JIsaiah 65:8-9

“I will bring forth descendants from Jacob, and from Judah inheritors of my mountains; my chosen shall inherit it, and my servants shall settle there.” vs. 9

One of the recurring themes of the Hebrew scriptures is God’s forbearance. No matter how many times his chosen ones ignored his gracious call for restoration, God would ultimately respond to their plaintive cries and at least save a remnant of them from destruction. There was still potential in them. They had not lost the divine image that had been imprinted on them from the beginning. We know what that patience is like. Even when everyone around has given up on us and declared us losers, God continues to work through the Spirit to bring healing and forgiveness. The tools of the Spirit are familiar to all who have even a casual relationship with the Church: scripture, sacraments, worship, prayer. As the Spirit uses these tools in the reconstruction of our souls, we are transformed and become the wonderful people we were designed to be. The divine DNA is restored and we are turned into servants and lovers. And these are not rare occurrences! Though it may seem like only a remnant is being changed, the butterfly effect is fully operative. Just a handful of disciples evangelized the world, and the effect of their work will never end. It’s happening all around us every day!

Thought for the Day: How have I seen my loving magnified?

Isaiah 65:1-7

“I was ready to be sought out by those who did not ask, to be found by those who did not seek me. I said, “Here I am, here I am,” to a nation that did not call on my name.” vs. 1

The people of Israel were not fools. Their country had been devastated and their ruling families carried away as captives, and they were wondering why God had allowed their chosen nation to suffer–some were even blaming God for their travails. But the prophet is not sympathetic. Instead he mounts a defense for God and tells the people that God had given them many opportunities to change their ways–but they didn’t respond. Of course they’re not the only ones to ignore God’s invitation. Many of those called to be children of God do exactly the same thing. They are invited to enjoy the peaceable kingdom, but instead they go their own way and do exactly as they please. They know what pleases God but instead please themselves, worshiping that which titillates the senses and ignoring the clear directives of God to love their neighbor. And then when their carefully crafted self-serving ways reap the consequences of idolatry, they have the effrontery to blame God, saying “O Lord, we know you to be merciful and loving, how is it that you let these things happen and didn’t rescue us!” Oh how foolish we humans are, putting God on trial for those things which are clearly the consequences of our own behavior! 

Thought for the Day: When have I gotten what I deserve for poor behavior?

John 16:14-15

“He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” vss. 14-15

In John’s gospel the Word through whom the world had come into being became incarnate in Jesus, and in him the disciples had glimpsed the grace and the glory of God. And at the close of his life this same Jesus promises the disciples that the Word that had been present in him would continue to be heard in them through the Spirit of Truth. And so it has come to be! The Word incarnate in Jesus is now incarnate in the Church, the faith descendents of the disciples. This has happened through the work of the Holy Spirit, who in the words of the Nicene Creed, proceeds from the Father and the Son. This Holy Spirit has called, gathered, and sanctified the whole Church, and continues even now to pass on the precious message of forgiveness, peace, and hope. Today, the Sunday after Pentecost, was chosen by the Church long ago to glorify the Trinity, a single Divine Presence  that is experienced as three distinct manifestations of the Word. This Dynamic Being, the source of all that is, can neither be known or understood, but is a part of our daily existence, and can be seen only through the eyes of faith. 

Thought for the Day: What value do we receive from believing in the Holy Trinity?

John 16:12-13

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears…” vss.12-13a

Even though John’s gospel was written many years after Jesus’ death and resurrection his words are an accurate description of what drove the evangelical mission of the Church. The disciples didn’t have a blueprint but were guided by what Jesus called the Spirit of Truth. They would go out with the gospel, a message of faith and grace, and trusted that they would be led into the truth. Sometimes the things they ended up doing were a surprise to even themselves, the path took them a long way from the Judaism in which they had been nurtured. And they didn’t always agree with each other–often they struggled mightily as they sought to discern the truth. That same pattern has continued through the centuries that followed. Often just when people thought they’d figured things out, some new charismatic leader would appear claiming that the Spirit had given new insights, and that change was in order. Occasionally the result was turmoil–sometimes those in control would do their best to quench the Spirit. For many the story of the Church is messy, but this is exactly how it is when the Spirit of Truth is guiding. And the best news is: the gospel has survived and prospered, and billions have come to know that Jesus is Lord!

Thought for the Day: What’s the difference between the Church and a sect?

Romans 5:1-

“Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God.” vss. 1-2 

Those who identify with Paul’s words to the Romans know and experience peace with God on a daily basis. And more than that, they have hope of one day knowing God in a new and glorious way. These two things, peace in the present and hope for the future, are the core of the gospel. Now some might wonder how it’s possible in this fractious world to even have such great gifts, and fortunately Paul gives an answer, and tells us that it’s all related to faith and grace. Those who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, which is the essence of faith, know that God’s love is unconditional, and is ours by grace. That means there are no “shoulds” hanging over our heads! We can rest in peace; our account has been paid in full! And because we know that Jesus lives today, that death did not hold him, we trust that the same will be true for us. In Christ we have peace today and hope for tomorrow! And if suffering comes our way? No problem!  Because as Paul adds, “Suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us.” Oh what blessings those who are in Christ have received! We really don’t need anything more!

Thought for the Day: What does my daily peace feel like?

Psalm 8:3-9

“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?” vss. 3-4

Some might think that, of course the psalmist would be in awe of the creation, he lived well over 2000 years ago and had a relatively primitive understanding of the universe and how it worked. He’d be bound to have an elevated view of God and a primitive notion of human capabilities. Those folks might even say that we who live in these technologically advanced times…well, we really don’t even need a god to make our cosmological equations balance! In reality, such a notion is the height of foolishness! The wise among us, those who have been working to unravel the mysteries of life, have made discoveries that boggle the mind, and they continue to see the fingerprints of the Creator in all that exists. Anyone who takes the time to consider the vastness of space and the unfathomable length of time this universe has been in existence, can’t help  but be in awe that humans even exist! There’s no logical reason why we should–the universe really doesn’t need us! This is not to say that life is not valuable or to be cherished. Insignificant as the span of our years may be, they are precious and meant to be enjoyed. For one reason or another God has given us both life and a wonderful world! Thanks be to God!

Thought for the Day: What’s the best part of being alive?

Psalm 8:1-2

“O Lord, our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.” vs. 1

When gospel and praise singers began making records and albums not too many years ago, many received their inspiration from scripture. As a result phrases from literally dozens of psalms have made it into their catchy choruses and refrains. That’s why this verse from Psalm 8 sounds so familiar. Sandi Patty, one of the most popular gospel singers of the last fifty years sang its words beautifully in “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” It’s a song most believers have heard, and the refrain calls us to sing along. And as we sing we are carried back to the psalmist who first composed the words for temple worship. There is no better way to show our appreciation for the universe than to sing the praises of the Creator. The same psalmist wrote, “Out of the mouths of babes and infants you have founded a bulwark because of your foes, to silence the enemy and the avenger.” The most powerful sounds of praise come in the gurgling and the cooing of those who have no words, and that’s similar to what gospel singing does for us. The lyrics are simple and repetitive but as they are sung our hearts burst with joy and we’re drawn to sing along. They may be the best words we have to honor the Divine Mystery.

Thought for the Day: What’s my favorite praise song?

Proverbs 8:21-31

“The Lord created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of long ago.” vs. 22

No wonder humans have valued wisdom since the beginning. According to the book of Proverbs she was the Lord’s first creation! And as the Lord then brought the universe into existence, Wisdom was put in charge of construction, giving shape to suns and moons and their orbits, even molding the earth with all its land and oceans, mountains and plains. As the Master Engineer of all that is, Wisdom put all things together with incredible precision and accuracy. And as humans began to be aware of Wisdom they marveled that everything worked so well–every little detail of temperature and gravity was exactly as it had to be to sustain life on earth and insure the integrity of the universe. And ever since people began to explore the sciences and discover all these ancient truths about the world we live in, we have used the scientific principles of Wisdom to advance technology and invent ever more wondrous things. Sadly, because of our broken nature we’ve also used those principles to create ever more destructive weapons of war and even ravage the environment in which we live. But Wisdom remains as God’s companion and bids us to follow her in another way, the way of mercy, justice, and truth. And those who listen to Wisdom and avoid the voice of the foolish, can be restored to the image of God, and once again bask in God’s unconditional love.

Thought for the Day: How is Jesus related to Wisdom?

Proverbs 8:1-4

“Does not wisdom call, and does not understanding raise her voice?… ‘To you, O people, I call, and my cry is to all that live.’” vss. 1, 4

Wisdom has been valued from the beginning by every tribe and nation, and the Hebrews were no exception. That wisdom took the shape of proverbs, teachings, and stories that were passed from generation to generation. We can see samples of this wisdom literature in our scriptures in the books of Proverbs, the Song of Solomon, and Ecclesiastes, as well as some of the Psalms. It’s interesting that while those who the teachers of wisdom in the community were probably men, wisdom itself is a feminine word, “sophia” in the Greek, and women seem to have been the keepers of wisdom. That’s not an entirely foreign notion among us either. While men often have been the public face of wisdom, often serving as leaders and writers of books, the contributions of women cannot be disregarded. As the book of Proverbs puts it in chapter 31, “A capable wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels…She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.” While such such distinctions between males and females have been rightfully critiqued in recent decades, the powerful influence of women cannot be denied. And since the writer of Proverbs described Wisdom as a woman, perhaps it’s time for all of us to start listening to them.

Thought for the Day: Why do men often discount the voices of women?

John 14:12-17

“I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.” vss. 13-14

Though these words from John’s gospel are used regularly by prosperity preachers as part of their health and wealth message, many others read them with a strong dose of healthy skepticism. They’ve had too many experiences with unanswered prayer and have come to  know that, whatever Jesus meant, he didn’t mean that he’d do whatever we asked for. But still we wonder! Because through the 2000 years of the Church’s history countless believers have taken Jesus at his word and have asked him for any number of things. Might it not be that the rapid expansion of Christianity around the globe and the fact that there now are millions of faith communities and over 2.3 billion adherents be an indication that Jesus has kept his promise? Jesus did tell his disciples that they would never be alone and that his Spirit would be with them as an Advocate. They believed him, continually prayed for the Spirit’s guidance, and the praying and asking is still going on. Today, the day of Pentecost is a time to celebrate and recognize that we are part of a dynamic, Spirit-filled body that is a force for good in this otherwise broken world. Despite our bickering and flaws, the Church is alive and well! Praise God!

Thought for the Day: Why do we doubt that our prayers are effective?