John 13:33-35

 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” vs. 34

As it began to be obvious to the disciples that Jesus was going to be leaving them, there was undoubtedly anxiety in their hearts. How could they possibly get along without him? He was their glue. It was because of him that they had come together. Without him wouldn’t they separate and splinter? Jesus knew their hearts but he also believed he knew how they could be united. So he gave them his secret sauce in the form of a new commandment: it was simple, they are to love one another. But there’s a caveat! They are to love one another as he had loved them! And that’s the problem. We think we know all about love; it’s the subject of songs, poems, and every mushy note written for birthdays, anniversaries, or just for the heck of it. We think we know everything about love. But do we? The love Jesus had for his disciples was sacrificial–he gave his life for them. And that’s more than sweet talk and a bouquet of roses! Real loving is tough, mainly because so many of the folks we’re supposed to love just aren’t very loveable. We might not even like them! But where disciples have actually taken Jesus’ words to heart and loved as he has loved, a miracle happens. Jesus is resurrected and it’s as though he never left!

Thought for the Day: Where have I experienced sacrificial love?

John 13:31-33

“When he had gone out, Jesus said, ‘Now is the Son of man glorified, and in him God is glorified;’” vs. 31

As John wrote his gospel he treated the departure of Judas from the Passover meal as a sign that the end of Jesus’ brief ministry was near. Death was just around the corner. Jesus knows this but there is no sign of panic and no admission of failure. On the contrary Jesus speaks of this ending as his moment of glory, implying that this had been his destiny from the beginning. It’s hard for us to wrap our minds around this notion of a glorified death. We’re much more likely to even avoid speaking of death, and God knows, most of us spend a lifetime trying to fend off its approach. But John, the last of the gospel writers, had had a chance to see how Jesus’ death had caused an explosion of grace and glory that had propelled the good news of salvation to every corner of the Empire. We can even say that his death made him larger than life, and the cross, an instrument of torture, became the universal symbol of forgiveness and love. This does not mean that we, as his followers, should seek death like a crowd of lemmings leaping from a cliff, but it does mean that death has lost its sting, and should not be feared as though it were the end of the world. For those who live in Christ, it is the beginning of life!

Thought for the Day: Why am I trying to extend my life?

Revelation 21:1-6

“…they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.” vss. 3b-4

As John comes to the close of his vision he leaves us with words that resonate with every person who has ever walked the face of the earth. In the new creation, he boldly asserts, “death will be no more,” and we breathe a collective sigh of relief. Oh how good it will be to live without our enemy stealing away our loved ones, and stalking us through every time and season. Whether we like to admit it or not, for one reason or another, death is never far from our minds. Of course most have learned not to dwell on it–that morbid fascination will destroy our experience of the beautiful life that God has given us. But still it hangs there, hiding in the closets of our unconscious, poking its head out periodically as we age, presumably to remind us that it’s waiting. Followers of Jesus have learned not to pay much attention to those glimpses. We know that death is a defeated enemy and so when death does come close, in our obstinate way we choose to celebrate life and use John’s words as a source of comfort and hope. One day, mourning and pain will disappear and death itself will be no more.

Thought for the Day: What will the new life be like?

Psalm`148:7-14

“Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars! Wild animals and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds! Young men and women alike, old and young together! Let them praise the name of the Lord…”  vss. 9, 10, 12, 13a

Having covered the heavens, the psalmist still wasn’t done! Echoing Genesis 1 he credits the Lord with all that has been brought forth upon the earth, and nothing is excluded. Even snowstorms, mountains, sea monsters, creeping things and young women are included in the chorus of praise that sounds out daily from every part of the planet. We are so blessed to be a part of that great symphonic hymn as it echoes around the world and gives glory to God. Of course there are many times when our hearts are heavy and our voices are filled with complaining. This is, after all, a broken world, and goodness is often obscured. Sometimes we can go for days without offering a peep of praise. Flying birds and mountains don’t seem to have that problem, and morning by morning we hear their songs of joy and see the graceful peaks in the distance. And when we are silent, nature screams out praises, and blossoming flowers and gentle rains can refresh even the most hardened hearts. Sometimes all we have to do to restore our connection to nature is to take out our earbuds, put aside our personal devices, and take a walk in our neighborhoods. As our portals are opened we will be refreshed by the Spirit of God and praises will abound.

Thought for the Day: What refreshes my spirit?

Psalm 148:1-6

“Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights! Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his host Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars!” vss. 1-3

Humans have always been fascinated by the skies and we’ve spent thousands of years observing both day and night, recording the movements of stars and planets, and tracking the paths of the sun and moon. They certainly aren’t static, and it was easy for the psalmist to imagine everything in the heavens offering praise to the Lord, the One who had brought them all into existence. We have the same high regard for what we see, and as we’ve gotten the ability to explore the farthest reaches of the universe, our astonishment has grown even more intense. The more we see and learn, the more we are inclined to grow in appreciation for the sheer glory of being able to spend even a few years on this beautiful blue planet on the edge of the Milky Way. Praise God for people like St. Francis who were able to discern our kinship to Brother Sun and Sister Moon and compose hymns of praise on their behalf. Praise God for composers like Herb Brokering who wrote, “Earth and all stars! Loud rushing planets! Sing to the Lord a new song.” His words perfectly capture the joy of the psalmist. What blessings flow our way when we lift up our eyes to the Lord!

Thought for the Day: Why is it easy to miss the wonder of creation?

Acts 11:11-30

“If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?” vs. 17

This was Peter’s clinching argument as he talked to the Jerusalem leaders of the Christian community. The question was a good one, “Who was I that I could hinder God?” Peter realized that God’s will would be done, and it would be best for him if he didn’t stand in the way. Sometimes in moments when despair overcomes us and hope is elusive, and we begin to think that humans are going to destroy the creation, it’s good to remember that God is in charge. Martin Luther King, Jr. famously said, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”

In fact, everytime we pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” we are recognizing that love, justice, and compassion are going to ultimately come out on top in our world. And that will happen, not because we are so great, but because God is. It might take a while and we might not be around to see more than an occasional glimpse of the kingdom, but it is going to happen. Oh, there are stumbling blocks and we seem to have an infinite capacity for mischief and turmoil, but even the worst stuff we do will ultimately be replaced by God’s love. And that’s just the way it is!

Thought for the Day: How has life in this world gotten better?

Acts 11:1-10

“So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him, saying, ‘Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?’” vss. 2-3

When the disciples received their commission to go with the gospel and proclaim the good news of Jesus they did not know what the Holy Spirit had in mind for them. They never dreamed that the traditions and customs of Judaism that were so dear to their hearts were going to be challenged. So when word came to the Jerusalem community that their leader, Peter, was consorting with the uncircumcised they were astonished. They could not imagine what had possessed him to profane the faith in that fashion. This was the first great challenge faced by the Church, but it was by no means the last. This is what happens when faith is Spirit-driven rather than tradition bound. Jesus didn’t leave his followers a book of answers for every conceivable question. He breathed his Spirit into them and left them blowing in the Wind–every day was going to bring something new. It’s not very comfortable to be in that situation! Sometimes old ways need to be discarded and we have to learn to embrace the new. Many times there will be missteps, and often mistakes will be made. Through the years there have been amazing and unforeseen changes. And as the Spirit has led the Church to be more diverse and inclusive there have been amazing blessings, even when some have not been pleased. 

Thought for the Day: How do we know that changes are Spirit inspired?

John 10:25-30

“My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.” vss. 27-28

Some of us know the hymn “Blessed Assurance” well. It was a favorite at camps and revivals and was regularly sung in many congregations. The tune is familiar and easy to sing, and many can recall its opening lyrics: “Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine, Oh what a foretaste of glory divine.” It’s an evocative song, one that touches the heart, but when we look closely at the words of the first verse we realize that it doesn’t quite match the sentiments of John’s gospel. Jesus really isn’t mine–he doesn’t belong to me. On the contrary John reports that Jesus has a claim on us. We belong to him! Now that may seem like a petty distinction, but it’s really not. The minute we begin to think that we’re the ones in charge of our salvation and that Jesus belongs to us, we’ve turned the gospel on its head. But to say that we are safe in the hands of Jesus is an amazingly comforting sentiment. Today we’re celebrating Mothers Day in many of our churches and it’s a fitting observance. We can’t say that all moms love like Jesus–that’s pretty much of a stretch. But mothers most generally keep their children close to their hearts, and that is what Jesus does. We belong to him and he will never ever let us go!

Thought for the Day: What is or was the best thing about my mom’s love?

John 10:22-24

“So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, ‘How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.’” vs. 24

Jesus had gotten the attention of large numbers of people in the course of his ministry, and some believed him to be the messiah. But others, even those who had heard and seen the same things, wanted more proof. They had no patience with mystery and wanted a definitive word from Jesus about his identity. In this age where science and technology dominate, that desire for certainty has continued to be a huge roadblock to faith and commitment. We’ve gotten used to being able to prove things beyond a doubt, and get frustrated when proofs are lacking with regard to the person of Christ. According to John’s gospel, Jesus believed that anyone who had seen what he was doing should know that he had come from God. The people already had all they needed to make a faith commitment–and so do we. We know his heart and have seen his love and compassion. We’ve seen what happens when people choose to walk in the way of sacrifice and mercy. Faith isn’t believing that impossible things are true–it’s putting our trust in the Light of the World. The nice thing is that we don’t have to prove one thing when it comes to Jesus. After all, the proof is in the pudding!

Thought for the Day: What gives me certainty in my faith? 

Revelation 7:13-17

“for the Lamb at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” vs. 17

While we would love for everyone to enjoy the blessings of this life in all their fullness, there are many who seem to reap a full measure of brokenness in the course of a lifetime. They never catch a break, no matter how hard they try, and their pain and suffering is enormous. For some the ordeal is related to disease and illness, for others it comes through addiction or family breakups. And being a person of faith doesn’t shield anyone from the onslaught. As the Seer was reminded, those white-robed saints weren’t shielded from any of the ugliness. And it’s his words that remind us that no matter how bad this life has been, beyond death there awaits a new and glorious day. He speaks of how the Lamb becomes the shepherd of the hurting, and one day they will be guided to springs of the water of life. He even says that God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Sometimes it’s hard to know what to do with the images and symbols of Revelation, but there’s no mystery here. And no matter who we are or what we’ve experienced, it feels good to know that one day our weeping and our tears will no more! Thanks be to God!

Thought for the Day: What comforts me as I look to the future?