1 Corinthians 1:25-31

“But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;” vs. 27

The first to embrace the gospel in the cities where Paul preached were generally from the working class…many of them were slaves. Only occasionally would someone with wealth and power become a believer. These low-born types loved the message of equality and freedom that they heard from the early evangelists. They liked being a part of a faith community where being rich didn’t give a special status, where everyone was recognized as gifted, and where there were no racial or ethnic distinctions. As these early believers gathered in their house churches the Holy Spirit brought forth amazing fruit and the movement grew quickly. As the centuries passed the church continued to be strong as long as she remained true to the values of her humble beginnings. Unfortunately too often the church has forgotten those principles and adopted the ways of the world. Popes became sovereigns, bishops became princes, and the focus shifted from service to exploitation. In response God has again and again chosen the weak and lowly to bring reformation and a renewed emphasis on justice and freedom. Only by God’s grace has the church been able to recover its core values and remain faithful to the mission of the Christ. Praise God for the power and influence of the foolish and the weak in our broken world!

Thought for the Day: What are the core values of my congregation?

1 Corinthians 1:18-24

“For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,” vss. 22-23

For centuries Christian apologists and theologians have written books and published scholarly articles in an effort to present the gospel message in an orderly and systematic way. Much of their writing and reasoning has been masterfully done and has brought satisfaction to countless readers. But still skeptics remain…some of them deeply committed followers of Jesus. Their common response is “this just doesn’t make any sense!” And they’re right! As Paul indicates, the core teaching of Christianity, that the Christ was crucified, is a stumbling block for some and foolishness to others. It doesn’t make sense! Think of it! The one sent by God to be the messiah, the savior of the world, was executed for a capital crime. He died an ignominious death in isolation, abandoned by most of his followers, and the object of derision and scorn. Whoever heard of such a messiah? No wonder Paul had a problem convincing anyone to become a disciple…it was a foolish message. But Paul and others kept on proclaiming the crucified messiah and in the process discovered a power that transformed the world. In our time some would like to just focus on the teachings of Jesus and forget about the folly of the cross. But it just doesn’t work! Without a crucified messiah, the gospel has no power! Whether we like it or not!

Thought for the Day: How do I try to make sense of the gospel?

 Psalm 15:4-5

“who do not lend money at interest, and do not take a bribe against the innocent. Those who do these things shall never be moved.” vs. 5

The practice of lending money at interest developed many thousands of years ago and was addressed several times by the writers of our scripture. Like the psalmist these thinkers believed that those who lived blamelessly and in accordance with God’s standards would not think of lending money at interest. Initially this prohibition was designed to keep poor people from being unduly burdened as they struggled to pay their debts. Later on in Christian practice it was interpreted as a prohibition against the charging of interest in any circumstance. Obviously times have changed and now any loan is more than likely to require the payment of interest. With those changes we once again face an environment in which interest payments to predatory lenders can become an enormous burden for the poor. The bottom line problem is of course the love of money! Given the opportunity sinful humans will use every scheme possible to extract riches from the vulnerable. This insatiable desire for profit at any cost means that more and more people are struggling with enormous debts. Any person sincerely interested in doing justice simply cannot ignore this massive societal issue. Rapidly escalating medical, educational, and housing debts…all ultimately driven by greed…have created a debtor class that cries to God for relief.

Thought for the Day: What can I do about economic injustice?

Psalm 15:1-3

“O Lord, who may abide in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy hill? Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right, and speak the truth from their heart;” vss. 1-2

Those who have become accustomed to living by grace may look at verses like this and breathe a sigh of relief, “Thank God we don’t have to live under the burden of the law anymore!” That’s a comforting thought…and it is good to know that salvation comes by grace. But the notion that all God’s standards were dropped when Jesus came on the scene is sadly misguided…and dangerous for the faith community. Blameless living is still the expectation, especially for those who have been baptized into Christ. Unless we are beyond reproach in all our actions and deeds, unless we habitually speak the truth, our witness is compromised and trust is destroyed. Such standards are even more crucial as we move into this era of fake news with its callous disregard for truth-telling. When everything our political leaders say and do is taken with a grain of salt, and blatant lying is called “hyperbole,” it’s more important than ever for us to be known for righteous living and trustworthy speech. Of course we won’t be able to be perfect. We are going to fall short and telling the truth will also mean admitting a lie or confessing a sin. Such humility is also one of God’s standards…and ultimately serves to enhance our witness!

Thought for the Day: Am I currently living a life that is “beyond reproach”?

Micah 6:1-8

“He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” vs. 8

If we were asked to choose a single verse from scripture as a personal mission statement, we’d be hard pressed to find a better one than this gem from the pen of Micah. The prophet is obviously frustrated with his people’s preoccupation with the externals of the religious life…the never-ending sacrifices and the hypocritical behavior. He lets them know that the Lord cares nothing for all their proper worship and excessive offerings. In his eyes, a God-fearing life is not rocket science…it’s just not that hard to figure out what is pleasing to God. “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” If we’re looking for words to guide our daily walk, we just can’t do any better than this! This is a verse to be memorized and emblazoned on our hearts! We are so drawn to the trappings of religion…the proper liturgies and correct theologies…and it’s so easy for us to forget the basics. Doing justice, loving kindness, and living humbly may not seem like much, but when these are the core practices of a faith community, God’s blessings will be multiplied…and the world will be changed.

Thought for the Day: Which verse of scripture is my personal mission statement?

Matthew 4:18-23

“As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen.” vs. 18

As Jesus began his ministry the first item on his “to do” list was to enlist some disciples, folks who he could teach and who he could send out on missions. These disciples would also insure the continuation of his ministry after he was gone. His initial choices are instructive. He didn’t choose the learned or wealthy. Instead he picked working class people, fishermen who made their living with their hands, and they became the leaders of the early Church. This pattern has continued through the centuries and it’s amazing to see how it works out in our congregations. Following Jesus’ example, leaders are chosen, not on the basis of degrees or status, but according to their spiritual gifts. As a result, congregation councils, those who lead the church on the grassroots level, come from every walk of life. Blue collar and white collar workers, engineers, laborers, teachers…sit side by side around our leadership tables and guide the direction of ministry. There are no distinctions, and the only requirement is a common desire to follow Jesus and engage in proclaiming the good news. Where congregations are attentive to using the gifts of the whole community, the talents of ordinary people bring extraordinary results.

Thought for the Day: How are leaders chosen in my congregation?

Matthew 4:12-17

“From that time Jesus began to proclaim, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’” vs. 17

According to Matthew, following John’s arrest Jesus left the region of the Jordan and returned to his home territory, eventually making his home in Capernaum, at the north end of the sea of Galilee. His message initially was exactly the same as John’s, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Something momentous was about to happen, it was right around the corner; barriers were being broken down, but changes were going to have to be made. Those who made the changes, those who repented, would catch a glimpse of God’s glory, and their lives would never be the same. Jesus was right. The kingdom of heaven did come in the course of his life and ministry, and it continues to come near to us today. It comes to us in the here and now…we don’t have to wait until we die…each day eyes of faith will catch sight of the divine, not in the spectacular, but in the ordinary. God is here, not in some far off inaccessible corner of the galaxy, and breaks into our lives when we least expect it. If we’ve been longing for those heavenly encounters it’s important to remember that there’s a connection with repentance. It’s as the Spirit changes us, in small ways and in large, that our eyes are opened and we begin to catch the divine glimpses our hearts desire.

Thought for the Day: What changes have I been putting off?

1 Corinthians 1:17-18

“For Christ did not send me to baptize but to proclaim the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its power.” vs. 17

Paul is bothered by the divisions in Corinth and has real insight about the causes. He implies in this verse that it’s the sheer eloquence and wisdom of some of the preachers who have wandered through the congregation. They are so good that they have developed followings…and people have become more devoted to them than to Jesus. It’s a problem that has continued to torment the Church of Christ, particularly in our individualistic and personality driven culture. Some pastors are really entertaining preachers…they know how to capture a crowd with stories and illustrations. They can move a congregation to tears or have them rolling in the aisles with laughter. Soon the pews are packed and new sanctuaries are built to accommodate the crowds…the community prospers. But where has the power come from? Is it the cross of Christ or is it the preacher’s personality? Paul is thankful that he was not an eloquent preacher. And because he wasn’t, he was able to proclaim the gospel with power…he never got in the way of the message. Congregations that become personality cults will seldom be effective for long…they can’t be…their foundations are built on sand and not on Christ the rock.

Thought for the Day: Why is the cult of personality so damaging for the church?

Corinthians 1:10-16

“Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose.” vs. 10

Paul had some lofty expectations for that congregation in Corinth. He wanted them to be united in the same mind and the same purpose. It seems a reasonable ideal but in practice it’s been next to be impossible to pull off. Wherever the church has been established it takes no time at all for members to be at odds with one another. Invariably differences begin to be seen as an irritation rather than a blessing. One group or another has a sense of superiority based on knowledge or history and there begin to be subtle power struggles. Sometimes religious practices and doctrines cause separation or maybe it’s the way scripture is interpreted. There are perhaps thousands of factors that have been involved in the fragmentation of Christianity. Certainly it should not be expected that congregations will have conformity in liturgy or practice…obviously believers have different preferences for worship and structure. But there’s no reason for us to tear each other down and fight among ourselves. Certainly that was not the intention of Jesus for his followers. We have been called to be the light of the world and not waste our energy on bickering with brothers and sister. It’s past time for us to start working together to proclaim the good news.

Thought for the Day: How have I been affected by division in the church?

Psalm 27:6-9

“Do not hide your face from me. Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help. Do not cast me off, do not forsake me, O God of my salvation!” vs. 9

The psalmist couldn’t help thinking that God might for some reason turn against him and desert him in a time of need. It seemed logical. Even though God had been faithful in the past there was always a chance that God would go into hiding. It’s so easy to get caught up in that kind of reasoning…after all we’ve learned from human interactions that even the best relationships can fall apart. Some Christians are severely troubled by thoughts like this. They live in constant fear that they’re going to fall into sin or do some bad thing, and that God in response is going to become angry, even though they’ve been so careful. When Martin Luther was becoming a monk he spent many long hours in confession because he couldn’t be perfect…he was always having some bad thought or doing something wrong, and then he would have to run back to his confessor. It took a long time for him to achieve a sense of peace with God, and that only happened when he realized that God would never desert him, that his salvation had already been assured, and that it had come to him as a gift. Fearing God means respecting and worshiping God, not being afraid of God. This is most certainly true!

Thought for the Day: If God won’t forsake us, why do we sometimes feel forsaken?