Luke 11:4-13

“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” vs. 13

According to Luke Jesus says some important things about answered prayer to his disciples…evidently they had the same questions as many of us. As soon as we start talking about prayer the conversation often shifts to the problem of answers. Does God really answer prayer? Is it true that every prayer is answered by yes, no, or wait? Or more basically, does prayer ever really make a difference? Jesus indicates that every prayer request is answered, “So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.” He then adds that we won’t get everything we ask for because God is like a parent who only gives gifts to children that will be good for them. He then goes on to imply that the ultimate gift that God gives to those who pray is the Holy Spirit. There’s a profound truth here, one that it’s sometimes hard for us to get our heads around. Could Jesus be saying that the greatest benefit of prayer is the connection that is made between the Spirit of God and our own human spirit? If so, then it’s in the process of praying itself that the Holy Spirit comes, and our asking, searching, and knocking will be satisfied.  

Thought for the Day: What do I receive through prayer?

Luke 11:1-4

“He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.’” vs. 1

There is a poem by James Montgomery that has been set to music and can be found in many collections of hymns. The lyrics speak to the essence of prayer: “Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire, uttered or unexpressed, the motion of a hidden fire that trembles in the breast. Prayer is the burden of a sigh, the falling of a tear, the upward glancing of an eye when none but God is near.” Montgomery understood that prayer is a natural impulse for humans…we don’t have to think to do it. In the course of a lifetime a myriad of petitions flow unbidden from our hearts as our spirits reach out to the Spirit of God in search of intimacy and guidance. This happens for all people, believers and unbelievers. But as Jesus shows us, prayer is also an act of meditation, a regular time for reaching out to God…scripture implies that he prayed every day. And when his disciples asked for guidance he gave quite specific directions. Because Luke preserved his words we are privileged to offer his prayer on a regular basis…most of us know it by heart. And when we actually take time to savor the words we see revealed in them the core values of life in Christ. The Lord’s Prayer is an amazing gift…no matter which version we favor!

Thought for the Day: When am I most likely to pray?

Colossians 2:11-15

“when you were buried with him in baptism, you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.” vs. 12

People have argued for centuries about the proper mode of baptism, whether it should be by sprinkling, pouring or immersion. In general those practicing infant baptism have used sprinkling or pouring but even they have to admit that immersion symbolizes one of the important dimensions of baptism in a powerful way. From the beginning Christians have believed that believers are buried with Jesus in baptism…and immersion is the perfect way to represent that burial. And when those baptized are raised up out of the water they can’t help but think of resurrection. Of course we don’t have to be physically immersed to participate in Christ’s death and resurrection. The amount of water used in baptism is not related to its efficacy. Even those who were sprinkled as infants have been connected by grace to the cross and the empty tomb. Paul used this language to remind believers that in Christ they had been made new persons. The old sinful self had been put to death and a new holy self had been given new life. It’s that pattern of dying and rising that is such an important part of our experience as followers of Jesus. As Paul puts it, that old self has been nailed to the cross with Jesus…and we are raised to be his living presence in our homes and communities.

Thought for the Day: How can unbaptized persons participate in the death and resurrection?

Colossians 2:6-10

“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” vss. 6-7

Continuity in faith is one of our great challenges as the people of God. There are points in life where there is a flurry of excitement, perhaps a new class at our church or a weekend retreat. We might even adopt new spiritual disciplines along the way and find meaning in a new practice or ritual. Some even switch denominations and get fired up with new pastors and different worship styles. But to hang in there through thick and thin, managing the ups and downs, and do it for a lifetime, well, that can be a challenge! Paul advised the Colossians to focus on Christ Jesus as their Lord and to root their lives in him, just as they had been taught from day one. Granted, sometimes that’s not very exciting and some, particularly the young, might even call it boring, but our calling isn’t about being jazzed up by some new teaching every other day. Rather we have been called to love and serve in the name of Jesus and as, Paul indicates, to daily offer thanksgiving to God for the solid foundation that we have been given. The beautiful thing about all of this is that as the years pass we are built up and established in the faith, and it can never be snatched away.

Thought for the Day: How central is faith in my life?

Psalm 138:6-8

“The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.” vs. 8

Many people wonder, and some worry,  about God’s plan and purpose for their lives. The worriers are concerned about the possibility that they’re missing something important, that God wants them to do something bold and heroic while they’ve been doing the routine and boring. They want desperately to know that their lives have value and that their actions are significant. The psalmist doesn’t seem to have had those concerns. Instead he simply trusts that the Lord’s purpose would be fulfilled in him. His confidence is based on his conviction that God abounds with steadfast love that will endure forever. There’s great wisdom in what he says! Each of us have been fashioned by our Creator in magnificent ways…we are the work of God’s hands. In fact the spirit of God is the essence of our own spirits…it is the Christ who dwells in our hearts. As we daily offer our minutes and hours to God we can be confident that we will be used according to God’s purposes. Will we as individuals change the world with some awe-inspiring deed or invention? It’s not likely…but together with others we can fill the world with awesome love and goodness. The light of the Christ within will shine brightly and the gifts of the Spirit will abound. God’s will is being done…and it’s happening every day through us!

Thought for the Day: Why is it hard to be content with who we are?

Psalm 138:1-5

“On the day I called, you answered me, you increased my strength of soul.” vs. 3

This psalmist was a man of faith…he believed that there were many gods but he had made worship of the Lord a part of his daily life. Wherever he was he would take time to turn toward the Jerusalem temple and offer his prayers of thanksgiving and praise. And he felt the benefits! Many people can echo the psalmist’s testimony.  They too have made daily prayer and meditation a part of their daily life and they know that their discipline makes a difference. Just as physical exercise keeps muscles toned and buff our contemplative exercises strengthen our souls. The Christ within is exposed and shines brightly for all to see. The joy of spiritual union with God colors our every encounter and brings frequent smiles to our faces. Not everyone will use the same rituals…they’ll be unique to our personalities and experience…but whatever we do, blessings will abound. We’ll get guidance on the journey and answers to our deepest questions. And we’re not the only ones! All around the world in a variety of religions people are turning to the Lord for spiritual awakening and direction. And one day all people will sing in praise of the one God. That was the psalmist’s dream and it’s a fitting prayer for us as well. The God who brought all things into existence will bring all things to completion. We don’t know the timetable…but it’s going to happen!

Thought for the Day: What increases my strength of soul?

Genesis 18:20-32

“Far be it from you to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” vs. 25

Out of love for his nephew, Lot, Abraham bargains with the Lord about the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah. It’s an old story, a part of scripture that makes us smile as we hear Abraham’s not-so-subtle argument. His point is simple, the righteous people in Sodom don’t deserve to be punished with all the wicked folks. The Lord agrees and then it’s just a matter of finding the smallest number of righteous that are needed to spare the entire city. After some back and forth they agree on the number 10. The story seems to be based on a retributive notion of justice, that people should be punished in proportion to their crimes, e.g. an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth…and the righteous should not be condemned for the sins of the wicked. Many of us have empathy with that principle…it seems right to us. But God isn’t only just, God is also merciful…and that mercy ultimately provides the basis for what is known as restorative justice. Things are made right in our world, not when people are punished, but when they are forgiven and God restores in them a clean heart and a loving spirit. Retribution may provide satisfaction but restorative justice is what transforms the world.

Thought for the Day: Why is retribution so satisfying? 

Luke 10:41-42

“But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.’” vss. 41-42

It’s not unusual to be overwhelmed by distractions in our fast-paced world. Tasks and responsibilities related to work and leisure come at us from every direction every day. And always there’s that cultural emphasis on production and accomplishment hanging over it all. In the midst of that busyness we tend to measure the success of a day by what we’ve gotten done…some of us even have daily “to do” lists and feel like failures if we don’t check everything off. Mary doesn’t seem to have been bothered by such notions and was content to sit for hours just listening to Jesus. When Martha, who obviously was a doer, objected to her sister’s inaction, Jesus sided with Mary…in his words, she had chosen the better part. His words are important for us. We with our fixation on getting things done are far better off when we take time for sitting around and listening to the Christ who dwells in all that we see and hear. Those voices that come in our quiet times of contemplation or meditation are not to be ignored. These are words from the mouth of God and provide essential instruction for daily living. In those moments of reflection we’re not wasting time…we’re actually choosing the better part, and what we learn can never be taken from us!

Thought for the Day: What do I need to get done today?

Luke 10:38-40

“But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.’” vs. 40

We all know the feeling! Martha had a million things to do in providing hospitality for her guests, and her sister wasn’t doing a thing to help. While Martha hustled about, likely preparing the food for an evening meal, Mary just sat and listened to Jesus talk. So Martha was fuming…and she wasn’t only angry at Mary, she had a bone to pick with Jesus too. In her eyes a grave injustice was taking place right in front of Jesus, and he hadn’t lifted a finger to make things right. Oh how quick we are to spot those little inequities…it starts in our childhood when a sibling gets more ice cream or we get stuck with more onerous chores…and it doesn’t stop there. Some of us have perpetual chips on our shoulders and we never miss a chance to complain when we think we’ve been treated unjustly, even in the most mundane affairs. Silly as it may seem those kinds of grievances have been hugely damaging in our congregations. What should have been a minor misunderstanding can turn nasty in a heartbeat and can even result in a long-lasting feud between brothers and sisters in Christ. It’s a moment pastors dread, especially when, like Jesus, they’re called to be referees. There’s plenty of real injustice in our world…it’s heartbreaking to get bogged down in pettiness…even when we think we’re right!

Thought for the Day: How have I been affected by petty feuds in a church?

Colossians 1:21-23

And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him—” vss. 21-22

The Church has done a good job of proclaiming the death of Jesus as the means of our reconciliation to God. We’ve heard that story year after year in our worship…it’s the core message of the Lenten Season. Jesus died on the cross so that all might live, and we’ve understood that as a once-for-all event. What we haven’t always understood is that the Christ, who is in us from the beginning, continues to suffer, die, and rise again in our lives. Sin is the culprit, and when its forces assail us, the Christ within suffers and sometimes dies. We see that regularly in our lives and the lives of others. Sometimes it’s as though the light of goodness has gone out in our hearts. Some people spend their entire lifetimes in selfish maneuvering and chasing the desires of the flesh. But because the Christ never leaves us there is always the hope of resurrection! All of us have had that experience; we know all about the ebb and flow of life, the dying and rising that is connected to the Christ within. Sometimes, indeed many times, it happens on a daily basis. It’s a familiar ongoing cycle for those who live by faith. Sin continues to plague us, but in Christ there is resurrection, and we can be the light of the world.

Thought for the Day: What are the signs of Christ’s death in me?