust the promises that come with it, our lives are transformed. There are some of course who don’t trust grace and who prefer to “go it alone.” But they can’t escape being loved by the One they don’t trust–they too have been justified. It may mean nothing to them, but it means the world to their family and friends.

Thought for the Day: Why do some find it hard to trust God?