Ezekiel 37:1-14

“Then he said to me, ‘Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, “Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.”” vs. 11

Even though the land of Judah had been devastated by the Babylonian invaders and the ruling families had been carried off to live in the land of exile, the prophet had not lost hope. He looked for revival, for a restoration of the dream, and hope for the future. One day the Spirit of God would blow through the valley of bones and new life would be breathed into the people of God. It’s a powerful image, one that can be reclaimed whenever it seems our congregations and communities of faith have fallen into decline. Sometimes, as people age and the glory years become a memory, we can begin to wonder if there’s a future for the Church, if the changing fancies of the younger generation even have room for the old, old story that has survived through two millennia. It is in these moments that we can find hope in Ezekiel’s image. The gospel of grace isn’t a product of our own making and therefore subject to annihilation by the forces of the culture and the reality of our mortality. The good news of love comes straight from the mouth of God and is for all generations. Over and over again the four winds are summoned and the breath of the Spirit revives the people of the promise. Forms and structures may change but the good news is forever.

Thought for the Day: What gives me hope for the Church?

John 9:35-41

“Jesus said, ‘I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.’” vs. 39

This statement from John’s gospel is one of those enigmatic Jesus sayings that can leave us scratching our heads. We have to read it again and again before its meaning begins to come out…and even then we can’t be sure that we’ve gotten it right. Jesus isn’t saying that he’s come into the world to judge anyone; that’s not his purpose. But as people encounter him there will be two distinct responses. The blind will see and the seeing will become blind. In other words, those who are hurting, confused, and unloved will find healing in his presence. The ones who the world has rejected and marginalized will be loved, forgiven, and embraced. But those who think they see and have it all together, the religious elite and the privileged, will be unable to grasp the gospel of grace. They just won’t get Jesus and will close their hearts to his love. The Pharisees inferred from these words that Jesus was talking about them…and they were right. It’s always that way with those who are confident in themselves and their own perceived righteousness. In fact it’s a trap that many Christians fall into. The good news is that those who have become blind are now in a position to see, and may one day bump into Jesus, and experience his amazing grace.

Thought for the Day: How can Christians become blind to Jesus?

John 9:24-34

“He answered them, ‘I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?’” vs. 27

The gospel writer John, always evangelistic and occasionally obscure, will sometimes drop a bit of humor into his stories. In those moments he seems to be seeking a smile or a chuckle from his hearers and readers, and many times he gets it. In today’s passage he has the beggar daring to poke fun at the Pharisees who have been questioning him about his former state of blindness. John is letting us know that sometimes humor is our best tactic when dealing with religious folks who have gotten tangled up in the nuances of their particular theological system. These Pharisees just didn’t get Jesus…how could be possibly be a sinner and a healer at the same time? Their narrow categories didn’t have a place for someone like him. They couldn’t imagine that just maybe God was messing with them, challenging them to rethink their prejudices. Of course the caustic comment of the beggar didn’t touch their hearts…they only got more resistant and some got angry. That’s how it is with the religious. They fall all over themselves in the rigid enforcement of rules not even realizing that they are the ones who are blind. Often they can’t even see the hand of God in the miracles that are transforming lives all around them every day. And in the end, the joke is always on them.

Thought for the Day: Where have you found humor in scripture?

John 9:13-23

“His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue.” vs. 22

As the gospel writer John wrote his account of Jesus’ life and ministry he naturally makes reference to the conflict that arose between Jesus and the religious establishment. Unfortunately he often uses the word “Jews” to describe those opponents even though Jesus and his followers were also Jews. We can’t be sure why he consistently uses that term as he writes but we do know that his choice has inadvertently fueled the fire of antisemitism for centuries. Whenever Christians have risen up to persecute Jews they’ve used the gospel of John to bolster their fraudulent arguments. Since John says that the Jews killed Jesus such people feel justified in marginalizing Jewish communities and even murdering them by the millions. Their despicable actions are a part of the church’s history and a reminder that prejudice always quickly rises to the surface whenever there is turmoil and tension. While we can’t turn back the clock or erase the atrocities of the past or justify the church’s past positions, we can determine to chart a different course for the future. We who have made a commitment to follow Jesus must at the very least renounce every act of prejudice and religious bias…it’s the only just and right thing for people of faith to do.

Thought for the Day:  Where have I encountered religious bias?

John 9:1-12

“Jesus answered, ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him.’” vs. 3

The disciples were pretty convinced that the beggar’s blindness was because of sin, either his own or his parents. It’s not an unusual notion. Often we hear that people are to blame for their own wretched conditions, that if only they or their parents had made better decisions, life would be good for them. Some folks have an innate need to find causes for the way things are, to somehow explain inequities by pinning the blame on the victim. Jesus rejects that notion. There’s a certain randomness at work in our world and a good deal of mystery connected with misfortune. Some feel his words imply that God caused the man’s blindness, but there’s another way to see it, one that is more consistent with our view of a loving and merciful God. From this perspective the blindness becomes an occasion for revelation of a greater good. We find this happening again and again in this world of accidents and tragedy. Something awful happens…a child dies, a spine is severed, cancer strikes…and it becomes a moment for the celebration of God’s presence and a triumph of the human spirit. These are the Facebook stories that bring tears to our eyes and that awaken us to the precious gift of life that we share. It isn’t good that the awful thing has happened…but the response of the faithful can be awesome and inspiring.

Thought for the Day: How can blessings arise from a moment of tragedy?

Ephesians 5:8-14

“For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light— for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord.” vss. 8-10

According to scripture, those who respond to the gospel of grace by becoming part of the community of faith have moved from darkness into light. That’s a big move, an exhilarating one, and those who make the move immediately know the peace that comes with forgiveness. But there are also expectations. Some behaviors will change. Perhaps old habits will be discarded. The writer to the Ephesians provides some helpful guidance by pointing believers to those things that are “good and right and true.” It’s as we make the “good, right, and true” the cornerstone of our behavior that the light, which is now our essence, can be clearly seen by others. Admittedly this isn’t an easy assignment. Decisions will not always be black or white and sometimes we’ll be charting a course through at least 50 shades of grey. The writer says that all we can do is to try our best…and perhaps through trial and error begin to figure out a lifestyle that is pleasing to the Lord. Will we make mistakes along the way and maybe even slide back to the dark side? Of course, but the light of Christ is more powerful than any darkness, and with confession comes forgiveness, and new chances to let our light shine.

Thought for the Day: What pleases the Lord more than anything else?

Psalm 23

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.” vs. 6

We’re generally aware of the sentiments of this well-known psalm. Some of us know it by heart and we hear it read at nearly every funeral we attend. It’s an embracing scripture, one that holds us closely in moments of pain and suffering. When death comes near its words bring sweet comfort as we hear the promise that God will always be present, no matter what the circumstance. This last verse wraps it all together with the assertion that that goodness and mercy will be companions all the days of our lives and that the place we live is nothing less than the house of the Lord! There are some who might argue with that notion, particularly those who have been victims of injustice and for whom life has been one misery after another. And they have a good argument…but it wasn’t one this psalmist was much interested in hearing. For him, even in the most frightful circumstances, even in the darkest valley, there was goodness and mercy, and he expected that this would always be true. Occasionally we encounter people who have taken this passage to heart, and their optimistic, hopeful attitude is unmistakable. In their effervescent presence we feel goodness overflow, and their mercies lift us up. Through them the good shepherd claims us as his own, takes us in his arms, and welcomes us home.

Thought for the Day: Where will I experience goodness and mercy today?

1 Samuel 16:1-13

“He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The Lord said, ‘Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.’” vs. 12

Samuel had a tough job. He was appointed by the Lord to pick a new king for Israel to replace Saul, the man he thought was doing a reasonably good job before he messed up. The task was made a bit more ticklish because Saul wasn’t dead yet…in the eyes of the people he was still king. Samuel’s mission could have reasonably been construed as treason. He had a number of candidates, all the sons of Jesse, but no direct guidance for making his decision. He knew he was looking for leadership qualities and that those would probably be internal, but in the end he couldn’t help taking external appearances into account. He chose the handsome son, the one with beautiful eyes. Oh, and he was a shepherd! As it turned out, that was probably his most helpful qualification. We generally use the same factors as we make our choices for rulers, companions, and even spouses. It seems wise to say that we’re looking for morality, ethics, and strong values, but in the end, appearance always turns out to be important. In David’s case the decision turned out to be relatively sound…though he might not have gotten in that Bathsheba mess if he hadn’t been so handsome. Sometimes we luck out too, and our choice turns out to be an amazing guide and caretaker…the shepherd all of us need.

Thought for the Day: What appearances do I look for in others?

John 4:27-42

“Do you not say, ‘Four months more, then comes the harvest’? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting.” vs. 35

The gospel of John is not kind to the disciples in that it often portrays them as not getting the point of what Jesus is up to. In this text they are preoccupied with finding food and are astounded by his careless associations. Not only is he having a conversation with a Samaritan, but he’s been hanging out with a woman! While they are likely anxious to get out of unclean territory he decides to hang out there for two more days. They know they’ve been called for ministry…they just don’t see any prospects in that particular locale. Jesus tells them to look around, “Take a look at all these Samaritans,” he says, “this place is ripe for harvesting.” Too often we have that same kind of short-sightedness as we consider our call to discipleship. We spend a lot of time lamenting the lack of opportunity for outreach when in truth there are thousands of people needing to hear and experience the gospel of grace all around. This is an age of intense spiritual curiosity and people are searching as never before. There’s a sense of discontent with traditional forms and styles of being the church, but that doesn’t mean people aren’t hungry for valid God encounters. Some of the groundwork has already been laid…and we have been sent to reap where others have labored. All that is lacking is imagination and courage…the harvest awaits.

Thought for the Day: Why do some congregations struggle with outreach?

John 4:16-26

“But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him.” vs. 23

People of faith have long been susceptible to worship squabbles. No part of the liturgy is immune to endless debates about the proper tradition or theological perspective. We argue about sanctuary set-up and stained glass windows, about whether icons or statuary are acceptable or should be excluded. And that’s just in the Christian community! If we were to extend the debate to other religions we might easily be tempted to go to war…as Christians actually have done in the past! It’s a mess! Jesus tells us that all those differences are beside the point. While it is true that some types of worship are more consistent with the gospel of grace, worship itself cannot be confined by liturgies or locale. Often the finest worship takes place far outside the confines of church buildings, synagogues, temples, or mosques. It happens in those moments when believers encounter the holy Presence and are moved to bow hearts in prayer and praise. One thing is certain! These experiences of worship will not be exclusive or divisive. Rather they will open our hearts and minds to embrace one another in love and compassion. True worship draws believers together and is the result of the Spirit’s work in the world…and should not be confused with “sleeping in” or just skipping church for the heck of it!

Thought for the Day: How can I worship in spirit and in truth?