Romans 10:8b-13

“For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.” vs. 10

Everything that is necessary for universal salvation has already been done…and it’s all a gift from God. God’s love and forgiveness is by grace and it is for everyone…no exceptions. That does not mean however that everyone is currently enjoying the good gifts of God. In fact, too many aren’t! Paul makes note of the problem in his letter to the Romans. What’s missing is faith! Some don’t even know that God loves them…they’ve never been told…they don’t even know about forgiveness. Paul says that enjoying the full benefits of salvation will involve believing with the heart and confessing with the mouth. In other words, saving faith will involve the whole person…simply mouthing the creeds and prayers in worship isn’t enough. But when the words come from our heart it makes all the difference in the world. That heartfelt God connection lifts our spirits and gives us the assurance of love and forgiveness…and we feel the peace that surpasses all human understanding. Lent is a good time to explore those heart connections with God. If we’re living with fear and anxiety it’s a sign something isn’t right and more often than not it’s a cardiac issue. Healing won’t involve major surgery…but a few more minutes of prayer and meditation may be just what we need to restore our salvation connection.

Thought for the Day: How deep is my faith?

Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16

“Because you have made the Lord your refuge, the Most High your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent.” vss. 9-10

The psalmist was clearly confident in the benevolence of the Lord. He believed that when we make God our refuge, we will be taken care of and protected from any calamity. There’s only one problem! This isn’t how life works. Of course some of us can skate by and never run into any problems…there’s seldom any serious illness and death stays away until we’ve lived to a ripe old age. Even our children and loved ones prosper. And whether they love God or not doesn’t seem to make any difference. But we all know people for whom that doesn’t work. They love Jesus with all their hearts and one bad thing after another takes place in their lives. When that happens it’s natural to think the psalmist is out to lunch, that he was perhaps from another planet. Of course that’s not true. The psalmist likely had observed the same inequities that we do…and still chose to trust in God above all things and in every circumstance! That’s how it has always been for the people of God. In spite of the daily presence of evil in our lives we continue to love the good and hope for the best. There’s really not any better way to live! And ultimately God is our refuge…in spite of all the stuff that happens to us.

Thought for the Day: How well has God protected me?

Deuteronomy 26:1-11

“you shall make this response before the Lord your God: ‘A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous.’” vs. 5

Sometimes Christians have a negative reaction to creeds and some congregations don’t use them in their liturgies. They don’t want any human devised doctrinal statement to stand in the way of Jesus. We can understand such concerns. Creeds are the product of compromise and they can become an obstacle, but they still provide a service to the church. It’s good to have some common beliefs at the core of our life together, and creeds do provide a connection to the past. Even the ancient Israelites had creeds and many believe that this verse was one of the first. It’s set in the context of worship and begins simply, “A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien…” With these words the scribes pulled together all the old stories and gave the people a common narrative. That creed tied them together and cemented their identity as the chosen people of God, born in adversity but delivered in triumph. As followers of Jesus we too have a narrative that ties us together as companions on a journey. It’s wonderful story, a tale of suffering, death, and resurrection, and its repetition in worship can’t help but be a blessing.

Thought for the Day: What is my favorite creed?

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” vs. 21

Today is the first day of Lent, the 40 day liturgical season set aside for reflection on the suffering and death of Jesus. It’s a time for special worship services and maybe even some experimentation with spiritual disciplines. Some of us will be thinking about discipleship and what it really means to take up the cross and follow in the footsteps of Jesus. Jesus told his disciples that there were two big choices in life: they could either pile up treasure on earth or they could store up treasure in heaven. Their decision would determine the placement of their hearts. We still struggle with that issue. It’s so easy to get caught up in accumulation…most of us have so much stuff we don’t even have room to store it…so we buy bigger houses. And it’s all so pointless! But how do we store up treasure in heaven? Jesus mentions three things: giving alms, prayer, and fasting. Each of these is a spiritual discipline that will bring enormous benefit…Jesus says God will reward us. The first is obvious, giving to provide for the poor. Prayer is more difficult. Jesus has in mind special private time with God, meditation perhaps. For some fasting, giving something up, can sharpen our focus on God’s blessings. Lent gives us a chance to test the truth of Jesus’ words…and maybe get our treasure in the right place!

Thought for the Day: How can I know where my treasure is?

Psalm 51:1-17

“The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” vs. 17

The news that we are created in the image of God and are by nature the crown of creation, oozing with goodness, has long been stifled in the proclamation of the church. Instead our leaders have focused on an opposite metaphor, a picture of a fallen and depraved humanity, and the message of grace has often been obscured. There are some good reasons for that emphasis…we good humans have a remarkable propensity for doing ugly and despicable things. We’ve earned the guilt we feel! Certainly the psalmist was aware of his own sin and comes before God with a strong sense of remorse…he has not lived in line with the intentions of God. He yearns for a thorough and complete cleansing…and the sacrificial system has not done the trick! He knows that God has no interest in his burnt offerings and concludes that only a broken heart will restore the relationship with God. Some Christians would say that we’re in a better position, that Jesus’ death on the cross has reconciled us to God and nothing more remains to be done. But the truth is that we can’t skip the broken spirit step on the road to recovery. It’s only from the depths that we can hear the words of forgiveness and mercy from our ever-loving God. The key is an honest confession…then comes the celebration of our created goodness and the freedom to live with joy in our hearts and love on our lips!

Thought for the Day: What does a broken spirit feel like?

Joel 2:1-2, 12-17

“Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing.” vs. 13b

A plague of locusts had descended upon Israel and Joel believed that they were a sign that the day of judgment was near. He pleads with the people to return to God with genuine repentance and not empty ceremonies. He wants them to know that God is full of grace and love and is not vindictive or punishing. Through the years his words have brought hope to countless suffering souls driven to the brink of despair. So many people live in this world tormented by the forces of darkness and evil. They’ve been despised and rejected and are well acquainted with pain and sorrow. There’s so much ugliness in our world and too many have drunk deeply from the cup of suffering…they’ve given up hope and can barely find the energy to live from day to day. What a blessing it is when such persons catch a glimpse of the God described by Joel! That message of grace and steadfast love fills their hearts and gives them reason to live. Some even find the strength to turn toward the light and embrace the new life that is theirs in Christ. It’s so good to know that God is not angry with us, and even if we’ve been living in abysmal ways, God is always ready to welcome us home. It’s never too late to change!

Thought for the Day: With whom will I share a word of hope today?

Luke 9:33-36

“While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud.” vs. 34

The disciples had seen Jesus in all his transfigured glory and they were stunned; they didn’t know what to make of the experience. Sometimes that’s what it’s like when we glimpse the Divine Presence in the course of journeying with Jesus. We’re befuddled and struggle to find a way to preserve and savor the moment. All we know is that it’s good to be with Jesus! But then comes the cloud and we are completely overshadowed. We can’t see Jesus anymore! Instead of glory there’s darkness, and it’s terrifying. One moment we’re on top of the world and in the next we don’t know which way to turn. And then comes the surprise! God is in the cloud and from the cloud we hear our marching orders. “Listen to Jesus,” the voice proclaims and that’s all we need to find our way in the world. No matter what our profession or occupation, no matter what our age, in every circumstance looking to Jesus and listening to his words will provide a Way for us to live. In him we find our example and our model; he is our teacher and mentor. There’ll be mountaintop experiences as we follow Jesus, days of exultation and joy…and there’ll be the other days too, times of confusion and fear. It’s in those days, the cloudy ones, that God speaks to us most clearly.

Thought for the Day: Why is a cloud a good metaphor for God?

Luke 9:28-32

“And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white.” vs. 29

Jesus had invited the inner core of his disciples to join him on the mountain for prayer, but it appears they came more as observers than participants. The kind of meditation that Jesus practiced was intense and involved more than going through a list of friends and family that were having problems. When Jesus prayed it was like Moses on Mt. Sinai or Elijah in the wilderness…there may not have been any words, but as he prayed his whole body was touched by the Divine Presence. There was a vision, one that even the disciples could see. Moses and Elijah were there in their glory and were talking to Jesus. It was a precious connection for Jesus and a reminder that the boundaries of our existence are more porous that we imagine. Jesus had probably had moments like this before in his prayers, those times he went off by himself into the hills. That special communion with God had begun in his baptism and there’s no reason to think the intimacy stopped then. Neither is there any reason to believe that moments like these are limited to bible days. All who walk in the way of Jesus can expect that the Spirit of God will come close with transforming and transfiguring power in times of deep prayer and meditation. There’ll be direction and guidance and maybe even connections with those who have gone before!

Thought for the Day: What would transfiguration be like for me?

2 Corinthians 3:1-2

“Therefore, since it is by God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart.” vs. 1

We live in a time when many are lamenting the decline of the Christian church. All across the land congregations are losing members and closing, seminaries are declining in enrollment, and the percentage of people calling themselves religious is becoming smaller every year. In some places there is almost a sense of panic as councils strategize about balancing budgets and deciding who to blame for the drop in attendance. Worship leaders bounce from one idea to another trying to find the liturgical silver bullet that will fill the pews. Pastors do their best to craft sermons that are meaty and light, funny and insightful, and full of touching stories…and week after week they see eyes glaze over and more people missing. It’s a tough time for the church of Christ! And sad to say, many are losing heart! Evidently Paul was being tempted to lose heart too but he tells the Corinthians his morale was high. Not because things were going so well…they weren’t…but God’s mercy was great. He was thrilled to have the privilege of proclaiming transformation through Christ and couldn’t imagine a better gig! And that’s our consolation too! The ministry we’ve been given is not about results or numbers…it’s about walking the walk and proclaiming the compassion of Jesus. Not everyone will listen, but some will…and that will be enough!

Thought for the Day: What’s the morale in my congregation?

2 Corinthians 3:12-18

“And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.” vs. 18

Paul had come a long way from his days as a zealous Pharisee. As he reflected on the old story from Exodus where Moses had veiled his face, he saw clearly how much had changed. He tells the Corinthians that in Christ the veil had been set aside and that all of them were seeing the glory of the Lord. His words are stunning! Think of it! Through the Spirit of the Lord, we are being transformed and becoming what we were created to be, the very image of the Divine Presence. This is the fulfillment of what was written in Genesis, “And God said, ‘Let us make humankind in our own image, according to our own likeness.’” Think of what this means to the people who encounter us in our daily walk! In our faces they will see the reflected glory of God and they will be touched by it. This is exciting stuff! This is what the Jesus Movement is all about! It’s not about rituals and traditions and church hierarchy. It’s about living as the image of God in the midst of hurting people and bringing into their lives the healing light of Christ. Who could ever want a more incredible calling?

Thought for the Day: How does it feel to be the image of God for others?