Psalm 138:1-5

“On the day I called, you answered me, you increased my strength of soul.” vs. 3

This psalmist was a man of faith…he believed that there were many gods but he had made worship of the Lord a part of his daily life. Wherever he was he would take time to turn toward the Jerusalem temple and offer his prayers of thanksgiving and praise. And he felt the benefits! Many people can echo the psalmist’s testimony.  They too have made daily prayer and meditation a part of their daily life and they know that their discipline makes a difference. Just as physical exercise keeps muscles toned and buff our contemplative exercises strengthen our souls. The Christ within is exposed and shines brightly for all to see. The joy of spiritual union with God colors our every encounter and brings frequent smiles to our faces. Not everyone will use the same rituals…they’ll be unique to our personalities and experience…but whatever we do, blessings will abound. We’ll get guidance on the journey and answers to our deepest questions. And we’re not the only ones! All around the world in a variety of religions people are turning to the Lord for spiritual awakening and direction. And one day all people will sing in praise of the one God. That was the psalmist’s dream and it’s a fitting prayer for us as well. The God who brought all things into existence will bring all things to completion. We don’t know the timetable…but it’s going to happen!

Thought for the Day: What increases my strength of soul?

Genesis 18:20-32

“Far be it from you to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” vs. 25

Out of love for his nephew, Lot, Abraham bargains with the Lord about the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah. It’s an old story, a part of scripture that makes us smile as we hear Abraham’s not-so-subtle argument. His point is simple, the righteous people in Sodom don’t deserve to be punished with all the wicked folks. The Lord agrees and then it’s just a matter of finding the smallest number of righteous that are needed to spare the entire city. After some back and forth they agree on the number 10. The story seems to be based on a retributive notion of justice, that people should be punished in proportion to their crimes, e.g. an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth…and the righteous should not be condemned for the sins of the wicked. Many of us have empathy with that principle…it seems right to us. But God isn’t only just, God is also merciful…and that mercy ultimately provides the basis for what is known as restorative justice. Things are made right in our world, not when people are punished, but when they are forgiven and God restores in them a clean heart and a loving spirit. Retribution may provide satisfaction but restorative justice is what transforms the world.

Thought for the Day: Why is retribution so satisfying? 

Luke 10:41-42

“But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.’” vss. 41-42

It’s not unusual to be overwhelmed by distractions in our fast-paced world. Tasks and responsibilities related to work and leisure come at us from every direction every day. And always there’s that cultural emphasis on production and accomplishment hanging over it all. In the midst of that busyness we tend to measure the success of a day by what we’ve gotten done…some of us even have daily “to do” lists and feel like failures if we don’t check everything off. Mary doesn’t seem to have been bothered by such notions and was content to sit for hours just listening to Jesus. When Martha, who obviously was a doer, objected to her sister’s inaction, Jesus sided with Mary…in his words, she had chosen the better part. His words are important for us. We with our fixation on getting things done are far better off when we take time for sitting around and listening to the Christ who dwells in all that we see and hear. Those voices that come in our quiet times of contemplation or meditation are not to be ignored. These are words from the mouth of God and provide essential instruction for daily living. In those moments of reflection we’re not wasting time…we’re actually choosing the better part, and what we learn can never be taken from us!

Thought for the Day: What do I need to get done today?

Luke 10:38-40

“But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.’” vs. 40

We all know the feeling! Martha had a million things to do in providing hospitality for her guests, and her sister wasn’t doing a thing to help. While Martha hustled about, likely preparing the food for an evening meal, Mary just sat and listened to Jesus talk. So Martha was fuming…and she wasn’t only angry at Mary, she had a bone to pick with Jesus too. In her eyes a grave injustice was taking place right in front of Jesus, and he hadn’t lifted a finger to make things right. Oh how quick we are to spot those little inequities…it starts in our childhood when a sibling gets more ice cream or we get stuck with more onerous chores…and it doesn’t stop there. Some of us have perpetual chips on our shoulders and we never miss a chance to complain when we think we’ve been treated unjustly, even in the most mundane affairs. Silly as it may seem those kinds of grievances have been hugely damaging in our congregations. What should have been a minor misunderstanding can turn nasty in a heartbeat and can even result in a long-lasting feud between brothers and sisters in Christ. It’s a moment pastors dread, especially when, like Jesus, they’re called to be referees. There’s plenty of real injustice in our world…it’s heartbreaking to get bogged down in pettiness…even when we think we’re right!

Thought for the Day: How have I been affected by petty feuds in a church?

Colossians 1:21-23

And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him—” vss. 21-22

The Church has done a good job of proclaiming the death of Jesus as the means of our reconciliation to God. We’ve heard that story year after year in our worship…it’s the core message of the Lenten Season. Jesus died on the cross so that all might live, and we’ve understood that as a once-for-all event. What we haven’t always understood is that the Christ, who is in us from the beginning, continues to suffer, die, and rise again in our lives. Sin is the culprit, and when its forces assail us, the Christ within suffers and sometimes dies. We see that regularly in our lives and the lives of others. Sometimes it’s as though the light of goodness has gone out in our hearts. Some people spend their entire lifetimes in selfish maneuvering and chasing the desires of the flesh. But because the Christ never leaves us there is always the hope of resurrection! All of us have had that experience; we know all about the ebb and flow of life, the dying and rising that is connected to the Christ within. Sometimes, indeed many times, it happens on a daily basis. It’s a familiar ongoing cycle for those who live by faith. Sin continues to plague us, but in Christ there is resurrection, and we can be the light of the world.

Thought for the Day: What are the signs of Christ’s death in me?

Colossians 1:15-20

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created…all things have been created through him and for him.” vss. 15-16a, c

These words from Colossians remind us of the prologue to the gospel of John. They paint a picture of the Christ that challenges our imagination in its breadth and mystery. Here we are reminded that in the beginning the fullness of God was poured into creation through the Christ, the one who later took on human form in Jesus of Nazareth. That means that all things material and spiritual contain the very presence of God. There is nowhere where God is not! For some that may be a scary thought, but for most it will bring great comfort. Think of it! We are never alone…the ever-loving God in whose image we are created continues to sustain and support our every breath and heartbeat. And more than that, every bird and butterfly, every maple and pine, every drop of rain and flake of snow is a sign of God’s presence. As we begin to take such knowledge to heart life itself becomes an exercise in holiness where every word and act has sacramental implications. To live with such a sacred consciousness brings amazing depth to our days and a new appreciation for every single moment. And best of all, when our eyes are opened to God’s presence in all things, boredom is replaced by excitement and our spirits sing for joy.

Thought for the Day: How do I deal with boredom?

Psalm 15:1-2

“O Lord, who may abide in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy hill? Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right, and speak the truth from their heart…” vss. 1,2

For better or for worse people have high expectations of those who claim to be in a loving relationship with God and who take time each week for worship. Even non-churchgoers sense that such folks should be living exemplary lives and doing what is right. In other words, walking blamelessly is just part of the job description for those who call themselves “Christian.” Of course anyone who has hung around a church for any length of time will know that this isn’t how it works. “Christians” are capable of every kind of nastiness and evil that can be found in the general population…being a believer doesn’t make a person sinless. As a result some would say that people just need to lower their expectations for Christians…and that could be true. But at the same time, is that what we really want? Shouldn’t we who walk in the way of Jesus hold ourselves to the highest standards? The psalmist certainly believed that was true for the people of Israel. Why should it be any different for those who are baptized into Christ? Some might argue that our salvation is by grace and not by works…and again that’s the truth. But why should believing in grace keep us from living lives that are beyond reproach? We should be different! That’s what it means to be the light of the world!

Thought for the Day: How have my faith convictions changed my life?

Genesis 18:6-10a

“Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree while they ate.” vs. 8

The stories of Abraham that were retained in Israel’s family history were passed through many generations before they began to be written down and preserved. Our faith ancestors were particularly interested in showing the special connection that Abraham had with the Lord. This particular story recounts an appearance of the Lord at the oaks of Mamre near Hebron. Three men show up out of nowhere and Abraham lavishes attention on them by offering first class hospitality. It’s a fascinating story, one that implies that God can take on human form. In a way it’s almost a foreshadowing of what happened in Jesus. At first we’re tempted to discard such notions of divinity…they seem so very primitive. But if God is truly present in all aspects of creation why can’t God get personal with us by assuming human shape? Perhaps God does come to us in the guise of strangers with news that can transform our lives. If so, it’s not a bad idea to practice hospitality even when it seems inconvenient. It’s hard to get our heads around such a notion in this age of “stranger danger,” but Abraham and our other faith ancestors had no such difficulty. They didn’t want to miss a message from God…and neither should we!

Thought for the Day: When have I offered hospitality to strangers?

Genesis 18:1-5

“The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. He looked up and saw three men standing near him.” vss. 1-2a

When Andrei Rublev, a Russian monk, painted the Holy Trinity in the earth 15th century, he probably had no idea that it would become the most prized example of Russian iconography. His intention likely had been to preserve the moment described in Genesis when the Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre. Today the painting’s symbolism opens the way to delightful conversation about the nature of God and the connections between the members of the Trinity. What we fail to grasp in the complexities of Greek philosophy we can sometimes see in the colors and imagery of Rublev’s depiction. The three figures, Creator, Christ, and Spirit, sit around the table in perfect symmetry and remind us that God always comes to us as a Threesome. We can’t know what the writer of Genesis intended by picturing the Lord as three, but we can’t deny that the images triggered by the words have revealed the depth of divinity in a powerful way. We can’t begin to know God, but we can catch glimpses, and Rublev’s masterpiece has opened our minds to delightful ponderings and occasional profound insights. In God there is peace and perfect harmony…and at the Table there’s always room for us! As long as we live, we’re always part of a foursome!

Thought for the Day: When am I most likely to catch glimpses of God?

Luke 10:29-37

“But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity.” vs. 33

There are a lot of reasons for not getting involved when we encounter people in need…and none of them are acceptable when we claim to be followers of Jesus. His parable about the Samaritan who went the second mile in tending for the victim of violence needs virtually no explanation. It’s obvious who is demonstrating love of God and neighbor…and it’s not the religious folks. It’s a story that is particularly relevant as we deal with the humanitarian crisis on our southern border. There’s been a ton of finger-pointing as politicians and officials have tried to deal with the flood of refugees at border crossings. National figures from the right and the left have gone to the camps for televised visits and speeches. Many are simply trying to score political points with their constituents. In the meantime, desperate families are suffering…parents have been separated from their children, shelters are being overwhelmed. Some blame the victims…they should have never left their homes. Others blame the system…there is no comprehensive strategy. Many humanitarian groups are there too, some of them followers of Jesus. They’ve come not to score political points, but simply to help wounded, hurting people. They offer medicine, food, clothing, shelter…it’s what Good Samaritans do…it’s what anyone does who truly loves their neighbor. 

Thought for the Day: What keeps people from being Good Samaritans?