John 14:8-11

“Philip said to him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.’” vss. 8-9

The end was approaching and Philip was beginning to panic. He’d been following Jesus for some time, at least a year, and he’d evidently been thinking that soon Jesus was going to reveal God to them. So he got up his nerve and asked for the big reveal, “Show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” And Jesus, showing some exasperation, looked him in the eye and said, “Come on, Philip. Open your eyes. Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” John doesn’t bother to tell us how Philip felt about this rebuke, but we can presume that he was disappointed. Imagine yourself in that situation! When we’re looking for a glimpse of God, it might be a letdown to discover that God looks just like us. Yet that is exactly what we live with as followers of Jesus. It’s true, the Divine Presence is among us, but when we look closely we discover that the Divine Presence is exactly what we see in the mirror every morning, wrinkles, warts, and all. To put it another way, God is hiding in plain sight among us. In fact there is nowhere where God is not. But wherever we see sacrificial love, abundant joy, and peace beyond understanding, we can be certain we have seen the face of God.

Thought for the Day: How is Jesus different from me?

Romans 8:14-17

“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.” vs. 14

When we read Paul’s letter to the Romans it’s not easy to understand his carefully reasoned arguments and admonitions. Even when we engage in serious study there are some things that we miss–the words he uses are not familiar to us and we may not even care much about the things he’s passionate about. In general what he wanted his readers to know was that everything had changed with the death and resurrection of Jesus. Their relationship to God was no longer contingent on their obedience to the law. Instead they would be directly connected to God through the Holy Spirit–they would in fact be the children of God, set free in Christ to live a new life, now and forever. Now we’ve grown accustomed to thinking of all people being the sons and daughters of God, but here Paul is speaking particularly of those who are believers. And what he wants us to know is that this is not a relationship to be taken casually. He believed that if we were being led by the Spirit our lives would be discernibly different–the fruits of the Spirit would be obviously present. And if they weren’t, something was very wrong! We get that! Being free in Christ is not being free to do as we please. Rather it’s a relationship based on love, and where that love is present, lives will be changed–the Spirit doesn’t mess around!

Thought for the Day: How has the Spirit changed me?

Psalm 104:27-34, 35b

“When you send forth your spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the ground.” vs. 30

From the beginning believers have associated the gift of life with the breath of God. Certainly that’s the central theme of the creation story in Genesis 2, where the Lord, having formed the man from the dust of the earth, breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. The psalmist goes further and credits that same breath or spirit of God with the origins of all life. It’s obvious then that creation itself is an ongoing process fueled by the Spirit of the Divine Presence, with life being continually breathed into every living thing. It’s no wonder then, that through the centuries humans have been so protective of life in all its forms. We lament over the extinctions of whole species, especially when it’s due to our careless destruction of habitat. We’ll spend millions of dollars to rescue whales and protect salmon on the way to their spawning grounds. We seem to know innately that life is precious and to be protected. Which makes it strange then that at the same time we maliciously destroy the lives of human beings, seemingly without a second thought. Still, even with these obvious reminders of the brokenness of creation, we continue to celebrate its goodness, and even dare to believe in the gift of new life beyond our own mortality. 

Thought for the Day: What will I do to continue my life?

Psalm 104:24-26

“O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. Yonder is the sea, great and wide, creeping things innumerable are there, living things both small and great.” vss. 24-26

The psalmist believed that he could glimpse the Divine Presence by observing the creation and he’s absolutely right. Even the most jaded among us can’t help but be amazed at the variety and surprises the earth offers every time we bother to look. And when we open some of the nature magazines and see the photographs of the animals who live in different parts of the earth we are stunned at the beauty and variations among the species. It truly is a gift to watch our co-inhabitants enjoy the life that God has given. The intricacies boggle our minds! Even a short sit or a walk in a park or a garden with eyes and ears wide open allows us to see the sheer joy of the birds as they sing their songs and fly about searching for food and water. The psalmist saw these things and more and gave thanks and praise to the Creator God. Of course many of us, those with scientific minds, are well acquainted with the processes of evolution, and that’s okay. But we should never let our human wisdom block the spontaneous joy we feel in observing and experiencing the wonder of creation. It’s a big part of the joy of being alive in this universe!

Thought for the Day: What amazes me about nature?

Acts 2:14-21

“In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.” vs. 17

Luke decided that the best way to describe the explosion of Holy Spirit power that had occurred in Jerusalem after Jesus’ resurrection was to go back to the Hebrew scriptures and the words of the prophet Joel. Peter and the other disciples were actually seeing the outpouring of the Spirit that Joel had pointed to, and it was more spectacular than they had even imagined. And what’s even more amazing is that the story is continuing. The young and the old continue to dream and see visions. Men and women are being given opportunities to be pastors and preachers. We’re hearing the voices of those who once lived in slavery and poverty. The oppressed are being set free. The miracle of Pentecost continues! Of course there is opposition. Spirit-filled people continue to be discounted and ignored. The forces of oppression are grabbing headlines and getting attention. But people of faith are on the march in every nation and in every social class, and their work is not being fueled by those drunk with new wine! This revolution is different and what happened in Jerusalem was only the beginning! One day all flesh will know God and all people will find their home in Christ!

Thought for the Day: What blinds my eyes to the work of the Spirit?

Acts 2:1-13

“When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.” vss. 1-2

It’s not surprising that John and Luke would describe the coming of the Holy Spirit in different ways. If accounts of such a mysterious and wondrous event written down decades apart were identical we’d likely be suspicious. As it is we can be grateful for the differences and appreciate the similarities. John reports that the Spirit came directly from Jesus just after the resurrection, while Luke says that the outpouring occurred after the Ascension. Both report that it took place in Jerusalem. Luke says that the Spirit’s coming was like the rush of a violent wind, a phrase that reminds us of Jesus’ words to Nicodemus in John 3, “The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” And that’s exactly what happened in Jerusalem! The gospel of Jesus Christ was unleashed with the power of a tornado and the velocity of a hurricane. The Spirit was breathed on humanity and continues to blow where it wills. We’ll be celebrating Pentecost in our congregations on Sunday. Some say that this explosion of energy and love is the birthday of the Church, and there’s little reason to disagree. Maybe we’ll even sing Happy Birthday!

Thought for the Day: What’s the best way to celebrate Pentecost?

John 16:24-26

“I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” vs. 26

From the time of his baptism Jesus was convinced that God loved him, and he described that love in very personal terms. It was like the love of a father for an only son, and he spent the rest of his life exploring the extent of that love and listening for missional direction. During those years he discovered that unconditional love and mercy were at the core of God’s being and it became his mission to pass that knowledge on to his disciples. On the last day of his life John reports that Jesus prayed that the same love and mercy that he had experienced from God would also be felt in their lives. Not only would God’s love be in the disciples, but he too would be present. He’s describing a love connection engineered by the Holy Spirit in which the Father, the Son, and all believers would become as one. On the surface that sounds like an unwieldy arrangement, one that’s almost impossible to comprehend, but as Jesus described it, so it has come to be! There is a mystical love connection loose in our world that brings restoration and joy to all who are involved. And it’s not a dream, it’s a present reality. The unconditional love and mercy of God, incarnate in all believers, is changing the world for good!

Thought for the Day: Where am I connected to this love?

John 17:20-23

”I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one.” vs. 20-21a

Unity was one of the biggest challenges for the early Christian community, and John addresses that issue as he recounts what is known as Jesus’ “high priestly prayer” for his disciples. These words reflect Jesus’ deepest desires for all who would one day believe in him. Simply put, he earnestly prays that they all would be one. What he has in mind is not something like one big denomination, but rather a unity that would be a reflection of the oneness that he himself had with God. It would have everything to do with their witness to the world. Imagine a Church of believers who were so connected to one another and to Jesus, that they would reflect the actual presence of God. Now that may seem a pipe dream but that is exactly what happens when we put aside our denominational and religious distinctions and unite to serve the world as the hands and the feet of Jesus. When that occurs, and it does happen, not only is the will of God being done, but the kingdom of God is being established on earth. In the context of that unconditional love and sacrificial service, not only is God revealed, but humanity flourishes. This is the way things are supposed to be!

Thought for the Day: Why is denominationalism so destructive?

Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21

“The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’ And let everyone who hears say, ‘Come.’ And let everyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift.” vs. 17

The book of Revelation ends with a warning and an invitation. Typically the warning, found in verse 18 of chapter 22, is not included when this lesson is read in our congregations. It’s a kind of boiler plate warning that most apocalyptic writers attached to their documents in those days. It’s okay not to read the warning, but the invitation should not be missed. It’s not complicated, really only a single word: “Come,” say the Spirit and the bride (a beautiful metaphor for the Church). This is  evangelism in a nutshell, “Come, let everyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift.” How good it is to hear an invitation without conditions! The only requirement for participation in the life of the Church is a recognition of need! Sometimes we hear a similar invitation in our congregations when people are invited to Holy Communion. “If you’re hungry or thirsty, come eat and drink at the Table of the Lord. It’s an invitation of pure grace, a declaration of the gospel that everyone can understand. There are no prerequisites beyond a desire to participate, and that’s just what Jesus wants at his holy meal. It’s the perfect vehicle for his sacrificial and unconditional love!

Thought for the Day: What conditions are sometimes attached to the invitations in congregations?

Psalm 97:8-12

“Light dawns for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart. Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name!” vss. 11-12

Jesus wasn’t comfortable with people being labelled as being either “sinners” or “righteous.” In fact when people insisted on using those terms he showed by his actions that he preferred the company of sinners, which is one of the reasons people of faith really love Jesus. But even if we feel that way it’s important for us to honor the perspective of the psalmist. As he observed the people around him he noted that some did lead moral and righteous lives, and moreover he felt deeply that living in such a way brought great blessings–and we’d be hard-pressed to disagree. We too observe folks every day who do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with the Lord. They will also likely be aware of their own sinfulness, but they have definitely chosen the path of righteousness as their standard. The psalmist believed that this lifestyle choice would bring light and joy into people’s  lives. And we know this to be true! In spite of the brokenness which is also a part of our daily experience, our hearts explode at the goodness of the Lord which brings light to every dark day. And for that reason alone we are daily bound to thank, praise, and adore our beautiful God. Surely such sentiments will be a part of our daily prayer!

Thought for the Day: For what am I thanking God today?