Colossians 3:5-11

“In that renewal there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all!” vs. 11

Even though we are called to discipline as we move from death to resurrection, the renewal does not depend on our success or failure. To say that it does would remove Christ from the equation, and Paul knows that such can never be the case. He has a vision of newness that is beyond anything ever before experienced by humanity. This is not just a new religion with revised rituals and commandments. Rather, in Christ differences have been wiped away…there are no racial, religious, national, or social distinctions any longer. He sums everything up with these words, “Christ is all and in all!” What an amazing, gracious, and far-reaching vision! All things and all people belong to Christ, even those who have been caught up in the ways of the world. Even wandering children who have rejected the values in which they were raised. Right now our vision of the Christ is obscured…there’s a lot of nasty stuff going on…but the transition has only begun! But one day we’ll know Christ not only as the Alpha, but as the Omega point of all time. He is the beginning and the end. In the meantime it’s enough to be content with glimpses. The renewal has begun…the signs are all around us.

Thought for the Day: Where do I see signs of renewal?

Colossians 3:1-7

“So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” vs. 1

Sometimes followers of Jesus are reluctant to tell others that their lives need to change, that what they are doing is destructive to themselves and to others. Paul had no such difficulty as he dealt with his brothers and sisters in Christ. He wholeheartedly believed that those who have attached themselves to Christ have been raised to new life, not only in ages to come, but now, in the present. For Paul that meant speaking and acting in ways that were different from the ways of the world. He advised his readers to put death things like fornication, evil desire, greed, and impurity. He told them bluntly to change the way they were living. It’s hard to be that assertive…we don’t like to be judgmental, and we don’t want to be offensive. So we say nothing…hoping that people will think we are nice! But Paul is right! Those who are in Christ should look different…after all, those who observe us should be seeing Jesus in the flesh! It would be nice if that transformation just happened, that the new person would emerge automatically like a butterfly from a chrysalis. But that’s seldom the case. Most of the time the new birth is traumatic and painful…always discipline will be involved….and many of us will need the loving direction of our personal Paul.  What a blessing it is to hear the truth about who we are and what we need to change!

Thought for the Day: Who has been a “personal Paul” to me?

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 not impressed with those who flexed muscles and boasted about their riches. He considered them his persecutors and knew that they had accumulated their wealth at the expense of the lowly. In his eyes they were no better than fools…their position could not be sustained and one day they would end up in the grave like everyone else. All that they had would be taken away and in the hands of others. Times have not not changed. In fact, where once the rich were inclined to secrecy about their net worth, in our day the powerful flaunt their wealth and brag about their abundance. Some of them brand their possessions with their names, perhaps hoping in that way to achieve some degree of immortality. They’re like children in a playground vying for attention…often their methods are like those of petty bullies. And it’s all foolishness. Within a few short years they’ll be forgotten. The psalmist says that such persons are not to be envied. He points to fearless living, gladly embracing the benefits of creation while not seeking to possess them. It’s a tough balance, but those who have learned to live simply know what he means. The pleasures of life are fleeting for all people, rich and poor, but true joy comes only when we can escape the bondage of “stuff.”

Thought for the Day: How do possessions enslave us?

Ecclesiastes 1:18-22

“What do mortals get from all the toil and strain with which they toil under the sun? For all their days are full of pain, and their work is a vexation; even at night their minds do not rest. This also is vanity.” vss. 22-23

The Teacher, the writer of Ecclesiastes, composed his work over 2000 years ago and describes the human condition about as well as anyone. He speaks from his own experience and observation and his words so resonated with his readers that his little book was included in the “Writings” section of the Hebrew scriptures. He’s not a prophet or a law-giver, he just tells us how things are, and from his perspective life in this world is fraught with frustration and futility. For many people his words still ring true. They don’t like what they do during the day and at night they can’t sleep. Their work is bothersome and some continue in their jobs for the sake of insurance. Even when salaries are good and benefits generous people begin to wonder what the point of their labor is. Accumulation has become easy…we can pile up wealth easily…but sooner or later our bodies wear out and what we’ve worked so hard to gain will be lost. Jesus saw people living this way and said, “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” His offer still holds. In Christ we can find the serenity we crave…and life is good!

Thought for the Day: When does work become a vexation?

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

When we buy into the values of our culture and its prevalent definition of success, sooner or later we’re likely to be overwhelmed by a sense of futility. Like the Teacher in the book of Ecclesiastes our eyes will be opened and we’ll see that all is vanity and a chasing after wind. Many have spent their entire lives madly pursuing the American dream…an extravagant life-style, abundant possessions, prestige,  power…and they don’t even realize that it’s chimeral, a vision based on a faulty premise. It really is sad to see people when their bodies begin to fail and their energies are sapped, especially when all their treasure is tied to the material. No matter how much we’ve earned, no matter how fine our homes and cars, one day all will be taken away. How much better it is when eternal values like love, peace, and joy have dominated our lives and we’ve learned to harvest all the fruits of the Spirit. Those are the treasures that bring contentment in every season of life…they never wear out and always seem to increase in value. The good news is that it’s never too late to change; repentance will always bear fruit! We can live contentedly as God intends even when all the world holds dear is taken away. A solid spiritual foundation will never fail us.

Thought for the Day: What makes for a solid spiritual foundation?

Luke 11:4-13

“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” vs. 13

According to Luke Jesus says some important things about answered prayer to his disciples…evidently they had the same questions as many of us. As soon as we start talking about prayer the conversation often shifts to the problem of answers. Does God really answer prayer? Is it true that every prayer is answered by yes, no, or wait? Or more basically, does prayer ever really make a difference? Jesus indicates that every prayer request is answered, “So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.” He then adds that we won’t get everything we ask for because God is like a parent who only gives gifts to children that will be good for them. He then goes on to imply that the ultimate gift that God gives to those who pray is the Holy Spirit. There’s a profound truth here, one that it’s sometimes hard for us to get our heads around. Could Jesus be saying that the greatest benefit of prayer is the connection that is made between the Spirit of God and our own human spirit? If so, then it’s in the process of praying itself that the Holy Spirit comes, and our asking, searching, and knocking will be satisfied.  

Thought for the Day: What do I receive through prayer?

Luke 11:1-4

“He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.’” vs. 1

There is a poem by James Montgomery that has been set to music and can be found in many collections of hymns. The lyrics speak to the essence of prayer: “Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire, uttered or unexpressed, the motion of a hidden fire that trembles in the breast. Prayer is the burden of a sigh, the falling of a tear, the upward glancing of an eye when none but God is near.” Montgomery understood that prayer is a natural impulse for humans…we don’t have to think to do it. In the course of a lifetime a myriad of petitions flow unbidden from our hearts as our spirits reach out to the Spirit of God in search of intimacy and guidance. This happens for all people, believers and unbelievers. But as Jesus shows us, prayer is also an act of meditation, a regular time for reaching out to God…scripture implies that he prayed every day. And when his disciples asked for guidance he gave quite specific directions. Because Luke preserved his words we are privileged to offer his prayer on a regular basis…most of us know it by heart. And when we actually take time to savor the words we see revealed in them the core values of life in Christ. The Lord’s Prayer is an amazing gift…no matter which version we favor!

Thought for the Day: When am I most likely to pray?

Colossians 2:11-15

“when you were buried with him in baptism, you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.” vs. 12

People have argued for centuries about the proper mode of baptism, whether it should be by sprinkling, pouring or immersion. In general those practicing infant baptism have used sprinkling or pouring but even they have to admit that immersion symbolizes one of the important dimensions of baptism in a powerful way. From the beginning Christians have believed that believers are buried with Jesus in baptism…and immersion is the perfect way to represent that burial. And when those baptized are raised up out of the water they can’t help but think of resurrection. Of course we don’t have to be physically immersed to participate in Christ’s death and resurrection. The amount of water used in baptism is not related to its efficacy. Even those who were sprinkled as infants have been connected by grace to the cross and the empty tomb. Paul used this language to remind believers that in Christ they had been made new persons. The old sinful self had been put to death and a new holy self had been given new life. It’s that pattern of dying and rising that is such an important part of our experience as followers of Jesus. As Paul puts it, that old self has been nailed to the cross with Jesus…and we are raised to be his living presence in our homes and communities.

Thought for the Day: How can unbaptized persons participate in the death and resurrection?

Colossians 2:6-10

“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” vss. 6-7

Continuity in faith is one of our great challenges as the people of God. There are points in life where there is a flurry of excitement, perhaps a new class at our church or a weekend retreat. We might even adopt new spiritual disciplines along the way and find meaning in a new practice or ritual. Some even switch denominations and get fired up with new pastors and different worship styles. But to hang in there through thick and thin, managing the ups and downs, and do it for a lifetime, well, that can be a challenge! Paul advised the Colossians to focus on Christ Jesus as their Lord and to root their lives in him, just as they had been taught from day one. Granted, sometimes that’s not very exciting and some, particularly the young, might even call it boring, but our calling isn’t about being jazzed up by some new teaching every other day. Rather we have been called to love and serve in the name of Jesus and as, Paul indicates, to daily offer thanksgiving to God for the solid foundation that we have been given. The beautiful thing about all of this is that as the years pass we are built up and established in the faith, and it can never be snatched away.

Thought for the Day: How central is faith in my life?

Psalm 138:6-8

“The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.” vs. 8

Many people wonder, and some worry,  about God’s plan and purpose for their lives. The worriers are concerned about the possibility that they’re missing something important, that God wants them to do something bold and heroic while they’ve been doing the routine and boring. They want desperately to know that their lives have value and that their actions are significant. The psalmist doesn’t seem to have had those concerns. Instead he simply trusts that the Lord’s purpose would be fulfilled in him. His confidence is based on his conviction that God abounds with steadfast love that will endure forever. There’s great wisdom in what he says! Each of us have been fashioned by our Creator in magnificent ways…we are the work of God’s hands. In fact the spirit of God is the essence of our own spirits…it is the Christ who dwells in our hearts. As we daily offer our minutes and hours to God we can be confident that we will be used according to God’s purposes. Will we as individuals change the world with some awe-inspiring deed or invention? It’s not likely…but together with others we can fill the world with awesome love and goodness. The light of the Christ within will shine brightly and the gifts of the Spirit will abound. God’s will is being done…and it’s happening every day through us!

Thought for the Day: Why is it hard to be content with who we are?