Psalm 121

“I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” vss. 1-2

From ancient times humans have looked to the mountains as the dwelling place of the Divine Presence. The Hebrews were no different–people were forever building shrines in high places and using them for worship. The psalmist likely shared in that understanding–he tells us that when trouble came he would lift up his eyes to the hills in his search for help. But he has an additional insight, one that derives from a more advanced theological understanding. He knew that his help would come, not from the mountains and the hills, but from the One who had made them. And so it is! Heaven and earth are full of God’s presence but God transcends all that exists–God is greater than we can even imagine. So when trouble stalks us and suffering visits our homes, God is never more than a breath away. Our Helper is constantly with us, in our coming and in our going, and every place in between. God has been with us in our pasts and God is our future. One day we will know God fully, just as we have been fully known. The psalmist found great security in that knowledge and so should we. Some days it may feel as though we are alone, but it’s all a mirage. Our God is always at hand!

Thought for the Day: Where do I get a special sense of God’s presence?

Genesis 12:1-4a

“I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.” vs. 2

Over the last few years large numbers of people have expressed a desire to see America become a great nation again. Although some would argue that America is already great, on the surface, there is certainly nothing wrong with aspiring to greatness. The question then becomes, “What is it that makes a nation great?” Is it total domination, territorial expansion, economic prosperity, or global respect? Opinions differ! The perspective of Genesis provides an interesting possibility. The nation that evolved from Abram’s seed would be called great if it became a blessing to all the families of the earth. So how does America measure up? There’s little doubt that we have been blessed, and there have indeed been periods when we have been a blessing to the whole world–but not always. At times we have been obsessed with military domination and economic self-interests. Often we’ve tried to isolate ourselves from the pain and suffering of the poor and the hungry. Instead of opening our arms to the tired masses, we’ve been closed and threatening. It would be wonderful if the vision of Genesis were a national priority and we could honestly say our nation is more concerned about the needs of others than our own. Perhaps then we could truly say we are a great nation!

Thought for the Day: What will make America great again?

Matthew 4:1-11

“The tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.’” vs. 3

Jesus had just experienced an encounter with God that had exploded his mind. He’d come out of the water and seen a dove circling down from the skies–and with the dove came a voice, “You are my Son, my Beloved, with you I am well-pleased.” It was an overwhelming word of affirmation, and he sensed in that moment that he was being called as God’s Messiah. But what then? The Spirit stayed with him and led him into the wilderness, the traditional place of testing for prophets. He fasted for a long time and then the onslaught began. The tempter came and started messing with his mind, and the attack centered on the affirmation. If Jesus could be led to doubt that he was the Beloved Son of God, his mission would fail. Jesus parried the probes and emerged from the wilderness full of confidence and power. Often we’re not as successful. It is so hard for us to believe that God’s heart is full of love and that we are the beneficiaries. Even though we too are the beloved of God, the tempter regularly tries to get us to doubt the relationship. It’s just easier to think we’re unworthy, the scum of the earth, and incapable of doing what God has in mind for us. But that’s not who we are! We‘re the Holy Children of God and the Evil One has no power over us!!

Thought for the Day: Why do I doubt myself so much?

Romans 5:12-19

“Therefore just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all.” vs. 18

In Paul’s estimation the gospel can be understood logically. Just as Adam’s sin led to condemnation for all, so Jesus’ righteous act leads to life for all! In his mind, it’s as simple as that! Now we might find good reasons to argue with Paul’s syllogism, but there’s a strong appeal to his argument. In essence he’s saying that sin is like an uncontained and deadly virus that has spread unabated through every time and place. We’re all infected! There is no vaccine and all quarantines have proved ineffective, but the righteousness of Jesus has all the qualities of a benevolent virus and can be an effective antidote! Like sin it will ultimately infect all people, but it will bring life and light to all. Even now we can see it spreading through the world as it passes from one person to another through infectious smiles and acts of love. Of course we would like to see it spread more quickly…we’ve gotten pretty tired of the ugly symptoms of sin that we see popping up all around. The trick is staying hopeful and getting out where people are…we won’t infect anyone with grace and mercy if we hang out in our little righteous pockets. Sin is virulent, but it’s really not a match for love!

Thought for the Day: Where did I “catch” righteousness?

Psalm 32

“Do not be like a horse or a mule, without understanding, whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle, else it will not stay near you.” vs. 9

Humans, horses, and mules all reflect the goodness and presence of the Divine Creator, but according to our scriptures, only humans have been created in the image of God. We bear the stamp of the Divine DNA in our genes and act in this world as the hands and the feet of God. It is our call and our mission to infiltrate the world with goodness, and reflect the mercy and love of God to all who are broken and needy. Horses and mules don’t have that call. All that they are required to do is to act in accordance with their being. They’re supposed to behave like horses and mules, and that’s about it. They have no understanding about any larger purpose–it’s doubtful that they have any concept of God–they certainly don’t worship. In like manner, humans are supposed to act like humans and reflect their special relationship to God in their stewardship of creation, but often we don’t do that. Instead we act like horses or mules, and think only about living out our base desires. We like to eat and drink and will behave only when our actions are curbed or limited. Without rules to govern behavior, some would just run wild. The psalmist believed that humans have a higher calling and are expected to lead principled lives, motivated totally by kindness and love.

Thought for the Day: What keeps me from “running wild”?

Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7

“But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’” vss. 4-5

The ancient Hebrews used this little story about the man and woman in the Garden of Eden to share some great insights about the nature of good and evil. Unfortunately the story has been used through the centuries to perpetuate some hurtful and dangerous notions about sin and the relationship between men and women. To this day some people believe that women are easily deceived and often use their wiles to tempt innocent men with forbidden fruit. As a result of such beliefs there’s a persistent misogyny that has been responsible for the marginalization and discounting of women on every level. On top of this, various theologians, using this passage as a proof-text, came up with some wrongheaded teachings connecting original sin and sexual desire. No wonder so many struggle with issues of sexuality–we’ve been taught for centuries that sex is dirty and that thoughts about sex are bound to be sinful. In reality this story has nothing to do with sex and it certainly doesn’t teach that women are inferior. It was meant to describe the continuing tendency of humans to think of themselves as divine and eliminate any need for God. It’s so hard for us to accept any limitations on our behaviors–we don’t like to worship anyone but ourselves–in our hearts we really would like to be gods! And that’s where sin begins!

Thought for the Day: Why is it hard for people to talk about sexual matters?

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

“but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal.” vs. 20

We’re familiar with these words of Jesus; at the very least we’ve heard them read at worship during our Ash Wednesday services. They’re a yearly staple of our lectionary, the texts that are set aside for the three years of the liturgical cycle. And most of us agree with Jesus, storing up treasures on earth is pure foolishness; ultimately those things we accumulate will become useless to us–aging and the passage of time destroy their value. Some of us have even become a part of the current trend toward minimalism and have followed the advice of people like Marie Condo. We’ve given away our possessions and decided to keep only what sparks joy in our hearts. But is this the same as storing up treasures in heaven? Some might say that it is, and they may be partially right. Minimalism does cut down on our accumulation–but there’s still a focus on the material. Heavenly treasures are better understood as spiritual or relational. They are those deeds and practices which connect us to God and to one another, and will always have loving at their core. They’re the experiences that could be described as “priceless,” a walk in the evening with our sweetheart or a hug from a runny-nosed grandchild. Moments like these can only come as we abandon our connections to “stuff” and embrace our neighbor as ourselves.

Thought for the Day: What are my treasures in heaven?

Isaiah 58:1-12

“Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?” vs. 6

Isaiah 58 should be required reading for any who presume to God-fearing believers. The prophet was fed up with folks who claim to be religious, but who have no heart for the poor or the hurting. He tells his hearers and us that our fasting is pointless if it’s focus is our own spiritual well-being. His words are a good reminder for those who use the season of Lent to meditate on scripture and to practice a discipline. We are not isolated beings or rugged individuals in the eyes of God. We’re a part of a community, and will consider the needs of the oppressed and the helpless as much or more than we do our own. It’s a travesty when people of faith rail against immigrants and welfare recipients and seek to cut benefits for the poor. How did we manage to get so far off track? Don’t we know that God is not pleased with our single-minded devotion to accumulation and the privileges of power? Isaiah’s words are a wonderful wake-up call for all who have been seduced by the glitter and glamour that have captivated our society. At the very least Lent will become for us a season of reflection on the dark side of our economic advancements. Oppression is alive and well in our world–and our call is to work for justice.

Thought for the Day: How can an individual bring about systemic change?

Joel 2:1-2, 12-17

“rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing.” vs. 13

Israel had been invaded by a plague of locusts and the prophet Joel believed that relief would come only if the people turned back to God and repented of their sinful ways. Most of us probably don’t connect such devastating natural disasters with sin but on both national and global levels there are a multitude of injustices that merit our combined attention and repentance. We’ve put future generations at risk with our unbridled greed and callous disregard for the environment. The millions of refugees fleeing their homes and countries are a testimony to our love of war and careless use of destructive weapons. We aren’t living as faithful stewards of creation and we certainly aren’t loving our neighbors as ourselves. Modern prophets are correct in calling humanity to repentance and change. In the church it has become our tradition to set aside times of the year for a focus on such practices, not just as an exercise in confession, but that we might actually change and be a force for good. Joel reminds us that such repentance is more an internal exercise than external. In just a couple of days we will begin the season of Lent and we’ll have an opportunity for some heart-rending soul-searching. It’s our chance to return to God, the source of grace, mercy, and steadfast love, and the world is bound to be blessed.

Thought for the Day: What is a heart-rending behavior?

Matthew 17:6-9

“But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Get up and do not be afraid.’ And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.” vss. 7-8

The scriptures consistently report that divine encounters are a scary proposition. Certainly that was true for the disciples on the mountain of transfiguration! The voice that was meant to assure them instead terrified them, and only the gentle touch of Jesus could take away their fear. We know what it’s like to be afraid! These are scary times, and every day there are happenings and events that leave us shaken and frightened. Some understand climate change to be an existential threat and worry about the long range effects of global warming. Others are distraught by the increasing polarization of our nation. The rhetoric of the alienated seems divisive and dangerous. Weapons are being stockpiled–some look forward to using them! On a personal level most of us are beset by anxieties and fears, we’re constantly aware of health issues and relational problems. A lot of us are concerned about children and grandchildren–we’re afraid for them! Whatever the reason none of us are immune to fear–and all need that gentle touch of Jesus and a word of encouragement. “Get up, rise up from your fear, and don’t be afraid to live!” It’s in the presence of “Jesus himself alone” that we can continue our journeys in confidence. Perfect love wipes away fear!

Thought for the Day: What are my fears?