Amos 8:4-7

“Hear this, you that trample on the needy, and bring to ruin the poor of the land, saying, ‘When will the new moon be over so that we may sell grain; and the sabbath, so that we may offer wheat for sale? We will make the ephah small and the shekel great, and practice deceit with false balances…’” vss. 4-5

When Amos wandered out of Judah into the kingdom of Israel bring with him a word from the Lord, he was likely blown away by the wealth and prosperity he encountered. These were the golden years of King Jeroboam II, the glory years of Israel. Amos was not impressed with Israel’s riches and believed that they had been gained at the expense of the poor. Clever business leaders were exploiting the masses by manipulating the exchange rates and operating a multitude of scams. It was the rich who had prospered and their greed knew no bounds. This sad story hasn’t changed much through the centuries. Today we’re regularly reminded of oligarchs, hedge fund managers, and corporate raiders who use politicians and lobbyists to tilt the economic playing field in their favor. Always it’s the poor who pay the price–lacking a voice and without political capital there’s little they can do to avoid exploitation. Thankfully Amos-like prophets regularly show up to speak on their behalf. It’s good to know that at least some still share that biblical vision of an equitable distribution of wealth. We pray that their warnings will be heard!

Thought for the Day: How much am I willing to share with the poor?

Luke 15:8-10

“Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” vs. 10

Jesus found great joy in his associations with sinners and so do we! In fact, it’s a well-known fact that sinners are a lot more fun than righteous folk. With the righteous we always have to be on our toes with regard to what we say or do. But sinners really don’t care–we can be ourselves and find total acceptance. There’s nothing to hide or fear. And as we let down our guards in conversation we’ll hear the most amazing tales of depravity and redemption, of being lost and found. In our little Sinners Anonymous groups (because that’s what they are) we learn to tell the truth and to listen without judgement, and in the process we are bound together in unbelievable ways. The very best stories will be the ones that describe the joy of being found, of finally discovering that the authentic person who lives deep inside each of us doesn’t need to stay hidden. As our true selves emerge in that context of love they are reunited with the Divine Presence and restored by the promises of forgiveness and hope. Some of us are blessed to belong to congregations that fit this 12 Step description, and we cherish our weekly experiences with fellow Non-Pretenders. Joy abounds and hugs are genuine as we gather with Jesus at his Table–and there’s never a question about whether we belong. 

Thought for the Day: Why do people leave congregations when their lives get messed up?

Luke 15:1-7

“Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, ‘This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.’” vss. 1-2

Jesus had grown up in a rigidly dualistic religious system, one that carefully pointed out differences between good and evil behavior, and that also labelled people as being either righteous or sinners. As his activities became known to religious leaders many were interested in what he had to say–according to their categories he quite obviously was a righteous man. But they couldn’t figure out why he wasn’t more careful in his associations–he rejected their dualistic religious system and welcomed sinners into his table fellowship. Later on as followers of Jesus continued his ministry they had a hard time not falling back into the old ways. It’s just so comfortable to see the world from a Pharisaic point of view–we love to label ourselves and others as good or bad and making judgments about whether people are in or out. It can even make sense to see what’s happening in the world as a massive struggle between the forces of good and the forces of evil. In our day politicians are exploiting that tendency bigtime and have succeeded in creating a huge divide in our society. From the Jesus perspective such divisions are appalling. We are called instead to embrace the other and see ourselves as a singular force for good in the world. In Christ there is neither sinner nor righteous; all are one body!

Thought for the Day: How do I embrace the other in my daily living? 

1 Timothy 1:15-17 

“The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the foremost.” vs. 15

During his ministry the gospels report that Jesus had a passion for sinners, those people who had been systematically excluded from full participation in religious activities. He regularly ate with them and didn’t hesitate to offer them healing and hope. Sometimes he told them directly that their sins had been forgiven. In his early years Paul would not have identified with sinners–he would have been quite at home with the righteous. But now that he had been personally exposed to the Light of Christ, he embraced a new identity–not only was he a sinner, he was the foremost of sinners! There are many who aren’t comfortable with such expressions of sinfulness–they’d rather think of themselves in more positive terms. In their minds, identifying as a sinner breeds self-loathing and generates poor self-esteem. But that certainly wasn’t the case for Paul and it needn’t be so for us either. Indeed, acknowledging our sinfulness opens the way for healing and a saving relationship with Jesus. We needn’t gloat about the awful things we’ve done, but neither should we be reluctant to admit that we’ve wandered away from goodness. As Paul says in Romans 3, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” The good news is that in Christ such a confession includes us in the community of saints–and never excludes us!

Thought for the Day: Where do I rank in the hierarchy of sinners?

1 Timothy 1:12-14

“But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.” vss. 13b-14

While some question whether Paul actually wrote the letters to Timothy that are attributed to him, there’s little doubt that they give us valuable information about his background and call. Because of his strong religious convictions he had been an active persecutor of Christians and had participated in the stoning death of Stephen, the first martyr. Later, he doesn’t excuse or deny his behavior, nor is he paralyzed by guilt–he says he had acted in ignorance and unbelief. Change came for him through an encounter, not with an angry God, but with the loving and merciful Christ. He experienced transforming grace and became an active servant of the gospel. Some of us have had similar experiences. Like Paul we’ve grown up with a narrow interpretation of scripture that reeks of legalism. We’re quick to condemn and zealous in pointing out the errors of others–and then one day the living Christ emerges and the scales fall from our eyes. Our hearts are opened to others and grace overflows in our daily living as we reach out in love to everyone we meet. As we grow older it’s almost embarrassing to consider the rigidity and ignorance of our youthful days. We were so confident and certain–we had all the answers. What a relief it is to put those certainties aside and learn to trust totally in our merciful Lord!

Thought for the Day: When have I acted in ignorance?

Psalm 51:6-10

“Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.” vs. 8

Because we have been created in the image of God for goodness sake, we cannot help but feel terrible when we miss the mark and become conscious of sin’s ugly presence. The experience of sinning leaves us with a heavy weight on our hearts and sometimes the guilt comes close to crushing our spirits. Of course, given our need to at least appear righteous to others, we often keep such feelings hidden, a secret to even our friends and family. When we wander into worship in such moments we don’t need a fire and brimstone condemnation, which is the message too often heard in our congregations! The psalmist in his misery yearned to be lifted up, to hear words of joy and gladness, and that’s what we need too! Our already crushed spirits need healing and restoration–and that’s what we get from our loving and merciful God. What a blessing it is to be a part of a community of faith in which we regularly hear that gospel proclaimed with passion and enthusiasm. The world beats us up regularly with its ego shattering values–we don’t need to be broken afresh on Sunday morning. This doesn’t mean we won’t hear challenging words from our preachers–that’s a part of their calling. But the final word for God’s beloved and broken children is always a word of grace, one that will lift us up and give hope for the future–and bring cleansing to our hearts.

Thought for the Day: When do I most need to hear a word of joy?

Psalm 51:1-5

“Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me.” vs. 5

According to Hebrew tradition this psalm was David’s response when Nathan, the prophet, confronted him after his dalliance with Bathsheba. Even if the writer wasn’t David it was surely a person struggling with deep and profound feelings of shame and guilt. Many of us know what that’s like. For one reason or another we manage to screw up our lives big time–even if our misdeeds haven’t become public knowledge we know what we’ve done. When our actions come to mind we are overcome with remorse and, like David, can even imagine that we are beyond redemption. Sometimes it gets so bad that we can’t discern one bit of goodness in ourselves and imagine that we are rotten to the core, that we were born guilty. Unfortunately this verse was used by Christian theologians as a basis for proposing and propagating the doctrine of original sin, an unhelpful notion that has often effectively obscured our original goodness. Just because there are times when we feel both real and imagined guilt doesn’t mean that we are by nature sinful and unclean. Do we sin? Of course we do–and sometimes our sins are horrendous–but those sins do not define us, and they certainly aren’t our mother’s fault! God will always have mercy and will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. It happened for David and it regularly happens for the rest of us too! 

Thought for the Day: The worst I’ve ever felt for something that I did!

Exodus 32:7:14

“And the Lord changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people.” vs. 14

In this little story from Exodus it appears that the Lord has flipped a gasket over the idolatrous behavior of the Israelites in the wilderness and is ready to wipe them all out. Moses, aware of the Lord’s anger, has to use his best debating skills to avert disaster. What stands out in the narrative is the writer’s conviction that the Lord’s mind was changed by Moses’ argument. No matter what our image of God, that’s a thought-provoking and challenging idea. The text implies that God’s natural inclination is judgment and not mercy, a view of God that many in our world seem to hold. They are convinced that when people engage in wicked and sinful behavior they deserve punishment. In other words, condemnation is God’s factory setting! But Moses in this tale reminds the Lord of a deeper truth, that the defining attribute of a truly great god is mercy. Ultimately it wasn’t the Lord’s mind that needed to be changed–it was our human notion of God! God is not vengeful and ready to wipe us out for every infraction! Indeed, God is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. It took a while for Israel to grasp that truth, but it became the dominant message of the prophets and became incarnate in the life and mission of Jesus. We don’t have to change God, it’s God who changes us!

Thought for the Day: How has God changed through the years?

Luke 14:31-33

“So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.” vs. 33

Jesus regularly reminded his followers that discipleship was a costly undertaking and not something that could be taken lightly. Here he tells them that it will include the abandonment of all their possessions. Following his death and resurrection it seems those who became disciples were willing to do exactly that–the book of Acts tells us that they held all possessions in common. As time passed his words were taken to heart only by those who entered monasteries and convents–men and women who were willing to take a vow of poverty. In our time, while some still make such vows, most Christians simply ignore Jesus. They hang on tight to their possessions and are always looking for ways to get even more stuff. They’d much rather talk about God’s grace than any possible cost or sacrifice. What they fail to realize is that grace itself is costly–it’s a gift to be sure, but it comes with a price. It’s that paradox that lies at the heart of Christianity–as Jesus put it, “those who lose their life will find it.” St. Francis summed it up by saying “it is in dying that we are raised to eternal life.” Of course Jesus isn’t advocating homelessness–that would be foolish thinking indeed. But he is saying that a spiritual adventure can never begin without a pretty extensive estate sale–it’s what St. Francis did, and his action changed the world for good.

Thought for the Day: Is wealth a blessing or a curse?

Luke 14:25-30

“Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple.” vs. 26

Sometimes Jesus’ words are harsh and difficult to understand. We wonder if he could possibly mean what he seems to be saying and search for ways to make his hard statements palatable. Or maybe there’s another way to translate Luke’s Greek–perhaps an alternative meaning for the word “hate”, one that will soften its impact. But hate isn’t necessarily the opposite of love–and hating father and mother doesn’t mean that you can’t also love them. And the same is true for wife, children, brothers and sisters–Jesus isn’t saying that our hearts shouldn’t overflow with love for them. What he is saying is that discipleship means making some costly decisions, ones that will have a deep impact on every part of our lives. And any choice that would jeopardize our spiritual connection to him could be devastating! Another way of understanding this is to recognize that there is nothing more important than loving God with all our heart, mind, and strength–all else has to be in second place. Of course that doesn’t mean we have to spend our days dissing everyone who is close to us and trying to inflict pain in their lives–that’s not what Jesus is talking about. It’s all about priorities in living–and making sure that God is always number one!

Thought for the Day: How could children ever get in the way of Jesus?