Matthew 17:1-4

“Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’” vs. 4

The day started with a stiff climb…we can only hope the disciples had brought some lunch…it was a special day for them. Jesus often went off in the wilderness by himself for prayer and meditation, but today he’d asked the three of them to go along. At first Peter didn’t really get it…Jesus went off by himself and left them alone. And then he saw…and it was like nothing he’d ever experienced…Jesus enveloped in light, and he seemed to be talking with someone. Peter only knew that he was glad to be in that spot at that time. It was one of those moments that come unexpectedly, a time of transfiguration in which past and future are fused and we yearn to live in the present forever. For some it happens on retreat, maybe in a forest glade or on a desert trail…or even a mountain top! It’s that moment when we brush against one of those thin places in the fabric of time and space, and we feel the Divine Presence in a way that is beyond real, mystical and palpable at the same time. For the disciples it was a glimpse of resurrection, a vision of Jesus victorious…and it really didn’t make sense for them until after Easter. Sometimes that’s how those magical moments are…they don’t make sense until we need them to!

Thought for the Day: My most memorable moment of retreat!

2 Peter 1:19-21

“First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation,” vs. 20

One of the very best conversation stoppers when talking about scriptural interpretation is to say, “Well, that’s just your opinion!” Not only does this emphatic statement end the debate, it reflects the common notion that we are free to interpret scripture in just about any way that we want. And not only that, it implies that every person’s conclusion is as valid as any other, because, “it’s all just opinion.” Now it is true that scripture can have value on many different levels, and we don’t all have to be skilled in exegesis before starting to read. Still, it’s also true that the bible is a tough book to interpret and understand…every word of it comes out of a particular time and context and the more we know of those things the more clearly it can speak to us. Frankly we’d be foolish not to consult those familiar with the original languages and ancient cultures before forming our own conclusions about scriptural prophecies and testimonies. The more we learn in our individual studies the more Spirit-directed insights will come our way. Relying on our own interpretation will never get us beyond the limits of our own knowledge and imagination. Trusted and reliable guides will expand our consciousness and allow the Holy Spirit to fill our minds with new challenges and even cause us to reform our lives. The bible is not a dead book. It’s fresh and new for every generation of informed reader…and is our primary connection to Jesus.

Thought for the Day: What tools have helped me understand the bible?

2 Peter 1:16-18

“For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty.” vs. 16

One of the ways Christianity is different from other religions is its connection to a person who lived and breathed and walked this earth. Granted, our written records of that person come from among his disciples (Jesus himself never wrote anything) and reflect their occasionally different memories of his words and actions, but there is no doubt that their experience of him was life-changing. They came to believe that he was the Christ, and through their testimony billions have become believers. As a result Christianity can never really be reduced to a set of doctrines or even a statement of faith, but is at its core intensely personal. Believers often speak of a relationship that they have with Jesus, a connection that goes beyond adherence to a particular metaphysical system. One of the exciting aspects of this core belief is the amazing diversity that exists among disciples. Followers of Jesus have any number of divergent beliefs about the world and how faith should be lived out, but all will feel a kinship with him, and look to him as their source of strength and hope. This has resulted in wonderful elasticity through the years as the Church has been molded and remolded to fit the times. Change is a natural part of the Christian experience, something to be embraced, because our focal point is personal, and not theological. Praise God!

Thought for the Day: How would I describe my personal relationship with Jesus?

Psalm 2:7-12

“Serve the Lord with fear, with trembling kiss his feet, or he will be angry, and you will perish in the way; for his wrath is quickly kindled. Happy are all who take refuge in him.” vss. 11-12

This psalm was composed for the coronation of a king in Judah, and these verses were addressed to the kings of other nations, a warning that they’d better not even think of messing with this new ruler. There’s a formulaic tone to the words, a kind of bravado that people have come to expect when a new sovereign begins to reign. It’s a time to rally the crowds and to remind constituents that this king has been chosen by the Lord, and that the Lord will have his back in every circumstance. We like to believe such things about our leaders, imagining that they’re divinely chosen and that God is on our side in every conflict, and that ultimately our side will always win. Such talk is common in every generation…and mostly it’s just talk! Its absurdity becomes obvious in events like World War I when both sides prayed to God for victory…and millions died as a result of purely human vanity and greed. It is true, however, that we should serve the Lord with fear and trembling, and not turn him into some sort of gentle giant. The Creator of the Universe is not to be mocked or presumed upon. There’s raw power in God…and our role is purely to worship…and humbly serve in God’s holy name.

Thought for the Day: When do I tremble in God’s presence?

 Psalm 2:1-6

“He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord has them in derision.” vs. 4

The psalmist imagines the Lord laughing at the scheming of the nations, as they struggle for power and control in this broken world. One after another they had attacked Israel, hoping in vain that they would be able to obliterate this proud and independent people. It is truly remarkable that they were not successful. Israel simply didn’t have the resources to stand against her enemies. But her faith was strong…and the people survived. Evidently there are things in a nation’s arsenal more important than bows and arrows or even bombs and bullets. It’s been hard to rulers to figure this out through the generations…even today there is a massive power struggle among them as they seek those coveted positions of glory and strength. They love to build up armies and use weapons of mass destruction to wipe out enemies and establish control. Trillions of dollars are used to maintain and support air forces, navies, and armies. Always there are shipments of arms and jockeying for position. And it’s all so very pointless. We live on a tiny blue planet in an obscure corner of the universe, on an earth that oozes life and vitality…and yet we try so hard to kill and destroy. No wonder God laughs at us and our petty little wars. Our scheming is perfectly ridiculous…and always fails to produce the peace that faith brings, the peace that is the desire of every human heart.

Thought for the Day: What are the prospects for world peace?

Exodus 24:12-18

“The glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the cloud.” vs. 16

In scripture the locus of God’s presence is regularly represented as an obscuring cloud, a wonderful metaphor for the mystery and hiddenness that is a part of God’s nature. In this passage Moses prepares for his divine encounter by going up on Mount Sinai and then entering into the cloud where after some delay God calls to him. We don’t get the details of the meeting and the special effects of movies like The Ten Commandments really aren’t much help. There is just no way to describe God…or our God encounters. And if we try to take away the mystery we only diminish the experience. If that means that we’re always going to “be in a fog” as we come close to God, so be it! Just as fog closes in around us, enveloping us in its misty presence, so God surrounds us in times of need, pressing close, obscuring our senses, and keeping us safe. Of course if our only God encounters were of those hidden and mysterious sort, we’d be left with only a sense of wonderment and amazement, but not much understanding. Fortunately God does come to us in other ways too, most notably in the presence of Jesus where we get a full taste of the love that most completely defines God’s nature. Without Jesus there would only be clouds, wonderful for hiding the divine aura, but not much good for revelation.

Thought for the Day: What does it feel like to be in a fog?

Matthew 5:43-48

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven;” vss. 43-45a

In recent months deep divisions have emerged in our country among people holding divergent opinions about a wide variety of subjects. Some of this has to do with political preferences, conservative vs. liberal, and the usual kind of party differences. But this time it seems something has changed. Deep-seated resentments have risen to the surface and cracks have emerged in long-time friendships. People are finding it hard to have civil discourse with those they’ve known for many years. Some have adapted by retreated into a silent mode…they don’t want to be involved in perpetual arguments and just stop talking about certain subjects. It is true that debate isn’t going to stop the conflict…too many have stopped listening and there’s no longer agreement about what used to be known as facts. These are times to turn back to scripture and take to heart Jesus’ words about loving our enemies and praying for those who persecute us. He reminds us that God loves all people and offers blessings to all, even the evil and unrighteous. There’s gotten to be too much hatred among us…the vitriolic attacks in personal encounters and in social media are just unacceptable. We aren’t going to agree with everyone, but Jesus calls on us to love everyone…no exceptions!

Thought for the Day: How have my relationships been damaged recently?

Matthew 5:38-42

“But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also;” vs. 39

The whole practice of nonviolent resistance has pretty much fallen out of favor in these latter days. Even though it worked well for Gandhi and for King, many Christians have figured out how to get around Jesus’ straightforward instructions. Millions have decided that the Second Amendment offers better guidance than the Sermon on the Mount and have adopted a creed of violent resistance that echoes Old Testament law. Popular culture reinforces that attitude with a steady diet of movies that promote getting tough and getting even. By nature we don’t like to be taken advantage of and few people see reckless generosity as an attribute or even God-pleasing. Granted, this is a difficult subject, and we quickly run into questions related to military actions and the possibility of just wars. Obviously we don’t want to see innocents slaughtered in terrorist actions, and passive resistance to those who are cutting off heads seems absurd. But those ambiguities have always been a part of Christlike living and we can’t be too quick to dismiss Jesus’ words about nonviolence. More often than not, in nearly all of our daily encounters, his admonition to live gently and at peace with our neighbor will reap enormous benefits. There’s plenty of tough talk out there, more than enough, and what’s really needed is a return to turning the other cheek!

Thought for the day: When has turning the other cheek worked for me?

1 Corinthians 3:18-23

“Do not deceive yourselves. If you think that you are wise in this age, you should become fools so that you may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.” vss. 18-19a

We live in an age where no one seems to know what is going on, or have any clue about what is going to happen. The loudest voices are those of the fear-mongers and they tell us to be afraid, that the future is going to be full of violence and terror, and that only the strong will survive. Many of our leaders claim to be wise and exude confidence in whatever they proclaim. They provide answers…but the answers are conflicting and truth is considered relative. Doubters and protesters proliferate and it feels as though we’re sliding into chaos. Old verities have been discarded and we’re not sure if the new ones have substance. Policies are being enacted without a clear view of consequences and we worry that big mistakes are going to be made. Paul advised the people of Corinth that those who think they are wise should become fools…so that they might become wise. He has in mind here not the tomfoolery of Groucho Marx but the childlike humility modeled so well by Jesus. Oh how wonderful it would be if those who wish to be leaders could adopt humble, self-effacing postures…and maybe even admit that they don’t have all the answers. In the absence of such leadership we have no recourse but Christ…in him we shall never be separated from the love of God.

Thought for the Day: What signs of hope do you see in our world?

1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-17

“For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ.” vs. 11

As the early followers of Jesus continued to reflect on the gospel of grace, they realized that there would have to be some sort of organizing principle for the house churches that had popped up in all the major cities. They would need to figure out worship schedules, leadership issues, membership requirements…all those things that human communities need to function smoothly. What would work best, a top down structure with some respected leader running things, or would more of an egalitarian system work better? How could they set things up to continue a strong outreach program and also provide for the poor among them? Would there ever be a time when there would have to be building committees and stewardship drives? None of those things were in place…and it’s doubtful that anyone envisioned what the church would ultimately become…and Jesus hadn’t left them a template for a  churchwide structure! As they began to think about such things there were regular controversies and lots of divergent thinking. Paul began to worry about unity, whether Jesus’ one commandment could be a reality in the midst of such diversity. He does have one conviction though, and he expresses it forcefully: whatever structure emerged there could never be any foundation other than the one already laid, Jesus Christ. His words ring true for us twenty centuries later. “The church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord!

Thought for the Day: What happens when our foundation is not Jesus Christ?