Mark 4:39-41

“And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’” vs. 41

The answer to the disciples’ question would have been readily apparent to Mark’s first century readers. They would have recognized the connection to Psalm 107:29, “he made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed.” It was the Lord, the God of Israel, whose power was at work in Jesus. Of course the disciples hadn’t yet come to that conclusion…they didn’t fully grasp who Jesus was until after the resurrection when they came to know him as the Christ…but the handwriting was certainly on the wall. We continue to see signs of that power in our own lives. For those with eyes to see, the presence of the Lord is readily apparent in our daily comings and goings, and not only when our boat is sinking. It’s that everyday connection with Jesus that gives serenity in the face of adversity and calm when fear is close at hand. Believers can expect to see the hand of God in every waking moment and occasionally even in their dreams. And sometimes, like the disciples, we’ll even be moved to declare such moments “awesome,” and fill our prayers with thanks and praise. Of course it doesn’t happen every day…sometimes it takes a hurricane to open our eyes…while other times it happens in the silence. But it does happen…and peace is our reward.

Thought for the Day: An awesome experience of Christ’s presence.

Mark 4:35-48

“But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’” vs. 38

Even though the Sea of Galilee wasn’t very large, barely four miles from one side to the other, it could be a scary place when the wind began to blow. Undoubtedly those who lived in the little fishing villages along its shore had many stories of boats and lives that had been lost beneath the waves. So the disciples had reason to be afraid when the storm struck…and they were amazed that Jesus was able to sleep. They imagined that he perhaps didn’t care if their boat sank and they all died, that he was indifferent to their situation. Many of us know what that feels like. Life isn’t easy and often we can be engulfed in turmoils not of our own making. There’s a sense of isolation and loneliness, like we’re alone on a great sea, or as some put it “up a creek without a paddle.” Those are pretty miserable situations and it’s easy to start thinking that no one cares…and what’s even worse, we can begin to imagine that not even God cares. In those moments it’s important for us to remember that God is personal, that the great architect of the universe is also as near to us as our breath. We are never abandoned…and God never stops caring.

Thought for the Day: How does God demonstrate caring?

2 Corinthians 6:4-13

“but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God…” vss. 4-7a

We get a mini-memoir from Paul in this part of his second letter to the Corinthians. He’s gotten some negative news from Corinth…evidently some persons in the congregation have leveled charges against him…and he’s not happy about the criticism. His only defense is his conduct in the proclamation of the gospel and he careful outlines the hardships endured and the virtues displayed in the course of his ministry. While few of us can match Paul’s story we do know what it’s like to be misunderstood and criticized by those we have presumed to be our friends. Our congregations have that in common with the one in Corinth and it always hurts when accusations are made and rumors run rampant. That’s why it’s so important to live lives that are marked by purity, patience, kindness, love and truth. Even when reconciliation is difficult, at least then we can hold our heads high and know we have been faithful to our apostolic calling. It’s not easy to live in community. Even at our best we can be irritating to others. Ultimately it’s only the power of God’s Holy Spirit that can bring healing and a restoration of peace…and sometimes we just have to learn to live with the brokenness.

Thought for the Day: A time I’ve been criticized or misunderstood.

2 Corinthians 6:1-3

“As we work together with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain.” vs. 1

As Paul heard the news from Corinth he realized that some of those who had received the good news of Jesus with enthusiasm were beginning to drift away. It seems that they didn’t understand that God’s grace was more than a theological prescription for salvation, that it was actually intended to make a difference in the way believers lived. What he noticed has proven through history to be a tough distinction for Christians to make. Even though millions of people have made confessions of allegiance to Jesus, many seem not to have been touched by the power of grace. Often the personal lives of those calling themselves Christians are indistinguishable from the lives of those who are unbelievers. They claim to know Jesus but their hearts tell another story. Most of them will drift away from our congregations but societal and cultural pressures keep others close. Why hasn’t the power of grace worked in their lives? It’s a good question but it really doesn’t do any good to lament the presence of the unrepentant among us. In fact we should be glad that they hang around. It just may be that some day the love of Christ will penetrate their unyielding hearts and they will be transformed. In the meantime our mission is to keep on proclaiming unconditional grace and daily check our own lives for the fruits of the Spirit.

Thought for the Day: How is my life different from that of an unbeliever?

Psalm 107:23-32

“Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out from their distress;” vs. 28

The psalmist had no difficulty thinking of times in Israel’s history when the people were facing calamity of one kind or another. In these verses he’s recounting the stories of sailors who braved the unpredictable and dangerous seas and who turned to God when the winds blew and waves engulfed their boats. Of course many boats sank or were dashed on the rocks but sometimes lives were spared and the psalmist gives God the credit. That’s how it always is with us in moments of trial. The winds blow, the waves break, and life can get pretty scary…and we cry out to God in our trouble. And sometimes we are rescued…but not all the time. And that’s just the truth! We might wish it were different and that God would rescue us every time we get in a tough scrape…but that doesn’t happen. Why not? We really can’t know…it’s impossible to know why one person is saved when a ship sinks and all others drown. What we do know is that life is precious and that it’s entirely proper to thank God in those times when it is preserved. In the course of a lifetime there are many opportunities to celebrate close calls and answered cries for help with prayers of praise and thanksgiving. And so we do…even if we don’t know why we’ve been spared!

Thought for the Day: My closest brush with death!

Psalm 107:1-3

“Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, those he redeemed from trouble…” vs. 2

Sometimes Christians imply that the only redemption worth talking about is that which comes through Jesus, that only those “washed in the blood of the Lamb” have the salvation of God. Such talk would have certainly surprised the psalmist. In his estimation there were countless examples of redemption in Israel’s history. The people had often fallen away from God and then cried out in their prayers for help in their time of trouble. And God regularly heard their cries and redeemed them from their fears and distress. The circumstances varied. There were wars and famines, fearsome plagues of locusts and devastating storms…and always God was their redeemer. Broadly speaking, we experience the same things. Most of us careen through life from one time of trouble to another. There is no end to the ugly things that can happen in the course of a lifetime. It’s natural in such circumstances for even the faithless to offer prayers for deliverance. And God does come through in a variety of ways. Relationships are healed, wars and enmity cease, and the hungry are fed and sustained. The psalmist recommended hearty songs of praise and thanksgiving, a recognition that God’s steadfast love will last forever. Obviously it’s proper for us to think of Jesus as our Redeemer…but redemption has always been a part of God’s nature. And whenever it comes to us, the proper response continues to be joyful thanksgiving. “Praise God from whom all blessings flow!”

Thought for the Day: For what am I giving thanks today?

Job 38:1-11

“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.” vs. 4

People have long asked, “Why do bad things happen to good people?”, and have struggled to find suitable answers. The writer of Job is certainly familiar with the question and has presented a long narrative exploring various answers. In the course of his story he presents God’s response to Job’s laments in colorful and provocative ways. His images of creation reflect a pre-scientific understanding but do a remarkable job of showing the puniness of our human perspective. And even as our knowledge of physics and astronomy has increased we still don’t have a good answer to God’s question. We weren’t around at the beginning…and we really don’t understand. Oh we can describe the Big Bang and guess at what happened but we don’t have a clue about the purpose and meaning of all that has taken place. We exist on a remote tiny planet in the midst of infinite space and we’ve only been around for a wrinkle of time. Who are we to even question God? It’s God who should be questioning us! Why do we behave so abysmally in the midst of such splendor and beauty? Why do we spend our lifetimes in accumulation when we’re only here for such a brief time? Why do we hate so deeply…and fail to love? We may never find answers for why bad things happen to good people, but there’s really no excuse for good people to do bad things!

Thought for the Day: Why is there evil?

Mark 4:30-34

“With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.” vss. 33-34

As a teacher Jesus regularly used parables to pass on the great truths of the kingdom of God. For the most part they’re short and uncomplicated, and use familiar examples to give glimpses of God’s work. They’re similar to metaphors or allegories and are generally intended to communicate one main point. They were easy for people to remember but difficult to understand. Sometimes people didn’t get them at all…and even the disciples found them hard to figure out. But that’s how it always is with the great truths of life. People have often used brief maxims to summarize the guidelines for happy and joyful living. We hang such pithy sayings on the walls of our homes and have them printed on t-shirts. With all that wisdom so readily available it would seem that most people should be content…but that isn’t necessarily so. We can quote the verses and say the words, but there’s great mystery involved in kingdom living, and it can take a lifetime to figure things out…and some folks never do. Their eyes are never opened and their ears never hear! What a blessing it is when the truth captures our hearts and we hear what the Spirit is saying! What began as a tiny seed becomes the tree of life!

Thought for the Day: Why did Jesus use parables?

Mark 4:26-29

“He also said, ‘The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how.’” vss. 26-27

From ancient times those who till the soil and plant crops have generally had a strong appreciation of God’s role in the whole process, and at harvest time have led the way in making sacrifices and giving thank offerings. Even with all their skill in preparing and fertilizing they know there is much beyond their control. The sprouting and growing is inspiring and mysterious…an annual miracle that fills the farmer’s bins and also feeds the world. Jesus saw similarities between the work of farming and the growth of the kingdom of God. Disciples could only do so much with their ministries of teaching and preaching. They could plant seeds…but which seeds would sprout and produce fruit remained a mystery. We see that happening regularly in our outreach and our caring. We may want to make a big difference in the lives of others but the best we can do is scatter seeds of kindness and love…and we never know when those words and deeds are going to touch hearts and change minds. Sometimes it might even be a throwaway phrase or an insignificant action. We don’t even remember what we’ve said or done…and later we find out that we’ve made a major impact for good. Such is life in the kingdom of God!

Thought for the Day: Surprising results from my ordinary acts and words.

2 Corinthians 5:14-17

“So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” vs. 17

Insanity has been described in the AA program as doing the same thing over and over again, each time hoping for different results. It’s a good definition, one that most of us have had some experience with. In this view, real change can only happen when the old has passed away, and this is exactly the message Paul has for the Corinthians. He believed that if anyone was in Christ, whether through baptism or conversion, they were a new creation…in John’s terms, they were born from above. This fresh start that is ours in Christ is where our walk begins as followers of Jesus…and it happens day after day throughout our lives. We’re fools if we think we won’t need that daily renewal; there are bound to be days of wandering and missing the mark. But in Christ, day after day we are washed clean by the Spirit of God, and recharged for new beginnings. The old person dies and the new person is raised up. And so life goes, one day at a time, and each day we’re molded into the persons God has created us to be. It’s the best way to live and will have amazing pay-offs along the way. Each day our recreated eyes will remind us of God’s blessings and and our new hearts will be filled with compassion for those we’re called to serve and love.

Thought for the Day: What’s new in my life today?