Luke 3:15-18

“His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” vs. 17

John’s words about the work of the coming Messiah sound ominous…it seems that he’s looking toward a great separation in which the righteous will be saved and sinners burned with unquenchable fire. It’s more likely however that the threshing process he describes is intended as a word of grace. John’s own baptism revolved around repentance but what the Messiah will bring is a baptism of cleansing and power. The fire imagery is intended to describe the burning away of all impurities, the complete purging of all chaff from sinners’ lives. And that is exactly what happens when we become one with Christ. By water and the Spirit we are made members of the Church and there, in the Spirit’s workshop, we are cleansed and purified. This all comes as a gift and not as a requirement…it’s what God does with us and not what we do for God. It’s for this reason that Luke describes John’s preaching as being good news. He’s not talking about hellfire and brimstone but about the sometimes painful purification that comes in our continuing relationship with Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit will use every means possible to clean away the dross and expose the amazing beautiful persons God has created us to be. Freed from the itchy chaff of sin we are a magnificent harvest of righteousness.

Thought for the Day: How might our purification be painful?

Luke 3:7-14

“In reply he said to them, ‘Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.’” vs. 11

The crowds were shaken by John’s pointed words. He wasn’t impressed by piety and good intentions and preached that true repentance required fruits. And when the people asked him what he thought they should do he told them plainly. And it wasn’t rocket science! “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none…” His prescription for kingdom living cannot be misunderstood and was endorsed by Jesus. At this time of the year his message is even reinforced by the culture. Charities and non-profits flood our mailboxes with countless pleas for funds…we’re told again and again that this is the season for sharing. And so we do. Many of us can be counted on to give generous gifts to help the poor and hungry. It’s a part of our holiday tradition! We do it not to win points with Jesus, but because it’s what people of faith do. We have been called, not to hoard our cash in savings and investment funds, but to share our bounty with people in need. Of course such sharing is a way of life for followers of Jesus and not just a seasonal thing. Day by day, year after year, we can be counted on to bear the fruits befitting repentance. It’s not a recipe for getting wealthy but it is most certainly a blessing for humanity!

Thought for the Day: Who benefits most from my seasonal sharing?

Philippians 4:6-7

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” vs. 7

Peace is one of those multi-faceted words that is used in a multitude of ways in scripture. Sometimes it’s simply a greeting, a shalom extended to a friend. Often peace refers to an absence of warfare…a time when humans put away weapons and live together in harmony. Here Paul seems to understand it as serenity, a special gift from God that comes as an antidote to anxiety and worry. Understood in that way peace ranks as one of our chief desires. Oh how we would love to be set free from the endless disturbing thoughts that cycle through our consciousness so often. Our minds are so restless, rapidly flitting from one concern to another…we wonder how some people can be so calm when the world is falling apart. Is it just that they hide their inner turmoil? Or do they have something we lack? Paul links peace to prayer and indicates that it comes when we make all of our requests known to God. Somehow, having released our burdens in prayer, we are set free from all the accompanying anxieties. Those who have made prayer a daily practice testify to the truth of Paul’s observation. They can’t explain it…serenity is beyond all understanding…but it does come! And it is always received with thanksgiving as one of God’s most precious gifts.

Thought for the Day: How do I sabotage my own serenity?

Philippians 4:4-5

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.” vs. 4

Most of us believe that rejoicing is something we do when wonderful things happen in our lives…our team wins the big game…a long awaited child is born…we get the raise we’ve been waiting for…the list could go on. There are many occasions for pure joy in the course of a lifetime. But Paul told the Philippians to rejoice always…how in the world is that even possible? There are so many dark ugly things that happen and we’re often left in the depths of despair. Surely Paul can’t imagine that we could rejoice in moments like that. But it’s not a mistranslation…Paul meant what he said, but his little phrase “in the Lord” has to be included in our quotation. It’s very true that suffering comes our way in a big time at regular intervals. There are break-ups, death, cancers, suicides, aging, pain…again the list goes on. But it makes a world of difference to experience those things in the context of the Lord’s presence. As we live in Christ, all that happens is bathed in love and kindness, and we are strengthened in mind and heart. Our joy comes in spite of our suffering and our world of darkness is penetrated by the laser-like love and grace of God. So Paul’s not wrong! We really can rejoice in the Lord always…and it’s not just putting on a show of piety. Sure there are tears…but the joy will wipe them away.

Thought for the Day: What’s the relationship between faith and joy?

Isaiah 12:4-6

“Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be known in all the earth.” vs. 5

During the weeks before Christmas we are subjected to a constant stream of holiday music nearly everywhere we turn. Every community chorus has a concert as do most schools and churches…malls feature strolling singers and pipe in familiar carols to accentuate the shopping spirit and spur on the buying frenzy. The songs are almost all “fluff,” silly and sentimental favorites about snowmen, Santa, weather, and parties. They’re designed to be shallow in order not to offend…they’re nostalgic but not spiritual…seldom are there references to the Christ or the Incarnate Word. This doesn’t mean they’re bad or dangerous for faith…but they don’t come close to the kind of praise singing that Isaiah recommends. What a blessing it will be on Christmas Eve to hear the hymns that reflect the good news of the gospel! What we celebrate on that glorious day is the triumph of light over darkness…it’s good news of great joy for all the world. Certainly we’ll be singing…the coming of the Christ is the best news ever and deserves deep-throated songs of praise and thanksgiving. Thank God for all the musicians who are practicing their hearts out during Advent to ensure that our celebration is fitting and beautiful! When their soulful harmonies are blended with the joyful noises of the masses, hearts are lifted up and God is glorified.

Thought for the Day: What’s my favorite Christmas hymn?

Isaiah 12:2-3

“Surely God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid, for the Lord God is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation.” vs. 2

Sometimes we get tentative when we think and talk about our salvation and almost give the impression that it somehow depends upon what we have said or done. Of course such a notion is pure foolishness and has nothing to do with reality. Isaiah gets it right. God is our salvation…God is the one who delivers us from sin…God is the one who makes us whole. What powerful good news! The salvation we have in God doesn’t depend on our behaviors or our theologies and we certainly don’t need to worry or fret about it. There’s enough in our lives to be concerned about…relationships, global warming, the middle east crisis, political corruption, aging, disease…the list goes on and on. All of those things can occupy our minds and they certainly bring plenty of anxiety, sometimes so much we can’t even sleep at night. The one thing we don’t need to be concerned about is the love of God. It’s been all wrapped up and tied with a bow…it’s what we’ll be celebrating this Christmas. And because God is our salvation maybe we don’t need to worry so much about those other things. It could even be that in our great God we will find the strength and the might to overcome our fears and anxieties. That’s what happened for Isaiah…it can certainly happen for us!

Thought for the Day: Why do I worry when my salvation is secure?

Zephaniah 3:14-20

“Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!” vs. 14

For once something had gone well in Israel and the prophet encourages the people to sing for joy with all of their heart. Because they had acted against corruption and injustice they could be confident of the Lord’s presence among them. Zephaniah even says that the Lord will join their joyful singing…an image that stretches our minds. What an amazing celebration that must have been! Sometimes that sort of thing still happens. Often we’re told by pastors and prophets that we need to straighten up and repent of our self-indulgent living, and we struggle to obey. We despair of ever pleasing God with our words and actions. But occasionally we do get it right! We even surprise ourselves with our deeds of compassion and kindness…and it feels good. We find ourselves wanting to sing for joy and happily join in those songs of celebration…we might even be moved to dance! There’s a bit of that atmosphere in our communities as we move through the weeks of Advent. Certainly we’re hearing the songs…they’re everywhere, and some folks love to join in. It could even be that the Spirit who has sparked our benevolence will be providing the harmony for our carols and hymns of praise. And when the Spirit is our partner in song and dance, the celebration could last forever. Wouldn’t that be sweet!

Thought for the Day: What makes my spirit dance for joy?

 Luke 3:4-6

“as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, ’The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’”’”vs. 4

As the people of Israel prepared to return to Jerusalem from the years of captivity in Babylon the prophet Isaiah believed they would be led by the Lord in triumph. Every obstacle would be eliminated, every valley filled and every hill laid low. Luke remembered those words as he sought to make sense of John’s mission. In his estimation John wasn’t the messiah. He was the messenger or forerunner, the one who had been called to prepare the way. There’s an implication that Jesus could not even have begun his ministry without John having set the stage. In a sense that is so very true. Without John’s baptism Jesus would not have experienced his call! Those connections turn up frequently in our own experiences of faith and ministry. Most of us don’t come to faith on our own…we need other believers to prepare the way. Others water the ground and plant the seed, and we’re the ones who experience the harvest…and then we in turn prepare the way for others. Sometimes the interconnectedness is stunning…we never know who will be the one to open our eyes and connect all the faith dots. The most surprising people can have the greatest influence…and through them the Lord travels in triumph to bring salvation.

Thought for the Day: Who did God use to prepare my heart for faith?

Luke 3:1-3

“during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.” vs. 2

John wasn’t ordained…he wasn’t even a licensed preacher. He had no credentials or standing to set him apart…he didn’t even live in Jerusalem. He may have belonged to the mysterious party of renegades who had set up shop at Qumran…no one knows for sure. But at a particular time in an unlikely place the word of God had come to him…and he had responded. That happens sometimes…in the middle of life, with no warning at all, a word comes, and we’re convinced it has come from God. Sometimes it’s a word of judgment and before we know it we’re speaking against injustice, pointing out deeds and actions that need to be changed or reformed. Those words are important…they expose sin and violence against the oppressed. If we don’t speak them, perhaps no one will. At other moments the words will be gentle and kind, and we speak them to lift up broken hearts and heal wounded spirits. These too are important words…they offer compassion and love that come straight from the heart of God. To be the mouthpiece of God is a crucial calling, not one to be ignored, and silence is never an option for the faithful. For better or for worse that word from God demands to be spoken…and in the speaking the world is changed!

Thought for the Day: A time when the word of God came to me!

Philippians 1:9-11

“And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless,” vss. 9-10

Contrary to what we might expect, the road to holiness does not consist of daily obedience to the revealed commandments of God. Paul rejects that kind of rigid legalism and insists that the most reliable guide to the blameless life is love. He prays, not that the Philippians would be more obedient, but that their choices would be guided by a love infused with knowledge and full insight. He knew that we live in a grey world, where not everything is black and white, a world in which it is not always clear what we should do in every circumstance. We know that too…we experience the ambiguity everyday as we try to sort out truth from falsehoods in every aspect of our lives. It’s just not easy to know who or what we should trust. The answer is not a careless licentiousness, a life-style in which we do whatever we please. Selfishness is never a good guide to right behavior. Rather our calling as followers of Jesus requires both study and loving action. Knowing what to do or say isn’t always readily apparent…it requires insight and a boatload of love. And love always gets the last word!

Thought for the Day: What tough decisions am I facing right now?