2 Samuel 7:1-7

“Nathan said to the king, ‘Go, do all that you have in mind; for the Lord is with you.’” vs. 3

Initially the prophet Nathan was only echoing what political sycophants have done for millennia. He told King David to do whatever he wanted to do because the Lord was with him. Folks in position of power love to get that kind of encouragement. That’s why politicians choose cabinets and advisory teams who tell them exactly what they want to hear…and it’s scary to see how often those leaders end up believing that God will rubber stamp whatever they want to have done. They say or do whatever they desire and then tell their followers that God has been their director…and sometimes they even believe their own deceptions! Fortunately for David, Nathan was a different breed of prophet and dared to speak a contrary word to the king. What a blessing such prophets are among us! In reality it’s hard for any of us to discern whether the Lord is with us in our decision making. Often we’ll crave God’s direction but ultimately most of us end up doing whatever it is that we want….which is not a bad thing! The mistake is not the making of a decision…our error comes when we start believing that the decision we’ve made is God’s will. Most of the time we just don’t have that degree of insight…unless of course, we’ve got a Nathan who can tell us the truth!

Thought for the Day: Who is my Nathan?

John 1:19-28

“He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, ‘I am not the Messiah.’” vs. 20

“Know thyself!” is a bit of ancient wisdom sometimes attributed to Socrates, though it probably even predates him. It’s an important truth, a maxim that can guide our efforts at personal growth, but probably the first step in such self-knowledge is knowing who we are not, and that’s where John the Baptist is the perfect model. When people came asking who he was, his response was to tell them who he was not. He was not the messiah…and neither are we! While it is true that others can see Christ in us we should never imagine that we are the messiah…and that’s a good thing. We’re not in charge of saving the world! We’re not even in charge of saving ourselves. We read stories of people with messiah complexes, and their inflated egos can wreak havoc in the world. Their insufferable pretensions not only mislead the gullible, but when the self-deceived operate from positions of power the usual consequence is disaster. In a week we’ll be celebrating the coming of the true messiah, and in his shadow, as his servants, we are free to be our authentic selves. He has already charted a path through the sufferings and the blessings of this world. All we have to do is walk in his footsteps…and find joy in the journey.

Thought for the Day: Why are people with messiah complexes so dangerous?

John 1:6-8

“He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.” vs. 8

There are times in this world of intrusive darkness when we would very much like to brighten the day for someone caught in the depths of sadness and despair. And so we try! We test jokes and witty sayings, or maybe try out some little bit of fluff and pablum that we’ve picked up from the internet. Sometimes we might coax a smile or maybe get an upturned corner of the mouth, but often nothing we try seems to work. Pain which is deeply rooted can’t be budged by the trivial or the superficial. It’s important in those instances to relax and not even try to be the cheergiver. What people want is a word of understanding and acceptance. They want feelings to be honored and not discounted by shallow distractions. So we’re at our best when we are ourselves, knowing that we’re not the light that’s doing to shatter darkness, and yet content to be a loving presence. Like John the baptizer we do have a role in the salvation story but we’re not the star. We’re the witnesses…and our call is to bring comfort by pointing to the one who is the Light of the World. And often the One who is the Light works through our gentleness and brings to the hurting one an aura of peace and joy. And in our humility, healing comes!

Thought for the Day: What’s the difference between talking about Jesus and testifying to the light?

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

“May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” vs. 23

Paul closes his first letter to the Thessalonians with a benediction that reveals the depth of his love. He prays that God would sanctify them entirely and that they might be found blameless when the Lord Jesus returns. In offering this blessing he mentions their spirit and soul and body, the totality of who they are. His words reflect the distinction we sometimes make between our internal and external lives. So often we act as though God only cares about our interior selves, our spirits and souls, and that the way we treat our bodies doesn’t make much difference. In fact, when we look around, even in our congregations, it seems obvious that many neglect the physical in their effort to live sanctified lives. We eat poorly, exercise seldom, and imagine that the exterior self requires little care. In truth God cares deeply about diet and exercise…our bodies are a precious gift and deserve the best care possible. Healthy self care requires that we balance the needs of body, soul, and spirit with careful attention to study, prayer, and action. It’s not that we’re involved in some sort of competition or that God is going to weed out the unfit in the last judgment…our discipline is simply our grateful response to the creative act of love that has given us existence.

Thought for the Day: What can I do to become more fit?

1 Thessalonians 5:16-22

“Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil.” vss. 19-22

The little congregation huddled in the Greek city of Thessalonica was pretty much on its own. They had no constitution or synodical guidance. There were no rostered leaders or seminary trained pastors. The gospels hadn’t even been written yet and many of them were unfamiliar with the Hebrew scriptures. Undoubtedly they welcomed this letter from their founder, the now absent Paul. He tells them to cling closely to their faith…Jesus will be returning shortly…and not to quench the Spirit. We live in different times…we’ve got bishops and popes and thousands of rostered leaders…and we’re tempted to stifle the Spirit. We love living by our traditions and confessions and fear what might happen if the Spirit were unleashed. Who knows? We could even be led to abandon our denominations and be joined together in one holy and apostolic Church. The Spirit could undermine our cultural creeds and lead us to make scary stands on behalf of the poor and the needy. An unleashed Spirit could turn life right side up and how could we know what we should do? Paul says that it’s easy: just “hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil.” All kinds of forms and creeds can change, but as long as we hold to those basics we’ll be just fine!

Thought for the Day: How can I know what is good?

Psalm 126

“Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.” vs. 6

The third Sunday in Advent arrives on the scene during the darkest time of the year, those days when the sun seems reluctant to show itself and the long nights can bring tearful thoughts of absent loved ones. By tradition, and probably not by accident, this is also the Sunday when we light the pink candle of joy on our Advent wreaths. It reminds us of the intimate relationship between tears and joy in our walk with Jesus. For many the walk through these dark December days is marked by weeping…it’s supposed to be a season of carols and celebration but sometimes all we feel is the pain of loss and separation. This is family time…but brokenness intrudes…and tears flow freely. And then the miracle comes! For people of faith out of the darkness light flickers and bursts into flame. The pink candle is lit and we sense a bit of joy, and with it comes hope. It’s almost as though there’s nourishment in the tears, and the testimony of the psalmist rings true. “Those who go out weeping…shall come home with shouts of joy.” Even when pain and despair grip our souls our suffering Lord stands near with healing for wounded hearts…and by grace the Advent pink triumphs in the midst of the Christmas blues!

Thought for the Day: When have I felt joy in the midst of despair?

Isaiah 61:8-11

“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” vs. 10

The people of Judah didn’t have much when they came back to the Land of Promise…the years in exile had depleted their energy and resources…but they still had their faith, and believed wholeheartedly that God had delivered them! And for their prophet, that was worth a celebration! His words are an inspiration for us, and a reminder that what God has done in Jesus is worth all the Hallelujah choruses that we can muster. We’re so aware of the darkness in our world and sometimes despair can grip our hearts, but then comes Christmas with its message of hope and salvation. As by faith we cling to Jesus we receive assurance that each of us have been covered with the white robe of righteousness, and it’s all a gift. Even the dark legions of death are no match for the light that has dawned in Jesus. He has come to bind up the brokenhearted with promises of mercy and life and we are bound to exult in his promises. That doesn’t mean there will be no tears in this season of reflection…our losses make that impossible. But that needn’t stop our exultation. If anything the feelings of pain intensify the feelings of joy!

Thought for the Day: What do I have to celebrate this year?

Isaiah 61:1-4

“The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners;” vs. 1

From Luke’s gospel we learn that Jesus chose this verse from Isaiah as his mission statement. We can infer from his choice that his followers are sent for the same purpose: “to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners.” It seems so simple! And yet through the centuries Christians have gotten hopelessly sidetracked. We’ve devoted enormous energy and resources to supporting oppressors, heaping guilt on the brokenhearted, enslaving the weak, and imprisoning opponents. We’ve encouraged the rich and the powerful and taken care to insure that the wealthy prosper. These Advent texts are a powerful reminder of Jesus’ counter-cultural message, and as we take them to heart we give integrity to his continuing mission. How good it is that millions of his followers all around the world have rededicated themselves to serving the least and the lowly, and offering hope to those who have been broken down by the world’s ways! Through them the Spirit of the Lord God is made manifest and Christ continues to be present. Christmas is more than a time for nostalgic memories…it’s a time to celebrate the dynamic presence of our generous living Lord. His followers can and do make a difference for good!

Thought for the Day: How do I choose where to give?

Mark 1:6-8

“I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” vs. 8

These words from Mark’s gospel are familiar…we hear them every year during Advent…but they’ve been ever so confusing to followers of Jesus. Our different perspectives on water and spirit baptism have led to endless debates and occasional division. During the darkest periods of church history believers have even been killed because of varying baptismal practices. All Mark is trying to say is that there’s a difference between the baptisms of John and Jesus. With John there’s an emphasis on confession and repentance…he was asking people to change their lives and start bearing fruit in daily living. Jesus doesn’t negate that in his ministry. In fact his aim is the same…he’s all about fruitful living. But Jesus adds power to the equation. Through the Holy Spirit, that special gift of God, we are actually equipped and enabled to produce the fruits that God has in mind for us. On our own we can have every good intention…we just can’t pull it off. But when the mysterious power of the Spirit touches our hearts we are transformed and the results are amazing. What we couldn’t do on our own, we can do through the Spirit, and that includes loving those who have different views about baptism! Nothing is more repugnant to the Christ than the endless doctrinal battles of believers…such behavior is most certainly not of the Holy Spirit!

Thought for the Day: Why can’t Christians just get along?

Mark 1:1-5

“And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.” vs. 5

For Mark the beginning of the good news of Jesus begins, not with dreams and angel visitations, but with the wilderness ministry of a fiery prophet with a message of repentance. John the Baptist was a significant figure and he attracted major crowds…he even caught the attention of the king. But he wasn’t the star of the show…in Las Vegas parlance, he was the warm-up act. His purpose was to prepare the way for Jesus and he did it by inviting people to confess their sins and submit to baptism. And it worked! Folks came from the whole region of Judea and were immersed by him in the Jordan River. But according to Mark this was only the beginning…something even better was on the way. We’re reminded of this during Advent as we move through the prescribed self-examination of the season. It’s good to wait and watch and wonder…and there’s a certain contentment that comes with our chosen rituals. But Advent only prepares the way! It’s like the moment of confession that precedes the body and the blood of Jesus in Holy Communion. It’s what we do to get ready for the explosion of power that comes in the Christ. Repentance is wonderful but the indwelling incarnate word defies description!

Thought for the Day: Why did Jesus need John?