Acts 9:1-3

“Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.” vvv. 1-2

Saul loved the traditions, laws, and history of his people. He proudly claimed membership in  the tribe of Benjamin and had studied at the feet of the most learned rabbis…and he detested those Jews who had become followers of Jesus. In our time we are well acquainted with the murderous zealotry that stems from misguided religious convictions. We hear regularly about suicide bombings, mass shootings, attempted genocides, and horrendous repression of the weak and vulnerable. Most often the perpetrators will claim allegiance to a higher power but in reality their actions come from a belief that cherished values are being challenged and eroded. Operating from a position of fear coupled with a desire to return to the past, they use violence to intimidate and destroy opposition. Ultimately such gross irreligion is an affront to the Lord of the Universe who desires all people to walk in the way of love and inclusion. Ultimately Saul embraced the Jesus who he had rejected and proclaimed him as the Christ. The one who had been a persecutor of Christians became the architect of a new community of faith that he called the Body of Christ. It’s simply amazing how the Spirit works!

Thought for the Day: When will religious violence finally come to an end?

John 20:26-31

“But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.” vs. 31

John leaves no doubt about his intentions in writing his gospel. He wanted to convince people that Jesus of Nazareth was in fact the Messiah (in Greek, the Christ) who had been present in creation and who was the Light of the world. In order to hammer that point home, he crafts the stories and dialog of his gospel to leave no doubt that Jesus is the Christ. Again and again, the Jesus of John uses the phrase “I am” to describe who he is, e.g. I am the Good Shepherd, I am the Bread of Life, I am the Resurrection and the Life… Readers would readily make the connection with the great “I Am” story in Exodus 3. This Jesus was no mere mortal; he was one with the Father, and he was the Way and the Truth and the Life. This glimpse of Jesus as Christ provided by John has proved invaluable to the church through the centuries. It’s a resounding reminder that the historical Jesus was more than another itinerant Jewish rabbi with some healing abilities. In Jesus we meet the Universal Christ, the same Christ who directs our lives and who guides us into lives of service and love. He is the Lodestar for every true believer!

Thought for the Day: In what way is Jesus my model for living?

John 20:19-25

“After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.” vs. 20

According to the gospels the resurrected Jesus had changed. He could bilocate, appear, disappear…the disciples never knew when he would show up.  In John’s account they didn’t know who he was until they had seen his hands and his side. The marks of his suffering were the proof of his living presence and kindled joy in their hearts. That’s a pattern that we see repeated again and again in the community of Christ. Closeness eludes us until we see the marks of suffering. When we hide our pain and disguise our wounds we remain disconnected from one another. But when the hurts ooze forth from our souls and our scars are finally revealed we recognize the indwelling Christ in the other and find joy in our unity. Until that happens we remains strangers on the journey, unable to bond beyond the superficial and mundane. But with the revealing of wounds comes the breath of the Spirit and we are drawn together in mutual love and forgiveness. As wounded believers we are then able to go into our broken world with a reconciling message that has the ring of authenticity for those who see and hear it. In our weakness we show our strength and Christ is made known.

Thought for the Day: How has my suffering shaped my witness?

Revelation 1:7-8

“‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” vs. 8

John was writing to Christians struggling to maintain their identity in turbulent times. Believers had come together in congregations for loving and serving and many had suffered at the hands of the Empire. Some had been killed and were remembered as martyrs. Others were wondering about the future…would there be an end to the oppression, or would their newly formed communities be wiped out. John gives them assurance. The Lord God was greater than any emperor. The Lord God was the beginning and the end. In the Almighty all that exists had come into being and had been sustaining by the indwelling Christ revealed fully in Jesus. Suffering and death was not the end for him, and it wouldn’t be for them. At the Omega point all that exists would come together, and no one would miss out, not even those who had killed Jesus. What an incredible vision of the future! And what a source of hope for us who are losing patience with the struggles of humanity. There is so much ugliness…but there is even more goodness, and one day the forces of good will triumph. All things will come together in God, the One who was and is and ever will be.

Thought for the Day: What does the Omega point represent?

Revelations 1:4-6

“To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” 5b-6

John begins his mysterious apocalypse with a dedication that glorifies the Risen Christ. In his estimation, not only had the faithful been loved and forgiven through Jesus Christ, they had been made into a kingdom of priests. No longer would there need to be a class of religious leaders charged with maintaining the sacrificial system who would mediate with God on behalf of the people. From now on every believer could have direct access…which in reality was the way it had always been. We don’t have to go to someone else to put in a word with the Lord or offer a sacrifice. The artificial barrier has been broken down…the curtain of the temple has been torn in two. There are some who might find that to be a troubling notion. They would prefer that God be at a distance and not immediately accessible. But that’s not the way it is. The One who was, is, and always will be doesn’t reside in some heavenly palace beyond the clouds. The Divine Presence who was there at the Big Bang is with us and in us every moment of every day. Our priestly prayers and service ensure constant contact and the loving and forgiving will never end.

Thought for the Day: What do priests do?

Psalm 118:21-32

“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” vs. 24

An increasing number of people are uncomfortable using religious language in their daily lives, some because they don’t believe in God and others because they have abandoned religion in favor of what they call spirituality. As a result they are limited in their ability to express wonder at the sheer gift of life. Presumably even atheists and agnostics appreciate being alive in such a spectacular and beautiful universe. Even if they ascribe its existence to sheer chance and deny any transcendent power, being alive is a pretty awesome experience. And none of us earned the life we have…everything we see, smell, hear, touch, or feel is a gift. So who or what does an unbeliever or a skeptic thank for so great a gift? Or isn’t thanksgiving necessary? The psalmist wasn’t troubled by such questions…and he had no doubts about who he should thank! His words have been used by millions through the centuries as the very best way to greet the morning. “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” It’s possible to plod along through life whining and complaining, and showing no appreciation for blessings, but what a shallow and ungrateful way to live! Even birds start the day with songs of joy…surely humans can do the same. It might even change the way we live!

Thought for the Day: What is my morning prayer?

Psalm 118:14-20

“Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord.” vs. 19

The psalmist had been through some tough days but he knew for certain that the Lord was his salvation. With confidence and boldness he now asks that the gates of righteousness would be opened to him. No longer wracked by guilt or self-doubt he knows that he is one of the righteous…he has direct access to the Lord. While the psalmist’s metaphors may seem strange they do speak to us of an important truth. Because the Lord is our salvation there’s no reason for us to demean ourselves with negative self-talk or pointless recriminations. There’s no need for any of us to grovel before God and revel in our sinfulness. To use an old image, we are the redeemed! We are choice creations of the Lord, the apple of God’s eye, and we need to learn to act like it. Of course we will disappoint ourselves and others with thoughtless and selfish deeds and words, but that’s not the last word about who we are. What a blessing it is when, like the psalmist, we can approach God with confidence knowing that we are both loved and forgiven. We children of God are beautiful!  What a difference it makes to know that in our hearts! We can hold our heads high, put smiles on our faces, and smother the world with love! Such is our calling and our purpose!

Thought for the Day: How do I present myself to the world? As a slumping sinner or a proud saint?

Acts 5:29-32

“But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than any human authority.’” vs. 29

Peter and the apostles didn’t hesitate when they were challenged by the high priest and told to stop ministering to the sick and teaching in the temple. They had a higher calling…their allegiance was to Jesus and not to any temporal or religious authorities. Through the centuries the faithful have continued to model that commitment whenever the laws or teachings of the world have come into conflict with the principles of the kingdom of God. Many became martyrs…others were ostracized…always they have demonstrated that they are not the puppets of any political leaders. In our day we’ve seen such servants of God engage in protests, break unjust laws, and regularly participate in acts of civil disobedience. It’s what followers of Jesus do. They won’t put up with corrupt, immoral, or unethical leaders. They won’t turn a blind eye to those who use laws to abuse the weak and enrich the powerful. What a blessing such persons are in this age of expediency when integrity and honesty are regularly set aside for the sake of financial or political gain! It’s not easy to speak the truth to power when lies and deception are the order of the day. But when Christ is loose in the world truthing happens in the most unlikely places. Ordinary men and women stand tall and proud for Jesus’ sake, and bit by bit the kingdom comes on earth as well as in heaven.

Thought for the Day:  When have I obeyed God rather than a human authority?

Luke 24:1-12

“But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.” vs. 12

The disciples initially dismissed the women’s story of their visit to the tomb of Jesus as a fanciful tale. But Peter had second thoughts and decided to check out what they had said. He was amazed to find the tomb exactly as they had described it…so he did as any of us might of done. He went home! In fact, that’s probably what most of us will do today after our worship. We’ll sing the joyful songs, listen to the story, ponder a sermon about the triumph of life, and then go home…or maybe out to brunch. It’s what we do on Easter Sunday! Peter likely stayed at home trying to figure things out, and that wouldn’t be a bad idea for us either. Too often we take the news of resurrection pretty lightly…we hear the same story year after year and we get back into our routines pretty quickly. We may not dismiss the news as an idle tale but neither do we get very excited about it. The proclamation of new life really deserves better. Peter’s life was changed forever by the Risen Christ…and the same can happen for us. Christ is alive and loose in the world…and awaits our contemplation.

Thought for the Day: Where will I meet the Risen Christ today?

Ezekiel 37:1-14

“Then he said to me, ‘Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, “Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.”’” vs. 11

The Israelites living in Babylon had given up hope. They and their descendants would die in the land of captivity and they would never know the land of promise. The prophet Ezekiel paints another picture for them. The Lord would breathe on them and they would be restored to their homeland. Like the bones in the barren valley they would regain sinew and flesh and the spirit of God would give them new life. Today is Holy Saturday. We’ve heard the awful story of Good Friday and Easter is yet to come. Death has come…life awaits…but it still hasn’t arrived! Some wonder if it’s ever going to come at all. They know all about the darkness of the grave…that’s where they live. They’ve known suffering, betrayal, pain, death…disappointment is an everyday visitor. When those dark days succeed one another in a relentless pattern such persons find it really hard to hang on to hope. Even Easter seems like a fantasy, a kind of wishful thinking conjured up by well-meaning religious folks to lift them from their doldrums. But no one stays in the grave forever! One day even the hopeless will hear the wind of the spirit begin to blow and they’ll feel the breath of God…and Easter will be a reality!

Thought for the Day: What does hopelessness feel like?