Hebrews 10:5-6

“Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, ‘Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body you have prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure.’” vss. 5-6

The sacrificial system had been the centerpiece of worship for the people of Israel for centuries. It was a way for them to deal with the guilt and the power of sin. By offering the proper sacrifices people could receive the assurance of forgiveness. It’s important to remember that the system worked! But when the temple was destroyed, and sin remained, there was a problem. The writer of Hebrews believed the solution was to be found in the perfect sacrifice of Jesus on Calvary. In his death sin was destroyed and there was no more need for sacrifices and offerings. And this new system also worked! The death of Jesus became for Christians a once-for-all event…by his blood believers found forgiveness and life. Whether or not we believe the logic laid out in Hebrews is really beside the point. The bottom line is that forgiveness comes by the grace of God…it’s a gift and doesn’t require payment from us. If we believe the good news we have what it offers, the complete remission of all of our sins. As we prepare for Christmas it’s good to keep this great truth in mind. In Christ our sins are wiped away! The sacrifice is complete!

Thought for the Day: Why is forgiveness important to me?

Psalm 80:4-7

“O Lord God of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers?” vs. 4

The psalmist was very aware of his people’s history. He’d heard the stories and committed them to memory. He knew they were a blessed and privileged people and that God had rescued them out of slavery and given them a fresh start and a new land. He also knew that they had messed up big time! Instead of doing justice and showing mercy they had been power hungry and arrogant even to the point of worshipping other gods…and now they were in trouble, besieged by enemies and on the verge of extinction. He believed in his heart that God was fed up with them and was even angry with their prayers for help. It’s easy to think that way about God when we’ve broken promises and made poor choices and are experiencing the consequences of a decadent lifestyle. Life can be pretty miserable sometimes and it’s not a stretch to think that God is angry with our prayers of desperation. We can even begin to think that we’ve fallen out of God’s graces. Of course that’s never the truth. It wasn’t for Israel and it isn’t for us. God’s love is unconditional and God’s mercy is never ending. Every one of us is a precious child of God and when we fall on hard times God continues to love us. And if we’re feeling unlovable, God loves us all the more.

Thought for the Day: Times when I’ve felt unlovable!

Psalm 80:1-3

“Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved.” vs. 3

When times got tough for the people of Israel they alway sent out a cry to God for help, and who can blame them? We do pretty much the same thing. When the situation is out of control and our future health or prosperity is threatened even agnostics will send up prayers for salvation. The phrase used by the psalmist, “let your face shine,” was a plea for God’s gracious intervention, a smile from on high. These same words are used in the benediction that closes worship in many of our churches Sunday after Sunday. We know from daily experience that smiles lift hearts and calm fears…even a smile from a stranger can be an inspiration on a rough day. What a blessing it is to get regular smiles from God, especially when we’re not feeling so good about ourselves and our prospects are dim!  It makes a big difference to know that the Lord of the Universe is on our side and wants us to know peace and wholeness. It’s not unusual during these days before Christmas to feel out of sorts. Some of us are facing the fruits of procrastination and we’re feeling pressure to get things done. Maybe today is the day to slow down and look for God’s shining face. It’ll show up in the most unexpected places and always our spirits will be refreshed. God really is a very present help in times of trouble.

Thought for the Day: Where have I seen God’s shining face?

Micah 5:2-5a

“But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.” vs. 2

During his ministry Jesus was known as a Galilean from the village of Nazareth…it’s where he and his family had lived. But after his death and resurrection stories of his birth in Bethlehem began to circulate and were picked up by the gospel writers, Matthew and Luke. The town had always been small and insignificant. Located just a few miles from Jerusalem, it was known as the birthplace of David, Israel’s greatest king. That was the probably the reason the prophet Micah made note of it. Writing a couple of hundred years after David he dreams of a day when the little town would bring forth a new ruler. Early Christians believed that his prophecy had come to pass in the person of Jesus and the connection was celebrated. It wasn’t long before the Shepherd’s Field and the Cave of the Nativity became pilgrimage sites and major churches were constructed for worship. In a couple of weeks those holy places in Bethlehem will again be crowded with people from all around the world who have come through checkpoints and walls to celebrate Jesus’ birth. While they worship most of us will have to be content with singing “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” It’s not the same as being there, but it is a vivid reminder of Jesus’ humanity…his origin is from of old, and he came to be our King.

Thought for the Day: What’s the definition of a holy place?

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?