Deuteronomy 30:9-14

“No, the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe.” vs. 14

The people of Israel were told by Moses that there was a correlation between their prosperity and their obedience to the law. What’s amazing about his instruction is that he believed that the word of the law had been written in their mouths and hearts. They didn’t need to go to some external law code…they didn’t even need the Ten Commandments. Everything they needed for a God-pleasing life was already present…it had been planted in them by the Spirit of God in creation! This isn’t an invitation for us to simply follow our passions and desires as we live…nor is it a matter of doing as we please in every situation. What Moses had in mind was far deeper than that. We have come to know that Word which clings so closely and that dwells in our inner being as nothing other than the presence of the Christ, the Divine Presence that inhabits the hearts of every creature and that found full expression in the person of Jesus. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, that Word is often obscured and hidden. We lose touch with our inner goodness and get caught up in the cares of the world. But then one day the Spirit blows anew, forgiveness overpowers sin, and we’re set free to let our light shine…and the love of God abounds for all to see!

Thought for the Day: How do I get in touch with the internal Word?

Luke 10:16-20

“The seventy returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!’ He said to them, ‘I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning.’” vss. 17-18

The mission was a success! The seventy were not rejected. They’d been welcomed and the forces of darkness had been defeated. It was a good day for Jesus and those sent out to heal and proclaim the coming kingdom. We could even say that it was a harbinger of things to come for the community of Christ. Of course there’s opposition. There will be days of suffering and loss. We know that part of the story very well…but we can’t forget that there are also days of triumph and joy. The fruits of our labor will be apparent and the harvest plentiful. The good news will be heard! When we open our eyes we actually see those signs of victory all around. In every community the faithful gather for worship and praise. Goodness is being done. Strangers are being welcomed and the poor are being cared for. The sick are being cured and demons cast out. People are experiencing the presence of the kingdom. Marvelous things are being done in the name of Jesus…and it’s happening all over the globe! Of course there’s more work to be done. Every day headlines scream about the inequities and the turmoil of our world…the enemies of goodness are everywhere present. But that’s not the whole story. Ultimately Christ will triumph…signs of victory are all around…and every day is an occasion for joy!

Thought for the Day: For what am I joyful today?

Luke 10:1-11

“Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’” vss. 8-9

It didn’t take long for Jesus to realize that the work of proclaiming the kingdom was too much for one person…he needed an army of disciples to meet the needs of the needy and the broken. He started with seventy, sending them out two by two with careful instructions on a very specific mission. What began with that small number thousands of years ago has turned into a multitude. Today Jesus has billions of disciples, all called and sent to proclaim the presence of God’s kingdom in a world yearning for goodness and joy. But even more than that, we who have been marked with the cross and sent are the actual presence of Christ. In us the Spirit of Jesus lives and breathes. In us his work continues to be done. We carry his healing touch and through us countless hurting people are lifted up and given hope. Our mission fields vary considerably: for some it’s family, for others a workplace or school, still others might be serving in a faith community or a neighborhood. But whatever our credentials or degrees, whatever occupation we might claim, our central purpose in life is as a part of the Risen Christ. We are his hands and his feet and through us his work is being done and the kingdom comes. Through us the world is loved!

Thought for the Day: What work is Jesus doing through me today?

Galatians 6:11-18

“For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything!” vs. 15

Paul had gotten caught up in the circumcision controversy and there’s no doubt where his convictions lie. He was adamant! Those who wished to become followers of Jesus did not first need to be circumcised and those who insisted otherwise should go the whole way and castrate themselves. He wasn’t one to mince his words! But Paul is mostly irritated about having to argue about this at all. In his mind such controversies were a sideshow and drew people away from the incredible truth of the gospel. He believed that in Christ there had been a new creation…and that’s all that counted. We who love to show off our theological knowledge and who parse doctrine with such precision should learn something from this. Being right in a theological debate is an exercise in futility…there is no right or wrong in Christ. All that counts is having Christ within and living within Christ. If we don’t quite understand what that means, that’s fine…we can spend the rest of our lives figuring it out. What matters is that in Christ the Light of a new creation has dawned, and as we live in the Spirit of Christ that Light will shine in our lives and the whole world will be blessed. In that context our religious and denominational boundaries are breached and we become the One Body that Jesus imagined!

Thought for the Day: Why are religious differences such a focus in our lives?

Galatians 6:7-10

“If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit.” vs. 8

Most world religions subscribe to a principle similar to that laid out by Paul in his letter to the Galatians. Human beings reap whatever they sow! Whether as nations or as individuals, there are always consequences for actions. Paul believed that it was a matter of focus. What do we pay more attention to? What do we feed first, flesh or Spirit? Most of us seem to focus first on the flesh…from an early age we concentrate on accumulation, wealth, and the gratification of fleshly desires. It’s what we learn from parents and peers and from the values of our country. As one presidential candidate famously said, “It’s the economy, stupid!” The implication is plain: if the GNP is going up, all is well! Naturally we enjoy material prosperity…all people do. But if that’s the focus of our lives there will be consequences…sowing to the flesh always reaps corruption. Paul tells us that sowing to the Spirit is the way of wisdom and the route to eternal life. Nationally that means paying attention to the commonweal and values like generosity and kindness. Individually it means tending to our inner selves, that place deep in our hearts where love, joy, and peace take root and grow. Paul is right: what we sow is what we reap!

Thought for the Day: What values drive our nation?

Psalm 66:6-9

“Bless our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard, who has kept us among the living, and has not let our feet slip.” vss. 8-9

Life at its best can be precarious; we never know when our footing will be lost and our dreams dashed. Even when we live prudentially and carefully we can’t control everything; the unexpected is always close at hand. Natural disasters, accidents, shootings, dread diseases…all lurk waiting to strike. Because we know this to be true, each new day of living becomes even more precious. Often, because of the press of schedules and our daily demands, we forget how remarkable it is to be alive in whatever time and place we are at. Prayers of thanksgiving slip out of mind and we take the gift of pure existence for granted. The psalmist reminded the peoples how blessed they were and called them back to the praise of God. What he has in mind is a morning offering of thanksgiving for the joy of another day. It may very well be that a day of calamity will come…no nation or person has immunity…but that’s no reason for perpetual dread or existential angst. The gift of life has been breathed into us by the Spirit of God…let us rejoice and give thanks for as long as that breath remains. It really is the one priceless gift…its value cannot be matched!

Thought for the Day: What was my morning offering today?

Psalm 66:1-5

“Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise.” vs. 1-2

The psalmist was calling together a praise choir, one that could make a joyful noise to God and properly glorify God’s name. And he wasn’t just calling on human voices! He believed that all the noise of the earth could be construed as a praise song to God. When we can begin to think in such expansive ways our whole perception of the world around us changes. Every day our ears overhear countless sounds of varying origins and intensities…it’s like a constant symphony with a myriad of instruments…and together all those vibrations produce a continual hymn of praise to the Creator. We really do live in a spectacular universe…and the more we awaken our ears to listen, the more appreciative we become. The contented purring of a cat, the rush of water in a fountain, the sound of a storm in the distance, the whir of a fan in a quiet room…all those voices join ours in singing to the Lord a new song. Of course most of the time we get so absorbed in our daily tasks that our ears are dulled and we miss the music. But what joy is ours in those moments, when like the psalmist we actually add our own voices to the mix. We don’t need to worry about being in tune…even our off notes are a part of the harmony of praise. And God especially loves joyful noises!

Thought for the Day: What’s my favorite sound in nature?

Isaiah 66:10-14

“Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice with her in joy, all you who mourn over her—that you may nurse and be satisfied from her consoling breast; that you may drink deeply with delight from her glorious bosom.” vss. 10-11

Even the prophet knew that patriarchal language was not sufficient in describing the bounty of the Lord’s goodness. He’d seen children drinking from their mothers’ breasts with delight and enthusiasm…and he knew that this was the best possible way to describe the consoling and nurturing love of God. For centuries such images of God were considered inappropriate, a threat to God’s supposedly masculine being. Of course we know better than that…God is neither male nor female…but we still tend to use patriarchal terms in our worship and prayer. It’s such a blessing when we can break loose from those old stereotypes and use the language of motherhood to describe our relationship to the Lord. Perhaps we can even imagine ourselves finding comfort in nursing from God’s glorious bosom. Such images seem to resonate with the needs of our souls…why else would Mother’s Day rival Easter in most of our congregations? God is our Mother in heaven, one who calms our frightened hearts with deep embraces of tender, forgiving love. God is also Mother earth, daily bringing forth life and sustaining every living creature. Oh how rich our worship can become when we begin to use feminine language in our prayers and songs!

Thought for the Day: How is a mother’s love different?

Luke 9:57-62

“Jesus said to him, ‘No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’” vs. 62

Sometimes the things that Jesus told his disciples are clear and concise and we have no difficulty understanding what he had in mind. But not always! His comments to prospective followers in these verses fall into more of a cryptic category. People are interested in joining his movement but he’s anything but welcoming. In fact he seems downright discouraging. As we look deeper however we do sense a common theme…he doesn’t want anyone to become his follower unless they cut their ties with the past. He sums up his advice with an observation that comes right from the farm. No one can plow a straight furrow while looking backwards at where they’ve been. Every good farmer knows that! Likewise, no one can know the fullness of kingdom living if their focus is yesterday and not tomorrow. We’ll never be able to change the past…for better or for worse, it’s already been lived. The photographic evidence is complete and stored away. But the future is a different matter. Our scripts can be rewritten…whole new exciting chapters can be added. In Christ the possibilities are endless and the blessings are new with each dawning day. There’s no more going in circles, no more hopeless repetitions of past mistakes. And tomorrow will always be a better day!

Thought for the Day: Why do we like to live in the past?

Luke 9:51-56

“When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, ‘Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?’” vs. 54

James and John had been with Jesus from the beginning. They’d seen him preach, teach, and heal the sick…they likely were confident that he was the messiah, the one sent by God for the sake of Israel. But they still hadn’t grasped the inclusive nature of his mercy and love. In their eyes, anyone who didn’t receive him was deserving of death. And they believed that as disciples they’d been called to be his enforcers. It seems they were eager to see the Samaritans burn. In the long history of Christianity there have been numerous occasions when so-called disciples have eagerly adopted that role. In countless crusades and pogroms through the years thousands of people have been put to death by soldiers of the cross. Such behaviors have left an indelible stain on the reputation of the church, one that has been virtually impossible to eradicate. And the temptation hasn’t gone away! We continue to practice exclusion in our efforts to be faithful. We write off unbelievers and imagine that God does the same. And Jesus keeps on rebuking us and calling us back to the core of the gospel. God’s mercy is inexhaustible and extends far beyond our contrived and artificial boundaries. When our message of love is refused we don’t stop our loving. It’s in loving the unlovable that we discover the essence of loving!

Thought for the Day: Why are some Christians so eager to condemn?