Isaiah 50:4-9a

“The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. Morning by morning he wakens— wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught.” vs. 4

The prophet had a gift…and he knew it. God had given him the ability to offer words of encouragement and consolation to hurting people. But he also knew that a clever tongue was only half the equation. His eloquence would mean nothing unless he could get beyond people’s minds and into their hearts. And that could only happen if he started every day determined to listen from the perspective of those he was intending to teach. That formula still is in effect for any who would presume to be teachers and listening is always the key. We’ve all encountered folks with complicated ideas and vocabularies to match. Sometimes we’ll even comment on their sheer brilliance and then add, “I wish I knew what they were talking about.” They’ve never learned that the key to communication is an open mind and a closed mouth. What a blessing it is to have friends who are slow to offer advice and quick to open their ears! As they listen to us pour out our deepest concerns they offer amazing healing…and sometimes they don’t even have to say a word. We can see in their compassionate eyes that we’ve been heard…and often that’s all we need.

Thought for the Day: How do I know when someone is listening to me?

Luke 19:28-40

“As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen…” vs. 37

The crowd of disciples that had accompanied Jesus from Galilee could not contain itself as they crested the Mount of Olives and the Holy City came into view. As they started down the steep narrow path that led into the city they spontaneously began to shout and offer loud praises to God with great joy. They were confident that Jesus was the king who would restore glory to Israel and bring justice and peace to the earth. Those moments of triumph and exultation are precious to followers of Jesus…even in our time we delight in gathering together and singing praises to God for things we’ve seen and heard. It’s wonderful to be able to celebrate in anticipation of an ending to oppression and suffering. Of course we know that the joy of that triumphant entry was short-lived…within a week Jesus was dead. That’s how it is for us too…moments of happiness are regularly dampened by news of the latest mass shooting or act of terror. But those dark times are not the whole story! Resurrection was just around the corner! And because we know that, there’s nothing that can keep us from singing! The king lives! And because he lives our joy can never be suppressed!

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

John 12:5-8

“Jesus said, ‘Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.’” vss. 7-8

Judas’ suggestion wasn’t a bad one. The perfume was very expensive, there were many poor people in Jerusalem, and the perfume could have been sold and the money given to the poor. Sometimes it really is hard to know whether frugality or extravagance is the better option. Many of us struggle with such questions in making our money decisions. While most of the time we would agree that care of the poor is a central part of our call as followers of Jesus, there are some occasions that just scream for opulent celebration, especially when love is involved. It doesn’t spark joy in our souls to scrimp on displays of affection for our beloved! Certainly that’s what was on Mary’s heart that day in Bethany…she wanted the best for the one she had grown to love so much. And so it will be for us as we walk in the way of Mary and all the saints. There isn’t any kind of guidebook for our decisions…we’ll just make the best call we can in every circumstance. One thing for sure: we won’t be interested in using our wealth to pile up treasure for ourselves. That’s a dead end road! Always we’ll be generous with others, sometimes with the hungry and hurting and sometimes as an act of love toward those we love.

Thought for the Day: When was the last time I gave an extravagant gift?

John 12:1-3

“Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” vs. 3

Both Luke and John tell us that Mary and Martha are friends of Jesus and that they lived in the village of Bethany, about two miles from Jerusalem. Because they show up regularly in our gospel readings and preachers like to talk about them, we feel we know them well. Mary was the spiritual sister and she loved to sit and listen to Jesus…Martha was the practical one and she was the one who did all the work when Jesus came to visit. All of us have met their equivalents in our congregations! John indicates that Mary knew what was coming for Jesus and during their last meal together does for him what a couple of days later he would do for his disciples. She wanted him to know before he died that her love for him was priceless. Jesus knew what she was doing and it touched him deeply. Some of us have had the opportunity to do such things for those we love so much. When we sense that death is coming we want them to know how much we care and we shower our affection upon them with cards and kisses, and most of all our presence. It means so much for the one we honor. To die knowing that we are loved is more precious than anything in our world…it can even bring peace to troubled souls!

Thought for the Day: What gift could I give to a dying friend?

Philippians 3:10-14

“Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.” vs. 12

Suffering and death were not obstacles for Paul…in fact, he saw them as the means by which he might identify totally with Christ Jesus, and then experience the power of resurrection. While those things lay in the future he was confident that one day he would know that new life, not because he had earned it or already arrived, but because he already belonged to the Christ. His words have brought comfort and consolation to millions as they progress through the varying stages of life. One day we will have what Jesus has! We will be resurrected and received into the fullness of God. What has begun in this world will be completed in the next. Now we are on the journey…then we reach the goal! How do we know this? The answer is simple: we know new life will be ours because Christ Jesus has already made us his own. In the meantime we press on, enjoying the journey to the fullest, savoring the varying delicious moments of this life, knowing that our ending is secure. Will there be suffering on the Way? Of course…it’s what happens when we work for justice and stand with the lowly. It’s what happens when we take up the cross. But there will also be joy, the beautiful joy that is sparked by the wonders of life in Christ.

Thought for the Day: What sparks my joy?

Philippians 3: 4b-9

“Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ.” vs. 7

Paul was a proud man! He loved his tribal roots and his religious heritage. He loved his knowledge and his blameless life. Some of us know what that feels like. We’re proud of our ethnic purity and the quality of our education. We hang our advanced degrees on the wall and love the old stories of our immigrant forebears. We love our liturgies and theological traditions and hold fast to the deep meaning we find in our rituals of passage. And then comes the day when some of us, like Paul, realize that none of those things that we’ve held so dear even matter, not even our membership in the Sons of Norway! Who cares if we know the Small Catechism by heart or never miss Sunday worship? It’s not that those things aren’t good…it’s just that we’ve discovered that Christ is everything…and being in Christ is all that really matters. That realization doesn’t make us better than anyone else…in fact it only means that we’re no better than anyone else. It’s the great equalizer! In Christ there are no denominations, no races, no ethnicities, no insiders or outsiders…in Christ we are one with all creation. No more “isms,” no more political parties, no more creeds! What a blessing it is to see every person as our brother or sister…for in Christ we are all a single family!

Thought for the Day: Why don’t some people know that they are in Christ?

Psalm 126:4-6

“Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.” vs. 6

There’s an old saying that packs a lot of truth into a few words: “What goes around, comes around.” It’s an affirmation of the cyclical nature of life on the journey and finds its roots in what we read in Ecclesiastes, “For everything there is a season…a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted…” The psalmist picks up on that theme and uses the familiar rhythms of farming to make his point. He says that our tears will be replaced by joy, just as surely as sowing is following by reaping. In fact he seems to indicate that weeping prepares the soil for the harvest…as the seeds are watered by tears they find the water they need to sprout and bear fruit. Many of us are familiar with that cycle. We know all too well the season of weeping…sometimes it even seems that the tears will never stop flowing. But they do, and one day we find ourselves smiling…and the joy is more intense than we ever dreamed possible. Even if that knowledge does not give comfort in the moments of deep darkness, it is a blessing to know that we aren’t going to be trapped there, that one day the sun will dawn again, and the pain will be at an end!

Thought for the Day: Why do some people get trapped in the season of tears?

Psalm 126:1-3

“When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream.” vs. 1

For the people of Israel life with the Lord was like a roller coaster ride, and most of the time when they’d completed a terrifying section of the track, a even scarier portion loomed ahead. But not all the time! Occasionally there would be a time of prosperity and blessing…and they were stunned. They hadn’t imagined that life could be so good…and their joy was unrestrained. That happens to us too. Goodness comes our way.  Life takes a turn and everything is right with our little part of the world. Most of the time those moments take us by surprise…they can’t be planned or engineered…but what a delight they are! It’s as though all the stars of the universe have unexpectedly aligned and we are the beneficiaries. Usually the people we love are close and our hearts fairly explode with a sense of well-being. We wish we could make time stand still, that these minutes would last and last and last. Because we know all of this is temporary there are some who refuse to rejoice. They say, “Ah yah, today is good but you know bad days are coming.” Their pessimism casts a pall for family and friends. How much better it is to rejoice and be glad, abandoning our hearts to grateful celebration! And if we can extend the dream for another day…well, that’s all the better!

Thought for the Day: How’s life for me right now?

Isaiah 43:16-21

“I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” vs. 19

Pessimists abound in the mainline denominations. They point to declining worship numbers, pastoral shortages and closing congregations as signs that the end of Christianity is at hand. They’re caught up in nostalgia and yearn for a return to the decades of greatness when churches were packed and congregations were prospering. Like Israel in exile they imagine that the glory years are over. The prophet had a word for the pessimists in Babylon. God wasn’t done with them…a new day was dawning and if their eyes were open they could catch a glimpse of the Way forward. Those same forces are at work now. The future is not dismal! A new Church awaits, already we can see it springing forth in the most unlikely places…and to those with eyes to see, the prospects are exhilarating! Soon and very soon we’ll be done with our obsession with numbers and the notion that Christianity is about filling pews on Sunday morning. We’ll forget about the Church Growth Movement and Entertainment Evangelism and re-embrace the dynamic message of death and resurrection that is the core of the gospel. Old creeds and doctrinal statements, all the relics of ancient Christendom, will be set aside to make room for the renewing presence of the Universal Christ. It really is a great time to be a follower of Jesus! The best is yet to come!

Thought for the Day: What signs of hope do I see in the Church?

Luke 15:18-32

“But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends.’” vs. 29

Sinners, wandering sons and daughters, people eating with pigs…all love Jesus’ story of the waiting, loving, ever-merciful father. They rightly understand it to be a picture of our gracious God and relish the promise of being included in the singing and dancing that is at the core of kingdom living. Sadly it’s the righteous folks, the Pharisees and scribes, people who have always walked the straight and narrow, who are offended. That’s the way it is with the privileged…they just don’t like it when the so-called “undeserving” are included in the distribution of our society’s goodies. So many of us fall into that category. We’ve reaped the benefits of following the rules and have lapped up riches our system provides, and it galls us to see folks who’ve squandered their livelihood being rewarded with gold rings, fine clothes, and government benefits. Of course it’s easy to understand such feelings. From the righteous side of the equation it really is a struggle to have empathy for those who we think have lived carelessly. What a blessing it is when we can recognize that all of us are beggars and decide to come in and join the party!

Thought for the Day: What keeps me from rejoicing when the undeserving prosper?