Exodus 20:1-11

“Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work…” vss. 8-10

The commandment on the sabbath doesn’t seem as significant as some of the others. We can understand the restriction on graven images…idolatry was always a temptation for God’s people. And it seems obvious that there should be some restrictions on murder, stealing, adultery and slander. We know those things are bad! But what’s the big deal about setting aside a day to rest? The purpose just isn’t readily apparent…and yet keeping the sabbath became one of the defining characteristics of Jewish spirituality. Scribes and rabbis spent centuries arguing about which activities were allowed on the sabbath and which were not. This was a important for them…keeping the sabbath was a public affirmation of faith and indicated whether a person was a true believer. For many people those ideas seem quaint and unwieldy, and many Christians have pretty much abandoned the notion that one day is any holier than another. As a result a lot of people are missing out on the rhythm that a day of rest can bring to a week. They don’t seem to realize that taking time off is essential for our souls. To put it bluntly, that day of rest prescribed in the commandments is the pause that refreshes…it revitalizes our lives!

Thought for the Day: How do I keep the sabbath holy?

Mark 8:34-38

“He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, ’If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.’” vs. 34

It’s become quite common in these times for people to identify themselves as followers of Jesus. For some it’s a way to disassociate themselves from some of the negativity connected with the current depictions of Christianity as a political or nationalistic movement. In their eyes being a follower of Jesus is a step away from denominationalism and a return to the “purity” of New Testament discipleship. It’s an admirable intention! But it’s not a step to be taken lightly. It is freeing to eliminate some of the baggage of cultural Christianity and Jesus probably would applaud our decision. But he would also be quick to remind us that following him means self-denial and taking up the cross…it means learning to live for others and not for ourselves. Of course that too is counter-cultural and contrary to the ways of the world…and it’s not an easy journey. But those who do choose to follow Jesus on the way of the cross are enriched beyond imagination. It’s not that we become wealthy or accumulate power…those are the goals of this world. But we are immersed in the essence of life and discover the joys of the kingdom…and the blessings are spectacular…even on the days the road leads through the valley of darkness.

Thought for the Day: How have I been enriched by following Jesus?

Mark 8:31-33

“He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.” vs. 32

As Mark took time to write his little account of Jesus’ ministry, he was careful to let his readers know that Jesus was quite open in talking about the suffering that awaited him, but that the disciples had been reluctant to listen. They had their own expectations about how the journey would transpire and they weren’t about to consider any alternatives. We can’t fault them too much…we regularly do the same things! Each of us have notions about the future…and we’re quite adept at ignoring signs that things may not go the way we want. Most of us like happy endings and we’re reluctant to consider the sadness that more than likely awaits. And that’s just fine! No one even likes to be around those who forecast gloom and doom…it makes life too depressing and we learn to fear the future. Jesus didn’t speak openly about his path in order to depress his disciples. In fact we know that at other times he told them not to worry about tomorrow, that God would take care of them. He regularly says that they shouldn’t be afraid. So if we choose to be optimistic about the road ahead we’ll be a joy to our fellow travelers…and a source of strength and hope when tough times do come. Being realistic about tomorrow does not mean abandoning confidence in God’s ultimate victory.

Thought for the Day: Was Jesus an optimist or a pessimist?

Romans 4:18-25

“Therefore his faith ‘was reckoned to him as righteousness.’” vs. 22

According to Genesis Abram’s introduction to the Lord was coupled with a request that his walk with the Lord be blameless. It’s hard to understand how Abram could possibly pull that off…even if his name did get changed to Abraham. From the stories about him that follow it’s obvious that he didn’t do what the Lord required…he was pretty much a sinner just like the rest of us. But still it all worked out! Because, as Paul reminds us, his faith was reckoned to him as righteousness. Abram trusted in the Lord’s promise…and that was good enough for the Lord. Paul uses that story to assure his readers, and us, that trust is the key to our relationship with God. None of us are blameless! We all fall short of God’s expectations no matter how hard we try. But when we cling to God’s promise of grace, our faith is honored, not because it’s some sort of good deed, but because it attaches us to God’s love. God’s face is always shining on us…God’s steadfast love is eternal and unconditional. Our act of faith is like a power cord that connects us to that love. Without faith we’re on our own. With faith we are plugged into grace and grace’s energy flows in and transforms our very being…and this is the amazing part…our walk with the Lord becomes blameless…even as we remain sinners!

Thought for the Day: Where does faith come from?

Romans 4:13-17

“For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham…” vs. 16

Paul was writing to a mixed audience, some were Jews and others were Gentiles, and he wanted all of them to know that God’s promise of salvation came by grace through faith, and was available to all. It was never to be limited by race or ethnicity…anyone who trusted in the promise would receive the gift. Paul had been raised under the law as a Jew…and now it gave him great joy to extend the blessing to the nations. It really is a pleasure when we have the opportunity to pass on the good news to those who have felt excluded by boundaries that have been erected through the years. Some have never even heard the promises of love and forgiveness…many have felt unworthy…even more have wandered away from the family of faith. But when people of the promise take time to speak words of love and inclusion those barriers will come tumbling down. Will everyone trust the words of promise? Unfortunately they won’t…the mystery of unbelief is perplexing but real. But many will believe…and will be blessed with the gifts of hope and assurance. And blessed are those who regularly tell the story…and make it their “theme in glory,” for they will know great joy!

Thought for the Day: What is my “theme in glory”?

Psalm 22:27-31

“Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord, and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn, saying that he has done it.” vs. 30-31

There are those who consider that one day the people of the earth will have had enough of God and be done with primitive origin stories. For them it’s a matter of maturity and once science has revealed all its secrets humanity will have come of age and God will be consigned to the trash heap of history. The psalmist would have considered such notions completely bizarre, and not only because he lived over 2000 years ago. He would have been incredulous because he knew that we can’t dismiss God so easily. Without God existence itself is unfathomable. Without God there is no possible reason for us to even be alive, unless we consider that life is accidental and without purpose. Of course our understandings of God will change from generation to generation, particularly as we become aware of the sublime intricacies of the universe and the interconnectedness of all things. But just because we know about black holes and biblical writers didn’t proves nothing…it certainly doesn’t obviate God as the ground of all being. Future generations will continue to seek guidance and direction from the Spirit of God…and parents will keep on instructing their children in the practices of worship and prayer…and we’ll all still struggle to find adequate answers for the travails of life. We’ll never outgrow our need for God!

Thought for the Day: How has my understanding of God changed?

Psalm 22:23-26

“For he did not despise or abhor the affliction of the afflicted; he did not hide his face from me, but heard when I cried to him.” vs. 24

The psalmist is full of thanksgiving as he joins the congregation in their prayers. The Lord has heard his cries and did not abandon him in his affliction. Sometimes when we read words like this we might think, “Well, good for him…but that’s not been my experience!” Many times we just don’t have such a rosy attitude about our relationship with God. In those moments it’s helpful to remember that this is the same psalmist who touched our hearts with his plaintive cry, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” We won’t all have the same God experiences…and our attitudes can change markedly within the span of only a few hours or days. There are times when we do feel abandoned, as though the communication lines with God have been totally wiped out. But as we continue our praying circumstances change and the same lips that heaped curses on God will be moved to sing a song of praise. That’s what it’s like to be in a long-term, committed relationship. In the worst of times and in the best, our loving God will always be near, and ultimately, we will always be lifted up. Our prayers will reflect our mood…what’s important is to keep praying…and be confident that God always hears.

Thought for the Day: What is the mood of my prayers today?

Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16

“When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said to him, ‘I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless.’” vs. 1

According to Genesis immediately after the Lord introduced himself, Abram fell on his face…a phrase describing his worship posture that tickles our ears. Think of it! How would we react if asked to be blameless in all of our affairs and doings? It seems almost overwhelming…how can any human be expected to live a blameless life? Some might even say that it’s good to be a follower of Jesus and not be subject to such unrealistic expectations. Such folks rather relish their sinfulness and are prone to lay strong claim to a general lack of perfection. They like knowing that God’s love is unconditional and that forgiveness is boundless. But Jesus never told his followers to be content with low expectations. According to John’s gospel Jesus told a woman accused of adultery to “Go and sin no more!” The truth is that those who encounter us in the world have every right to expect that we will be blameless in our words and actions. We represent Jesus Christ! Our sins have been forgiven and the Holy Spirit is working overtime in our lives to produce good fruit. We are to have the very highest standards for behavior! And if in response we “fall on our faces,” all the better! There’s no greater exemplar of blameless living than regular humble worship!

Thought for the Day: What does blameless living look like?

Mark 1:9-15

“He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.” vs. 13

Our forty days of Lent are meant to replicate Jesus’ post-baptism experience in the wilderness, and there actually are a few similarities. For one thing we can pretty much count on being tempted by Satan. Oh it isn’t that the Evil One is trying to get us to sin…we do that pretty well on our own without temptation. Rather the test has to do with our baptisms and the call to ministry that goes with them. Jesus had to figure out his mission, and the Adversary peppered him with various alternatives, each of which would have led him away from God’s will. We face the same diverting tactics. There are so many ways for us to live…and we quickly discover that we can get along just fine on any number of routes. We can seek wealth and knowledge and totally ignore the path of service…tons of folks do that. There are no bolts of lightning to scare us back into obedience. Lent provides an opportunity for prayer and meditation about our direction in life. There’s more to being a follower of Jesus than periodic worship and occasional good deeds. We are called to be the Light of the world! And the good news is that we’re not alone…Jesus had angels to wait on him, and so do we. Day by day they care for us and give us strength for mission.

Thought for the Day: Who are my angels?

1 Peter 3:18-22

“And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you—not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,” vs. 21

Noah’s ark was a favorite subject for the catacomb artists of the early church, even more popular than the now familiar pictures of Jesus on the cross. They liked the baptismal connections, the idea that water could bring salvation. They knew that what had happened in Jesus was a “once for all” occurrence and that it didn’t need to be repeated. Baptism became for them a point of engagement, that moment when we as individuals were connected to what had already taken place in Christ. It really is an impressive ritual! Whether by immersion or pouring the water serves as a powerful sign of cleansing and renewal. It reminds us that our sins have been washed away and that we have been raised up to live as new persons. Even more importantly it reeks of grace…especially when the one baptized is an infant. All that we receive from God in Christ is a gift…a completely one-sided covenantal promise. This doesn’t mean that someone who is not baptized is not loved by God. Such a notion is completely contrary to the gospel of grace that is at the core of the Sacrament…and a distortion of how God works in the world. What it does mean is that every baptized person has a reason for daily celebration of cleansing and forgiveness…and it’s all by grace!

Thought for the Day: How do I celebrate baptism each day?