Psalm 97:1-9

“The Lord is king! Let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad! Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.” vss. 1-2

Our experience of kings is very different from that of the psalmist. We think of them mainly in the context of wealthy and scandal-ridden royal families. For the psalmist kings were the most powerful people on earth, mortals who commanded single-minded devotion and loyalty. So when he wanted a metaphor to describe God, it was natural for him to write, “The Lord is king!” Because kings have fallen out of favor among us, it’s tempting to just discard this whole psalm as irrelevant. But if we do this we miss the important truth he’s attempting to convey. While we do not believe in a God who sits on a throne above the clouds, we do have a strong commitment to righteousness and justice as the foundation of the moral universe. Consequently whenever we become aware of the creeping erosion of those values among our leaders, we are rightly appalled. There is just no room for a perversion of justice and the weaponizing of the legal system to serve our own human purposes. And it can happen so quickly! Sadly, we even become accustomed to corruption and assume wrongly that it will always be with us. People of faith know better, and will always work together to practice righteousness and battle injustice.

Thought for the Day: Where have I seen justice perverted?

Acts 16:25-34

“At the same hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and his entire family were baptized without delay.” vs. 33

There’s a freedom that flows through Luke’s account of the acts of the Apostle’s. The principal actors haven’t been trained in mission development and they don’t seem to know the rituals that are so significant in our congregations. Paul doesn’t distinguish between infant and adult baptisms, and he fails to give basic instruction to the Philippian jailer. He just baptised the entire household, and everyone involved rejoiced and gave thanks to God. Paul wasn’t following any particular protocol, he was simply doing as he was instructed by the Spirit of Jesus. Reading the report of Paul’s Philippian experience is like getting a glimpse of the Church’s birth. Like any birth, it was a little messy–there were dozens of twists and turns–even demons were given their marching orders. There were beatings and imprisonments, earthquakes and baptisms, and a little group of women who loved going down to the river to pray. And out of all this, a joy-filled, generous congregation was formed and Christianity was established on the frontier of the Roman Empire. Periodically there have been other such explosions in the expansion of the Good News–we’re even seeing them now. When people live by the Spirit instead of the book, Jesus is resurrected yet again.

Thought for the Day: When have I seen such explosions of the Spirit?

Acts 16:16-24

“But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities.” vs. 19

Paul had been irritated by a slave girl with the spirit of divination who had kept shouting at them each day as they walked the streets of Philippi. So one day he just stopped in his tracks and ordered the unclean spirit to come out of her–and it did. Now this was a great blessing for the girl but a great disaster for her owners–she could no longer make them a lot of money! So they pressed charges against Paul and Silas and had them thrown into prison. This little incident is a perfect example of what happens when true Christian values conflict with the values of the marketplace. Generally business owners have no trouble with followers of Jesus. As long as they confine their activities to worship and prayer there are no issues, but the moment their convictions lead them to words and actions that are a threat to the various money machines that run our world there is a problem. e.g. As long as Pope Francis stuck to conducting masses and leading prayers things were fine, but when he began to be critical of the economic systems that were exploiting the poor, he was reminded by many to mind his own business. In general, when revenue flows are threatened, spiritual values are quickly discarded.

Thought for the Day: When has wealth been an obsession for me?

John 14:27-29

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” vs. 27

We all have friends and family members who rise to the top of our prayer lists at various times in their lives. And when we’re done praying that they receive healing, reconciliation, or forgiveness, we close with a deep and profound plea for peace. It’s the same prayer that Jesus had for his disciples as he prepared them for his leaving. And as he put it, it’s not a prayer for the kind of peace that the world seeks. This peace arises within the heart of Christ, the peace that passes all human understanding, and it’s the only peace that can touch the hearts of the helpless. As we pray that prayer for peace, we’re picturing a warm blanket, a comforter, being drawn over our beloved ones, and the hands of Jesus tucking them in. And as we pray he whispers to them, “Don’t let your heart be troubled, and don’t be angry or afraid!” And if  those loved ones come to the end of this life, and their heart is stilled, we then breathe the second stanza of that oft-prayed prayer, “Rest in peace, my friend! Rest in peace!” And knowing that they have now been received into the loving arms of the Shepherd, by faith we  feel the comfort of that same peace in our own hurting hearts.

Thought for the Day: When have I felt this mysterious peace?

John 14:23-26

”I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.” vss. 23-26

As followers of Jesus in a good and broken world we are very conscious of wanting to continue his ministry in whatever way we can. But it’s not always easy to figure out which of the alternative available paths we should take. Sometimes we even see religious leaders advocating for the way of power, wealth, and prosperity. And while that may sound fishy to us we don’t always have a good comeback for their clever arguments. Actually it shouldn’t be that hard! Here John tells us plainly that the Holy Spirit’s job is to remind us of the directions that Jesus gave. And where do we find those words from Jesus? Well, we find them in the gospels, and they’re amazingly consistent. We are to love one another sacrificially and generously care for the poor and the needy among us. Spirit-filled people will always be looking for ways to heal the broken, mend divisions, and speak the truth in love even to their enemies. This isn’t rocket science! St Francis figured it out in the 13th century and laid it out in his beautiful prayer. “Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love…” His words are spectacular and remind us of all the things that Jesus has said to us.

Thought for the Day: Am I walking in the way of Jesus?

Revelation 22:1-5

“And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.” vs. 5

Occasionally people will fall into an illness which brings them to the brink of death. Doctors will advise family and friends that there is nothing more that can be done, that their loved one is in a coma from which there is likely no return. And then there are signs of life, the heartbeat strengthens, and finally, sometimes after days or weeks, eyes open, and there is a miraculous recovery. Sometimes the patient will then confide that they had been conscious of drawing closer to a bright light, and that they had been about to enter into the light when they came back. Such episodes have come to be known as “near-death experiences.” Of course there is much speculation about what such reports mean. For some they are a confirmation of the new life that awaits beyond the grave. Almost always those having such experiences report that they no longer fear death, that the light was warm and welcoming. For others they sound a lot like the Seer’s vision in Revelation. And it’s true. Light is a mysterious force. Scripture teaches that it was there in the beginning and will be there in the end. Jesus taught that he is the Light of the World, and it is comforting to believe that in the end, we will be enveloped in light. Perhaps it’s really something to look forward to!

Thought for the Day: What do I think of near death experiences?

Revelation 21:10, 22-27

“And in the spirit he carried me away to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.” vs. 10

The city of Jerusalem has had enormous significance through the centuries, ever since David made it the capital of Israel over 3000 years ago. It’s been besieged, destroyed, and rebuilt dozens of times and even today is regarded as holy by Christians, Jews, and Muslims. Its streets are crowded with pilgrims year round as people come to celebrate holy days and pray in sacred spaces. Even today visitors who come by way of the Mount of Olives are stunned by their first view of the Temple Mount, now dominated by the Dome of the Rock. So it’s not surprising that the final section of John’s apocalyptic vision would also include a bird’s eye view of the new city of Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. When John wrote, the old city had been once again destroyed, and the temple had been obliterated. But not to worry, the new Jerusalem will have golden streets and pearly gates, and there will be no need for a temple–the Lord God and the Lamb will be the temple. This is not a picture of heaven but of a worship center for the nations, a place of healing and reconciliation. That’s why we build cathedrals and mosques–we keep on hoping that they will be houses of prayer for all nations–beacons of light for all people.

Thought for the Day: Why do we seem to need places of worship?

Psalm 67

“The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, has blessed us. May God continue to bless us; let all the ends of the earth revere him.” vss. 6-7

As the psalmist surveyed the world from his perch on the mountains of Judah, he could not help but see all the benefits that had been showered upon the land. Not only were fields and vineyards producing an abundance, riches and goods from the ends of the earth were bringing wealth to the nations. Through faith the psalmist saw God as the source of all these blessings, and gladly composed this psalm of praise to be sung in temple worship. Because we too are people of faith we will agree with the sentiments of these verses. We know that the good life that we enjoy ultimately comes from God. Human beings are responsible for many things but the material prosperity we enjoy is most certainly a gift, and is not the product of our own hands. But with that knowledge there will also be a note of concern about the future. Could it be that our action and inaction on matters of the environment could mess things up for the generations that follow? There’s no way of knowing that of course, and the creation does have an amazing amount of built-in resilience. So our prayer will be that of the psalmist, “May God continue to bless us!” It’s been a great ride so far! May it continue for the generations that follow!

Thought for the Day: How can humans be a blessing to the environment?

Acts 16:13-15

“A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul.” vs. 14

A man from Macedonia had appeared to Paul in a vision and asked him to come with the gospel. So Paul dropped everything, caught the next sailing ship and was there within a week. After searching the city for an audience, on the sabbath he and his companions went down to the river to pray, and there they found a group of women willing to listen. One of them was Lydia, already a worshiper of God, who eagerly absorbed what Paul had to say. Likely a person of wealth, (she was a dealer in purple cloth), she invited Paul and his friends to come stay in her house, which later became the center of missionary activity in Philippi. Paul could go to the home of a Gentile woman because he had been set free in the gospel from all the restrictive practices of Judaism. It’s interesting that the congregation that had its beginnings in Lydia’s house, under her leadership, became the faith community that was closest to Paul’s heart. His letter to them, written some years after his visit, reveals that he had a deep appreciation for them and always remembered them with deep thanksgiving for their love and generosity.

Thought for the Day: Why would a rich person respond eagerly to the gospel?

Acts 16:9-12

“During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia…” vss. 9-10a

As Paul traveled through what we know as western Turkey he stopped in the cities where Jews had settled, preached there, and brought the latest news from Jerusalem. Because he did not feel the direction of the Holy Spirit he avoided some regions and passed by some of the cities. But when he came to Troas, in the area of ancient Troy, during the night he had a vision. A man of Macedonia was pleading with him to come there and help. And that was enough for Paul. He left with his friends in the morning. There were no Jewish communities there, and he had no invitation, but he was convinced that he had to go. We talk a great deal about waiting for the direction of the Holy Spirit in pursuing a call or a new position, but it’s enormously difficult to discern the difference between our own desires and the voice of the Spirit. Too often when we say the Spirit is directing us we’re really doing what we want and then cloaking it with religious verbiage. Paul had no doubts and he followed his vision and the gospel was received with joy in Macedonia. It’s beautiful when the voice we hear is that of the Spirit and not our own! That’s how the world is transformed!

Thought for the Day: How do I know when I’m being Spirit-led?