1 Corinthians 15:12-15

“and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain.” vs. 14

Paul had had an encounter with the resurrected Christ. It was the realest thing he had ever experienced and he couldn’t believe that there were some who insisted that there was no such thing as resurrection. When he heard that some such folks were tickling the ears of the Corinthians with their speculations he battled back. It was true that within Judaism there had been many who didn’t believe in resurrection but for Paul it wasn’t even a debating point. He knew Christ was alive. To deny the resurrection would have destroyed the heart of the gospel. It would have undermined his proclamation and been a stumbling block to faith. Today followers of Jesus continue to proclaim the resurrection with confidence and to celebrate Easter with gusto. We won’t always agree on the meaning of resurrection and that’s okay. Describing the indescribable is always a challenge…even the stories of the early witnesses have significant differences. But we are one in proclaiming that the Christ is alive and we look forward to our own resurrections. While it is true that our calling and work is to engage in kingdom living in the present, we are grateful that when the end comes and death comes, we will know new life. For some that’s the one hope that keeps them going through tough times!

Thought for the Day: How important is resurrection to me?

Psalm 1

“Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” vss. 5-6

This psalmist lived in a black and white world, rigidly divided between the righteous and the wicked. It’s a way of thinking familiar to us. We love to make distinctions and, while we pay lip service to the notion that all are sinners, in reality that’s not how we think. In our minds there are good and bad people and we have pretty strong convictions about who belongs in each category. It’s natural then that we resonate with the portions of scripture that support that view…and there are plenty to choose from. That was the general position of the religion that Jesus grew up with and he was doubtless familiar with this psalm…which makes the way he lived his life all the more remarkable! He habitually drew the ire of the righteous folks by hanging out with sinners and even eating with them. There’s a lesson in his example for us. Too often we go to scripture to find verses that back up our particular prejudice or world view and forget that we don’t have to believe something just because it’s in the bible. We can study difficult verses like these from Psalm 1 and understand that they reflect a common human belief…and then go on to embrace the Way of Jesus in dealing with the matter of good and bad people.

Thought for the Day: Who are the wicked in our world?

Jeremiah 17:5-10

“Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream.” vss. 7-8a

Jeremiah understood that faith is trust and more particularly, trust in the Lord. He based his declaration on his observation of the people he was encountering in his ministry. Those whose trust was in the Lord and not in mere mortals were blessed, and it was obvious to all those who knew them. They lived with confidence in the midst of uncertainty, their spirits fed by regular communion with the indwelling Divine Presence. We continue to see those blessings in the lives of those who know that there is more to life than meets the eye and who understand that energy for fruitful living comes directly from our ever present Lord. They live with a sense of serenity and peace, not being swung to and fro by the machinations of politicians or market manipulators, fully in the world but not tempted or led astray by its false promises and faulty logic. In their presence we feel the strength of their loving convictions and sense kindness that is rooted in the compassion of Jesus. Like a tree planted by water that sends out its roots by the stream, they find strength in their connections to the living water that comes through meditation and prayer. Their influence permeates the community and through them all of us are blessed.

Thought for the Day: Where are my roots planted?

Luke 5:6-11

“But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!’” vs. 8

When Simon Peter catches a glimpse of the Divine Presence in Jesus his immediate response is to ask him to go away, a request that reminds us of Isaiah’s call story some centuries before. It’s a reaction that many can understand, especially if we have a sense of our own unworthiness and impurity, a self image that stems from repeated reminders in the course of a lifetime that we are sinful and unclean. As “dirty rotten sinners” we can find it hard to believe that we have any business even standing in the presence of the Holy. It blows our minds to discover that the Holy One not only tolerates our presence but welcomes us as beloved children. Jesus didn’t obey Peter…he stayed in the boat and commissioned him as a disciple. Of course Peter wasn’t purified…we’re very aware of the stories of his denial during Jesus’ trial. But that didn’t keep  him from serving…we don’t need to be pure in order to love. All God is looking for is a joyful response from those who are called, “Here I am, O God, send me!” God can use even the impure in the ministry of transformation. And as we fix our eyes upon Jesus in our daily walk we are changed into his image and become the light of the world.

Thought for the Day: Why are people more likely to see themselves as sinners rather than saints?

 Luke 5:1-5

“He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.” vs. 3

After being run out of his hometown Jesus goes to Capernaum, a town on the Sea of Galilee not too far from Nazareth. Again people are very interested in what he has to say and crowd him right off the shore and into a boat. Simon is the owner of the boat and does what he can to accommodate the teaching rabbi. Little did he know that this first encounter would turn into a life of discipleship. By welcoming Jesus into his boat Simon took the first step on the Way and it turned out to be an incredible adventure. That’s how it is with Jesus. He invites himself into our lives and never leaves. One day we’re going about our business and the next we’re sacrificing everything for the sake of our Jesus connection. The whole trajectory of our lives is changed by the unchanging Divine Presence and we embark on a daily journey of loving and serving. At first Simon likely thought Jesus’ commandeering of his boat to be a nuisance…it took him away from his planned schedule. Later he likely realized that this was the best day of his life. That’s what life with Jesus is like. What seems bothersome, an unwelcome interruption, turns out to be the turning point of our lives!

Thought for the Day: How has Jesus changed my life?

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

“For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.” vs. 9

Paul occasionally drops autobiographical material into his writings and what he says about himself usually corresponds to what we read about him in Acts. Initially he had no love for the church and actively participated in the persecution of its members. All that changed with his personal encounter with the Risen Christ, an revelation similar to that which had been experienced by the leaders of the church in Jerusalem. From that point on Paul was an energized missionary, working harder than anyone to spread the good news of Jesus. Some would even say that he was the founder of Christianity, the guiding force behind its development and growth. He never forgot his past nor did he ever try to cover it up. Everyone knew his story. In one sense he didn’t feel he deserved to be an apostle…he didn’t have the credentials. But that didn’t keep him from working night and day to pass on the good news of life and salvation. In our time we mistrust redemption stories. We’re reluctant to believe that anyone can change and love the dirt that can be dug up about our politicians and leaders. Our investigators would have had a field day with Paul…but he wouldn’t have cared. He knew what he had been and he knew what he had become by the grace of God. Nothing could keep him from his appointed mission.

Thought for the Day: Why are redemption stories treated with skepticism?

Psalm 138:5-8

“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

We have a tendency to obsess about God’s will for our lives, imagining perhaps that God has some special plan that we’re not seeing, a purpose that will elevate our status in the kingdom. The psalmist doesn’t seem to be troubled by such a notion; he has perfect confidence that the Lord will do with him what needs to be done. His life is an instrument in the hands of the Lord; the Lord brought him into existence, equipped him with gifts for compassion and loving, and will use him as needed. God’s purpose may not be spectacular, the writing of 95 theses, for instance, but we can be sure that as we walk our ordinary ways, we’ll make a difference for good. As someone has said, “God doesn’t make junk!” Indeed, each of us is a special creation, particularly made with infinite care, and in the strands of our DNA God has planted seeds that will produce a rich harvest. We’ve been programmed for good works and when we surrender our wills our Lord will use us to touch hurting lives every single day. There’ll even be a benefit in our own lives…there’s nothing that brings more satisfaction than bringing hope and comfort to people needing a reassuring word or smile. What we do may not seem like much, but God working through us can change the world.

Thought for the Day: How did God use me yesterday?

Psalm 138:1-4

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

Even though countless books have been written about prayer and its efficacy, we still wonder from time to time if it really makes any difference. Often we pray for God’s intervention and nothing seems to happen…answers are unsatisfying and we question whether God has even heard. Presumably the psalmist had similar experiences but on at least one day he found great satisfaction…even if he didn’t get the answer he wanted. He discovered that God had responded to his call by increasing his strength of soul! Somehow in the process of his meditation and prayer he had felt empowered at the core of his being. That same sort of thing happens regularly in the lives of those who take time with God on a regular basis. As they turn over their cares to the Divine Presence and reflect on those things which come to mind they discover an inner peace and strength that enriches and brings joy. Even if they haven’t gotten their particular desires fulfilled they have received far greater gifts. Their discovery is simply put: it’s the process of praying and not the results that ultimately brings satisfaction to our souls. For those who only pray when they want some goody from God, such a notion is foolishness. But to those who make daily prayer a habit it’s the wisdom of God and ultimate peace.

Thought for the Day: How can we connect with God without praying?

Isaiah 6:5-8

“And I said: ‘Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!’” vs. 5

When Isaiah envisioned the awesome power of the living God his own inadequacies were exposed and he sensed that his whole being was flawed. He knew himself so very well, and he was particularly conscious of what he had so carefully kept hidden from others. In the Divine Presence all those secrets were exposed and his first response is to make confession. His reaction is familiar for any person of faith. When we first make a connection with God and realize that in God there is amazing purity and power, we can’t help but confess our imperfections and secret sins. As some liturgies put it, “we are sinful and unclean.” It’s at that point that Isaiah got a big surprise. He experienced the burning, cleansing power of God and knew in a flash that he had been purified. He had been set free from the power of sin and equipped for a ministry of service and proclamation. That same invading cleansing power comes to us right on the heels of our confessions. Our inadequacies, whatever they might be, are no barrier to our continuing God connection. All of our excuses for avoiding God are taken away. We are liberated to let our lights shine before others and to give all the glory to God.

Thought for the Day: Is confession a one time thing or do we have to keep doing it?

Isaiah 6:1-4

“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple.” vs. 1

Isaiah gifts us with a description of his call to prophetic ministry and even gives us the year, somewhere around 740 BC. He was in the temple and had a vision of God’s presence…it was overwhelming and changed his life. Such divine encounters were common for our spiritual ancestors. They occurred at different times, often in the wilderness, but always they brought enlightenment and direction. In every instance they gave a glimpse of God that was precious and life-changing. God wasn’t a theoretical being who may or may not exist. These folks knew that God was real. More than that, they actually knew God! What’s really exciting is that these encounters have continued to happen in the lives of God’s people. We might not have visions like Isaiah, or see the heavens opened like Jesus, or even dream like Jacob, but we can have experiences of God that fill us with awe and wonder. There might even be a call to ministry involved. Of course the realm of the Spirit continues to be mysterious and elusive and there’s no good way to manipulate spiritual experiences. They simply come, not necessarily to everyone, and they’re always a surprise. Some say that prayer and meditation provide the environment for spirit visitations. There could be some truth in that observation…that’s what Jesus did and maybe it could work for us.

Thought for the Day: What might a divine encounter feel like?