Psalm 116:6-9

“The Lord protects the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me.” vs. 6

There’s an old Shaker hymn called “Simple Gifts” that has stood the test of time and is popular even today. The first line is “‘Tis a gift to be simple, ‘tis a gift to be free,” and it pretty well sums up the peace that comes in our life with Christ. Sometimes when we glimpse people’s amazing intellect and ingenuity we feel horribly inadequate. We lament our lack of gifts and sense that we don’t have much to contribute. Technologies beyond our imaginations clutter our homes and we despair of even being able to figure out the available apps on our smartphones. As the world gets more complex it’s easy to feel that we’re getter dumber and dumber. In those moments it’s good to know that the Lord takes care of the simple and doesn’t really care about our class rank or GPA. People who have a simple faith and live a life of simplicity often have an advantage. It’s a blessing to be able to concentrate on loving and caring for others and not trouble our minds with economic theories or complicated theologies. The more we can reduce the complexities of life in our daily living the more peace we will enjoy. Prayer, regular exercise, healthy eating, loving conversations…these are the simple acts that bring bliss and blessings. Who could want for anything more?

Thought for the Day: How can I simplify my life?  

Psalm 116:1-5

“The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish.” vs. 3

9/11 is one of those dates that will live in infamy. Most of us can remember what we were doing when the Twin Towers were struck. As we gathered around our t.v. sets the skies emptied and our whole country went on alert. This was a tragedy beyond our experience and it shattered our myth of invincibility. That evening the doors of churches were opened and people of all faiths gathered to pray. It seemed like every congregation had a member or two that was personally affected. The next Sunday attendance at worship spiked across the land as people came together to hear words of hope. The snares of death had encompassed us and like the psalmist, we turned to faith for answers. Where was God when the towers fell? Certainly God was not absent…God never abandons us when distress and anguish come close. Rather, God was there in the midst of the smoke and fire, giving hope and assistance to victims, courage and strength to first responders. God was there in the selfless compassion of aid workers and in the prayers of people of faith. These are the moments that force us to our knees and rekindle our hunger for God. May we never forget that on September 11, 2001 our country came together…and God brought a fleeting moment of unity and hope.

Thought for the Day: Why do tragedies initially bind us together?

Isaiah 50:4-9a

“The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I did not turn backward.” vs. 5

The prophet was grateful that God had called him to teach and he gladly used his gift to bring comfort to the weary. But he had also been gifted with humility. He knew that his wisdom was limited and if he was going to be a good teacher he had to learn to listen. Every day he opened his ears to the insights that come through meditation. In the silence he heard direction and guidance…and he was sustained and comforted. Sometimes there was a challenge and he was moved to say and do things that were not his own choosing. The results weren’t always pleasing…he faced violent reactions and even persecution. As we read Isaiah’s words we can’t help but think of Jesus. He was a great teacher…but it was his morning listening to the Lord that ultimately led him to challenge the religious establishment. We have a hard time with that listening part of our call. Oh we do hear what the pundits say on the radio and the t.v., but theirs is not the voice of God. Woe to us if we begin our days with a morning talk show and not the silence of prayer and meditation!  God still has a word for us and the blessings of discipleship abound when we begin our days with careful listening and a desire to obey.

Thought for the Day: What word did God have for me today?

Mark 7:31-37

“Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it.” vs. 36

Mark frequently reminds his readers that Jesus often told people to keep quiet about his healing ministry…but there’s never an explanation for the secrecy. As a result there has been enormous debate about what is known as Mark’s “messianic secret.” Some have said that Jesus was simply applying reverse psychology. He knew if he told people not to say anything they would say even more…and that is indeed what seems to have happened. It’s more likely that Jesus was very serious about what he said…he didn’t want to have people proclaiming him as a great healer. Why wouldn’t he want that? We don’t really know but one possibility is that the healing had become a distraction. He’d come with a message of change and repentance and now his healing ministry had become like a sideshow attraction. Huge crowds were coming but they’d stopped listening…they only wanted to see miracles. In our day there are some who are still looking for a show when they come to Jesus…they want professional musicians, slick videos, charismatic pastors…in a word, they want to be entertained. And sometimes the entertainment actually obscures Jesus and the good news remains hidden. Knowing Jesus is no secret anymore…it comes with self-denial and taking up the cross and involves giving ourselves for the sake of others. Blessed are those who take that step of faith!

Thought for the Day: What is entertainment evangelism?

Mark 7:24-30

“Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, ‘Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.’” vss. 26-27

There’s no getting around it. These are harsh words from Jesus and would have brought a storm of criticism from our contemporary press…in our world no one would dream of implying that a woman asking for assistance was a dog. Yet that’s what Jesus did and commentators have bent over backwards to explain his words away. But Jesus doesn’t need our defense…his comments are completely in line with his mission and provide a vivid example of the tensions that existed between the Jews and their Gentile neighbors. He really was intentional in reaching out to the Jews…he was their messiah. But the woman wasn’t bound by prejudice and, for the sake of her child, challenges Jesus’s boundaries. Her witty rejoinder to his put-down touches his heart and he reaches across the cultural divide to bring healing to her home. In his action Jesus anticipates the mission of Paul who devoted his life to bringing the gospel to the Gentiles. How good it is when we can escape the strictures of our narrow interpretations of God’s love and act to extend it to all who need good news in their lives. In God’s kingdom surprises abound…and all people are the beneficiaries!

Thought for the Day: Why does the woman persevere?

James 2:14-17

“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you?” vs. 14

Martin Luther famously lamented the presence of the book of James in the New Testament and called it an “epistle of straw.” He said this because he believed that it undermined the teachings of Paul who wrote to the Romans that we are justified by faith apart from the works of the law. Sadly Luther’s comments have led to a general disregard for what James has to tell us about the new life in Christ. James wasn’t against faith…he simply says that if we claim to have faith we’d better be actively involved in reaching out to the poor and the needy. As he says, “Faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead!” And really Paul argued for the same principle in refuting the notion that grace gives us a license to live as we please. James is right in his emphasis on works. It’s not that doing the works justifies us before God…but if we aren’t doing the works it’s pretty clear that faith is absent. Anyone who claims to be a follower of Jesus will be doing the same things that Jesus did…we’ll be reaching out to the oppressed, feeding the hungry, and healing the broken. If we’re not doing those things our piety is pointless and we could just as well stay in bed instead of going to worship.

Thought for the Day: What kind of works is James talking about?

James 2:1-10

“But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into court?” vs. 6

James couldn’t believe what he was seeing in the early Christian community. From his perspective the leaders were showing a definite preference for the rich…they were the ones who were welcomed effusively and given preferred seating. He had seen first hand how the poor behaved…they didn’t have fine clothes or gold rings but they were rich in faith. He questioned whether those who showed favoritism to the wealthy even believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. What James saw has continued to plague the witness of the church through the centuries and it’s particularly troublesome in our country with its emphasis on prosperity and material gain. Some say that our whole society is geared to favor the rich and that the poor have a hard time feeling at home in many of our congregations. Of course there are worship centers that spring up in the poorer sections of our cities…storefront churches that welcome the homeless without question. It may be that here is where the message of Jesus Christ is proclaimed and heard most clearly! This is an issue for all followers of Jesus to wrestle with. The trappings and the excesses of wealth are a great temptation…and they can easily threaten our faithfulness to the gospel.

Thought for the Day: How are the poor honored in your community?

Psalm 146:5-10

“The Lord watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.” vs. 9

While we can find fragments of scripture to support whatever harebrained notions we might choose to hold, when we take the bible as a whole there are certain themes that rise to the top. The psalmist had his finger on one of those underlying principles and wasn’t afraid to let people know. It can’t be any plainer…the Lord watches over strangers and upholds widows and orphans. These are the people who tend to fall through the cracks in any society and God’s holy ones have been given special instructions to look out for them. It’s remarkable how well we’ve actually done in this respect…our social outreach committees are often the strength of our congregations. And most helping agencies in our country have their roots in faith-based communities. These are the people who look out for refugees and who take care of the homeless. They feed the hungry, establish foster care programs, and run assisted living facilities. We can be rightfully proud of the work that they have done and will continue to do…and when they have needs it’s our responsibility to keep giving our time and our money. In recent years we’ve begun hearing the phrase, “God’s Work, Our Hands” more often…it’s a good slogan and a solid reminder of the part we play in fulfilling God’s intentions.

Thought for the Day: What’s my favorite social service agency?

Psalm 146:1-4

“Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help. When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish.” vss. 3-4

Sometimes it’s interesting to see how people of faith can get caught up in the politics of our time. They will of course be voters…that’s one of our responsibilities as citizens…but sometimes they actually seem to believe that one of the candidates has been sent by God. They contribute thousands of dollars in attempts to sway elections, denigrate the opposing parties, and actually believe the lies and mistruths that are a part of campaigns. There’s a certain naivete about the whole process. In reality the psalmist is right. Our elected leaders are mortals…and none of them deserve our ultimate trust. While some are obviously better than others (at least they appear to be less corrupt) and many are trying to do good in a very difficult situation, all will one day disappear from the stage and will be forgotten. The psalmist recommends putting our trust in the Lord and spending our time in singing praises to God. Our true call is to love kindness, do justice, and walk humbly with the Lord…and when we can do those things we will be making a huge difference in the lives of our friends and neighbors. And if we never watch another campaign commercial we’ll be just fine! In fact, it will probably be a blessing!

Thought for the Day: How can people with different political convictions be friends?

Isaiah 35:4-7a

“then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert;” vs. 6

Isaiah hadn’t been reading the latest reports on the long-term effects of climate change…he had something else on his mind. He knew that the people of Judah were frightened and discouraged…their enemies were very real and their country was on the verge of annihilation. To give them hope he told them that their Lord would come and rescue them and a new kingdom would be established. In this new age the deaf would hear and the blind would see…creation itself would be renewed and invigorated. Those were welcome words for an anxious people…and they’re meant for us too. We hear so many discouraging words…everything seems to be going to hell in a handbasket and few have anything positive to say about our uncertain future. Most futurists point to vicious storms, global turmoil, and economic collapse…and we don’t know which news is fake or real. But people of faith are grounded in hope…we refuse to lose heart and continue to believe that God’s promises are true, that one day there will be great reversals that will benefit the lowly and the downtrodden. One day this ugly business will be at an end and we will reap the blessings of God’s goodness. It may not happen in our lifetimes…but one day Isaiah’s vision will become reality.

Thought for the Day: What signs of hope am I seeing in our world?