1 Corinthians 1:10-16

“For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters.” vs. 11

Paul evidently knew Chloe from the time when he had lived in Corinth. Now he’s been in contact with some of her associates, and he’s been informed of the quarrels that have caused divisions in the congregation he started there. We can still hear the disappointment in his words. He had proclaimed the good news of Jesus and invited people to become disciples. In his mind it was so simple. These people would from that time forward live as the presence of Christ in their city. They would announce the forgiveness of sins and welcome sinners to their koinonia. Within that community there would be healing and restoration and members would be known for the love they had for one another. His vision was not complicated! What actually happened was breaking his heart! Divisions had erupted in the fellowship! People had lost sight of Jesus and had attached themselves to one or another of the preachers who had been passing through. It was a scene that has continued to plague the Church of Christ. Most of us have experienced division in our congregations, and it always sabotages our basic mission and ministry. We have  complicated the simplicity of the gospel with our doctrines and traditions and embraced denominationalism. Thank God for leaders like Paul who call us back to Jesus and point out the foolishness of our bickering and party-spirit.

Thought for the Day: What causes church divisions?

Psalm 27:6-9

“Do not hide your face from me. Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help. Do not cast me off, do not forsake me, O God of my salvation!” vs. 9

The psalmist had been basking in the glorious goodness of the Lord and celebrating the wonderful feeling of peace and security. But now another feeling has crept into his prayer. For some reason he’s pleading with the Lord not to be angry with him or forsake him. We wonder if something has happened–if maybe he’s done something wrong. Something has dashed his confidence. We shouldn’t be surprised though, the same thing happens to us. Even though we know that God’s love is unconditional we have a deep fear that we’re going to mess up the relationship and the Lord will turn from us. As humans we’re just plain skeptical about love’s unconditional dimension. We know that, even when we say that we love someone unconditionally, there are still conditions. If we mess up the relationship that person who has declared love for us, and even vowed it before God, is going to say, “Nope, I’ve had enough. I don’t love you anymore. We’re done. The relationship is over.” In our world, things that are unconditional always have conditions. That’s just how it is. But that’s not how it is with God. There is nothing we can say or do that can make God stop loving us! And that has to be the best news ever!

Thought for the Day: What conditions are attached to my unconditional love?

Psalm 27:1, 4-5

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” vs. 1

The psalmist was feeling it! He wasn’t putting his trust in any king or president, he was trusting the Lord alone! In the Lord there was light and salvation, in the Lord there was security and hope! He was talking about what the apostle Paul called “being in Christ.” It’s the confidence that comes with knowing that we are in the Divine Presence and that peace and joy can be ours. And even more importantly, it’s knowing that there is nothing that can snatch that security away from us. God has come to us and we have been wrapped in a blanket of love–nothing can separate us from that love, not even death. Do all of us have that feeling all the time? Of course not. It ebbs and flows in the ever-moving stream of daily living. Sometimes God seems so close–but not every day. There are moments when we feel lost and abandoned–we may even wonder if there really is a God. But it’s a feeling that can grow! When we learn to lose ourselves daily in meditation and prayer, there’s a constancy that comes to us. Some report that the sense of God’s presence is always with them–and that it grows in intensity with each passing year. That’s good news! It may even be that, like the psalmist, we too will “feel it” every day.

Thought for the Day: What does it feel like to “feel it”?

Isaiah 9:1-4

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness— on them light has shined.” vs. 2

Light and darkness are familiar metaphors in scripture! In this instance Isaiah is using them to describe the hope that has filled the hearts of the people of Judah with the coronation of a new king. Darkness, in the form of the Assyrian armies had slowly engulfed the land of Israel, but now there was hope. The new king would be light even to the conquered northern tribes. Of course the promise of a new king is fleeting–generally it isn’t long before hopes are dashed and the light begins to fade. Darkness is a pernicious and persistent enemy and it’s ready to close in at any moment. We know that well–most of us have experienced the gloom of unrealized dreams and the feeling of despair. And then there are the times when deep darkness overshadows our hearts and minds. Even the light that is ours as the children of God can flicker and fade. These are the moments for which Christ came into the world and as we turn our faces toward his holy presence we find the enlightenment for which we yearn and hope can be restored. In him light shines eternally and in him we can find our purpose and our destiny. And on our last day, when it seems like darkness has been the victor, the shroud will be lifted, and we will be welcomed into the Light, our beginning and our end.

Thought for the Day: The darkest day of my life.

John 1:37-42

“He said to them, ‘Come and see.’ They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon.” vs. 39

The two men wanted to know where Jesus was staying and he gives them a simple invitation, “Come and see.” And so they did. They came and saw and stayed for an afternoon of conversation, and it changed the trajectory of their lives. They became convinced that Jesus was the messiah. Somewhere in the course of our days many of us have had the same experience. We’ve taken steps toward Jesus, stayed with him long enough to know what he was about, and seen him from that point on as the incarnation of the Christ, the Light of God. It really is an extraordinary, life-changing experience, one that gives our lives a focus and a purpose. In Jesus we discover all that we need to know about God and about life in this world. In him we find steadfast love and our compass for daily living. In him our own Christ-light begins to shine and people see our good works and give glory to God. It seems incredible that such momentous changes can have such small beginnings, yet that’s how it was for Andrew, and so it has been for every believer since. “Come and see,” our Savior says, and once we do our lives are transformed and the darkness is illuminated.

Thought for the Day: What’s my “come and see” story?

John 1:29-36

“The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” vs. 29

In John’s gospel John the Baptist was the first witness and was sent to bear testimony to the Word who had become flesh in Jesus. Accordingly, when he saw Jesus in the neighborhood after his baptism, he declared him to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. That seems a strange designation for the one who the gospel writer later calls the good shepherd, but it’s been a precious metaphor for believers, one that has had a prominent place in worship for centuries. In the Jewish sacrificial system, the lamb, symbolizing innocence and purity, was the most common sacrifice and the shedding of its blood was early on linked to the forgiveness of sin. It’s no surprise then that the early Christians, looking to make sense of Jesus’ innocent suffering and death, began using the language of sacrifice to describe what had happened. During Jesus’ ministry he had regularly forgiven the sins of the broken as he encountered them on the journey. What had happened for individuals during his lifetime was now extended to the whole world through his death. Jesus was the Lamb of God and his death was inextricably linked to forgiveness and became part of the core gospel message. It’s important to make one distinction though! Our sins are forgiven not because Jesus died, but because he loved us so completely!

Thought for the Day: For whom would I give my life?

1 Corinthians 1:6-9

“God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” vs. 9

When we think about the Church it has become second nature to think of it in terms of denomination–we tend to identify as Baptists, Roman Catholics, Lutherans, etc., or maybe generically as Evangelicals. Paul wouldn’t have known what we were talking about! In those days there was no common organizational structure. There was no fixed hierarchy; there wasn’t even a common creed or theology. The New Testament hadn’t been thought of–the only scriptures were the Law and the Prophets. For Paul the Church in its infancy was a fellowship (the Greek word is koinonia), in which believers experienced an intimate connection with Jesus Christ and with one another. There was a strong emphasis on generous sharing and members relied only on the Spirit of God and their mutual love for guidance in daily living. There’s an appeal to that vision of the Church, and many wish that we could be done with the constant doctrinal bickering and contentious divisions. They long for the simplicity of koinonia and a Jesus-centered life together. And it could be that some day, when the absurdity of denominationalism causes its demise, there will be a return to a Jesus-centered faith with no boundaries or distinctions. What a blessing it would be to simply celebrate our unity in Christ and not be torn apart by our differences! For many it would be a dream come true!

Thought for the Day: Where have I experienced Christ-centered koinonia?

1 Corinthians 1:1-5

“I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him…” vs. 4

Paul stayed in Corinth for about a year and a half on his second missionary journey and was likely quite familiar with those who were a part of the little congregation that he started there. When he gets word that things are not going particularly well he sends a letter to address what had become a divisive situation. He isn’t angry with them, and lets them know in his greeting that he holds them in high esteem. Even though they have lots of questions and some behaviors have been troublesome, the presence of Christ is obvious among them–they have been enriched in every way. It’s likely that our communities of faith are the same. We who have been called to be saints and have been gathered into congregations are the body of Christ in the place where we live. Sometimes we get off track, many times we have questions, and occasionally we behave poorly, but we are still people of faith, saved by the grace of God. As we look around at our worship gatherings we see folks with remarkable gifts, people in whom the Spirit of Christ can be seen clearly. Not only are we a blessing to our communities, we are God’s gift to one another. Thanks be to God for the amazing brothers and sisters in our congregations!

Thought for the Day: What gifts are most evident in my congregation?

Psalm 40:6-11

“I have not hidden your saving help within my heart, I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation.” vs. 10

The psalmist was writing to give thanks to God for blessings received–he’d had some problems but was now doing well. His words reveal his appreciation and also indicate that he had been faithful in sharing the good news with others. And just in case the Lord hadn’t noticed, he is careful to mention the wonderful things that he had done. As we read between the lines we can’t help but wonder about his purpose–it almost seems as though he’s providing the list to insure continued blessings. If so, it wouldn’t be surprising. We too have the sense that our good deeds should provide some insurance against future calamity. And if there’s a hint that things are starting to “go south” in our lives, we’re quick to remind God that we deserve better. Of course that’s not how life works–we can do all sorts of commendable things and then get hit by horrendous disaster–good works do not guarantee good health or good luck. But that doesn’t mean that God has abandoned us–God’s steadfast love continues in every circumstance. And when tough times come our way we can be confident that our prayers will be heard and one day joy will be restored. That’s just how it is with our loving God!

Thought for the Day: How have my good deeds been rewarded?

Psalm 40:1-5

“He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.” vs. 3

Sometimes we underestimate the impact of our testimony in the lives of others. We imagine that our influence is minimal and that people are unaffected by what we say about faith and our relationship to God. Actually, nothing could be further from the truth! The psalmist had experienced blessings in his God connection. Life had hit a rough spot but he had continued to trust and God had lifted him up. In response he couldn’t help but tell his story and give praise to God. And he has confidence that through seeing what had happened to him many others would in turn learn to trust in the Lord. That’s why it’s so important to offer times for personal testimony in our faith communities. Over and over we’ve all seen how powerful those stories can be–sometimes they have much more impact than even a well-crafted sermon. This isn’t just a matter of reciting bible verses and repeating a few theological maxims. Instead, what we hear in those testimonies is the unvarnished interaction of the Spirit of God and our own human hearts. Initially it takes some courage to open our mouths–we expose ourselves to the critique of listeners. But in our willingness to be vulnerable, others are moved, and their faith is nourished and strengthened–and before long they’ll be singing the same song.

Thought for the Day: What is my testimony and with whom have I shared it?