Romans 3:19-20

“Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.” vs. 19

In recent years the church has been wracked by division as individuals and congregations have gotten fed up for one reason or another and gone their separate ways. In that context there might be some who long for the “good old days” when believers hung together and practiced the unity that Jesus recommended to his followers. Of course a careful reading of our scriptures will quickly disabuse us of that notion. Paul battled divisions in all the little congregations that he worked with, and had a particular struggle negotiating the differences between Jewish and Gentile Christians. Speaking as an expert in the law he addressed the issue in his letter to Rome. He tells that community that the Jews among them do not have an advantage because they have the law. Putting it simply (something Paul was seemingly unable to do), living under the law will always leave a person with guilt. Not living under the law did not absolve the Gentiles of responsibility. Everyone was accountable and all had sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Ultimately there is no point in dividing because no matter who we hook up with, we’ll still all be sinners. In other words, the basis for our unity in Christ is our common sinfulness. It’s as true for us as it was for the folks in Rome.

Thought for the Day: When are divisions in the church justified?

Romans 3:19-20

“Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.” vs. 19

In recent years the church has been wracked by division as individuals and congregations have gotten fed up for one reason or another and gone their separate ways. In that context there might be some who long for the “good old days” when believers hung together and practiced the unity that Jesus recommended to his followers. Of course a careful reading of our scriptures will quickly disabuse us of that notion. Paul battled divisions in all the little congregations that he worked with, and had a particular struggle negotiating the differences between Jewish and Gentile Christians. Speaking as an expert in the law he addressed the issue in his letter to Rome. He tells that community that the Jews among them do not have an advantage because they have the law. Putting it simply (something Paul was seemingly unable to do), living under the law will always leave a person with guilt. Not living under the law did not absolve the Gentiles of responsibility. Everyone was accountable and all had sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Ultimately there is no point in dividing because no matter who we hook up with, we’ll still all be sinners. In other words, the basis for our unity in Christ is our common sinfulness. It’s as true for us as it was for the folks in Rome.

Thought for the Day: When are divisions in the church justified?

Psalm 46:4-11

“He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire.” vs. 9

The psalmist envisions a future without war, that one day God will destroy the bombs and cruise missiles, and bring an end to automatic weapons. We’re inclined to regard such predictions as hopelessly naive, the product of a primitive mind, and dismiss them without a second thought. Any of our leaders who gave voice to such notion would be considered a traitor, a threat to national security. Many people calling themselves Christians believe that our only hope is to increase our capacity to kill and destroy. They look to an apocalyptic future with massive wars and ultimate total annihilation. Now it may very well be that such a picture seems more realistic but there’s a cost to that kind of thinking. A person’s vision of the future makes a huge difference in which they live in the present. Pessimists are more likely to be be guarded and protective, ever alert to possible enemies, always anticipating that the worst is yet to come. Optimists, like the psalmist, will hang on to their dreams of peace even in the midst of turmoil and disaster. They trust that God’s ultimate desire is for people to live in harmony and will spend their lives in practicing the love of enemies. So Jesus taught, and so his followers live!

Thought for the Day: Why is it so hard to be optimistic about the future?

Psalm 46:1-3

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” vs. 1

During the tumultuous days of the Reformation Martin Luther often turned to the Psalms for comfort and strength in moments of stress and fatigue. Psalm 46 was a particular favorite and in 1527, as the Black Death swept across Europe once again, he paraphrased its words as he wrote what became his most famous hymn, A Mighty Fortress is Our God. He believed with all his heart that God was a “bulwark never failing” when earthly kingdoms were being shaken by conflict and strife. Through the years Luther’s words have been sung with gusto each Reformation Sunday in thousands of congregations all over the world. We know what it’s like to be assailed on every side, and while our challenges may not be so overwhelming as his, we too have our days of despair. It can seem as though events are spinning out of control and that those who claim to be in charge really have no power. Natural disasters and epidemics come with sickening regularity…everywhere we see the sad faces of helpless victims. Terror stalks us and fear grips our hearts. We worry about the safety of children and grandchildren. Everywhere we look, trouble awaits. These are the moments when the words of the psalmist touch our hearts and we turn to God as our refuge and strength. And it works, it really does! As we cry to God, fear and anxiety flee away, and we are strangely calmed.

Thought for the Day: When has God helped me in a time of trouble?

Jeremiah 31:33-34

“No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.” vs. 34

Jeremiah’s vision of the new covenant must have seemed bizarre to a people steeped in rituals, traditions, and law codes. If what he said was true there’d be no more need for sacrifices, priests, or even a temple. Instead God’s desires would be programmed into the DNA of every human being. There’d be no need for laws…everyone would know what to do…and they’d do it! Justice and peace would abound…it would be the kingdom of God on earth. Of course, that world doesn’t exist. So what’s gone wrong? The simple answer is “sin.” Sinners abound and they really mess things up. Even though they’re programmed for good, they keep on doing evil and the results have been horrendous. Many agree with that assessment and their prescription is a return to the old covenant, an emphasis on law and order with harsh penalties for wrongdoing. Followers of Jesus would agree that sin is a potent force, but they propose Jeremiah’s solution, a grace-filled emphasis on forgiveness. He spoke for the Lord, “I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.” Jesus put that teaching into practice and changed lives. It’s still happening today! Forgiveness is the key to kingdom living!

Thought for the Day: If forgiveness is so powerful, why do we turn to the law?

Jeremiah 31:31-32

“The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah.” vs. 31

Presumably people encountering Jeremiah on the streets of Jerusalem learned to shut their ears to his diatribes and lamentations. He was a gloomy prophet who saw nothing but disaster ahead for the city and the country. People may even have gone in another direction when they saw him coming. But on this particular day he surprises them with a vision of hope. He tells them that even though the old covenant, the one based on law and established at Sinai, has been broken repeatedly by the Israelites, the Lord will not abandon the relationship. There will be no divorce! That good news, that God is faithful even when we are not, has continued to bring hope to God’s people of every tribe and nation in every time and place. We have been brought into relationship with God through the covenant of our baptisms, a covenant that is affirmed regularly in our worship and liturgies. God promises to give us life and salvation and we in turn promise to love, honor, serve, and obey. And then stuff happens! We abandon faith and stop trusting God. We worship power and wealth without reservation. We break our baptismal vows. And still God continues to be faithful. There will be no divorce. God’s promises are forever!

Thought for the Day: How is our baptismal covenant different from the Sinai covenant?

Luke 18:13-14

“But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’” vs. 13

Above all else Jesus expected his followers to exhibit a spirit of humility, a quality that should not be at all difficult if we have the slightest sense of self-awareness. For even a cursory honest look at our own hearts will surely evoke the words of the tax collector, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” Since that’s the case, it’s truly amazing to discover how many truly arrogant people inhabit our planet. Everywhere we look we see them, men and women full of themselves in a perpetual campaign of self-promotion designed to bring wealth, power, and privilege. They have a sense of entitlement that knows no boundaries and crave the admiration of the masses. External appearances are their highest value and they have little regard for the plain or ordinary. When they make a mistake or are caught in error, excuses and denials abound; never will there be an admission of guilt or an honest confession of sin. The good news is that humble folks also abound in our world…in far greater numbers than the arrogant. These are the folks with whom we can relax and be ourselves, sinful friends and neighbors totally dependent on a merciful God who will accept us as we are. Among such as these we can follow the example of Jesus and lose ourselves in loving service.

Thought for the Day: How obvious is the spirit of humility in me?

Luke 18:9-12

“The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.’” vs. 11

Jesus regularly skewered the Pharisees as he wandered from village to village on his journey to Jerusalem. It’s not that they weren’t good people. In fact they were incredibly attentive to the details of the law and prided themselves on their morality and decency. But they had completely missed the gospel of grace that was at the core of their scriptures. They had contempt for others and discounted anyone who didn’t think or act like themselves. They were the righteous…and anyone else was a hopeless sinner. Ironically those same tendencies show up again and again among followers of Jesus. Oh, we pay lip service to the notion that everyone is a sinner, but in our hearts we come to see ourselves as being among the righteous…and then follow that up with deep-seated contempt for the actions and ideas of others. We see that quite clearly in the current contentious political debates. Candidates engage in unctuous displays of self-righteousness while at the same time labelling opponents as thieves and liars. Followers on the right and the left go even further in their charges and ultimately eradicate any semblance of civil discourse. Jesus invites us to put aside our pharisaism and embrace a spirit of humility and gentleness. As his followers we are called to a higher standard!

Thought for the Day: Why is humility so undervalued in our culture?

2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” vs. 7

It’s not uncommon for followers of Jesus to mine the world of sports for metaphors describing their experiences on the Way. We might use images from football or golf but early believers looked to the olympic sports of ancient Greece. In this familiar verse from 2 Timothy we see a reference to both boxing and running, implying that life can be like a fierce struggle or a marathon, or maybe even both at once. Such imagery explains those times when it feels like we’ve been hit in the pit of the stomach as we slog along on our often meandering journeys. Notice that not one word is said about winning! It’s all about finishing! That’s good news, especially when we move into what feels like the last stages of the race. Even though we’ve been trained by our culture to think competitively, the journey of faith is not about winning or losing. We don’t have to beat up on other people or get to the finish line first, or even win an election! Our laurel wreaths don’t come from the size of our fortunes or the number of souls we’ve saved. The key word is faith, not that we subscribe to some particular doctrine, but that we continue to trust God as we deal with our obstacles and challenges. With such faith as our daily companion we have hope and confidence that in our finishing we will face an even better beginning.

Thought for the Day: What athletic metaphor best describes my life?

Psalm 84:5-7

“Happy are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion.” vs. 5

When the pilgrims of ancient days set out to visit the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem they knew the trip would not be easy. They often traveled together for protection against robbers and likely shared provisions during the many nights on the way. But still they kept doing it, partly out of religious obligation, but also because the anticipation of arrival brought them joy. Through the centuries pilgrimage has been a central part of nearly all great faith traditions and in recent years there has even been a resurgence of interest. People of all backgrounds and beliefs are walking the ancient pilgrim routes and discovering amazing spiritual benefits. It’s not that the destinations are so spectacular, though some of them retain their medieval splendor, but the real joy comes from the journey itself. As the pilgrims walk along at their varying rates they can sing and pray while imagining themselves as a part of a timeless procession of saints.  It’s a time for meditation and reflection, and maybe some conversation with companions, perhaps a sharing of faith stories. Not all of us will make such pilgrimages, most of us probably won’t, but each of us are still on a journey, and we’re blessed when our hearts know the way. The anticipation adds to the joy of daily living!

Thought for the Day: Where is my pilgrimage taking me?