1 Corinthians 1:14-1

“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

We’re not used to hearing words like this from preachers in our times. In our congregations it’s all about eloquence and wisdom, and people are likely to leave if that’s not what they’re getting in sermons. But Paul had an entirely different perspective. He knew that any community of faith that was pastor-centered would soon be powerless. The only thing that mattered to him was the gospel of Jesus Christ, and if for some reason pastors were using the gospel to glorify themselves, division would not be far behind. There are many pastors called to proclaim the gospel who aren’t very gifted preachers, but they do know Jesus intimately, and it can be seen in all they say and do. They visit the sick, care for the needy, and always listen with compassion. They love the background at church functions and can often be found in the kitchen or waiting on tables. They’re servant leaders to the core, and are valued not for their clever and funny sermons, but for their humble and selfless sharing. Such pastors know that the cross of Christ is their power and if they have served faithfully, when they leave, they’ll be quickly forgotten. And that’s okay for them–they weren’t called to be remembered, but to proclaim Christ in word and deed.

Thought for the Day: When is eloquence a detriment to pastoral ministry?

1 Corinthians 1:10-13

“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 gets to his point immediately in his first letter to the Corinthians. It had been reported to him by some insiders in the congregation that serious divisions were taking place. The central focus on Christ had been replaced by competing loyalties to particular leaders–some followed Apollos, some followed Paul, and others Cephas. This factionalism was destroying the unity of the community. It’s the same sort of thing we see when members of a faith community express allegiance to pastors and lose sight of their life-giving connection to Jesus. It is true that some preachers are more charismatic than others, but that does not qualify them as a Christ substitute. And when they use their charisma to gather people to themselves, they do damage to the Body of Christ. Paul was appalled when this happened in Corinth and he urged people to be single-minded in their devotion to the Lord Jesus and his ministry. Only then would their congregation have credibility in its teaching and preaching. Only in this way could they claim to be obedient to the final prayer petition of Jesus, that his followers might be one. Paul was right. Unity in Christ is still the primary mark of a healthy congregation!

Thought for the Day: What makes “charismatic” pastors different?

Psalm 27:4-9

“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

Even though the psalmist had confidently proclaimed, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?”, he could not hide his sense that the Lord’s support could vanish in an instant. Underneath his bold assertion of trust there lurked a fear that the Lord was a fickle friend, that he might soon be on his own, forsaken by the one who had been his salvation. Many can easily identify with the psalmist’s words. Perhaps we have been in a love relationship that seemed so solid and strong, one in which our trust was absolute, and then one day everything changed. The love that binds us can become rejection in an instant. And even if that has never happened to us, we know that it could–we’ve heard the stories and seen the movies. And because that’s true in our brokenness, it’s easy to transfer that uncertainty to our relationship with Jesus. Might it not be that one day Jesus will tire of our whiney neediness and cast us off? How can we actually trust that God’s love is unconditional and will endure forever? So sometimes we worry–we just can’t help it. What we forget is that God’s love is different from human love. It’s self-giving and sacrificial, and it never ends. God’s love is greater than our greatest fear!

Thought for the Day: What’s it like to be jilted?

Psalm 27:1

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? vs. 1

There are those who have it all together as far as faith is concerned, and the psalmist seems to be such a person. It isn’t that everything has always gone well for him, but as far as the center is concerned, he has no complaints. As he puts it, “The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” It’s great to have that kind of confidence. God knows that there are a multitude of things that can happen as the years roll by. Brokenness abounds, and sometimes it touches us. Relationships can be tested, particularly if we’ve been careless about our choices. Careers can be disappointing, and our work can become a grind. Disease stalks at every age, and we never can really predict when our bodies are going to fall apart. Aging brings its own set of challenges and body parts are not easily replaced. But when our trust has been in the Lord, when like the psalmist we can say, “The Lord is my light and my salvation,” we can amaze even ourselves with our strength and resilience. We will stumble, but not fall. We’ll get discouraged, but not disheartened. People will be amazed, and we’ll likely even amaze ourselves. But that’s just how it is when the Lord is at the core of our daily prayers. Darkness never overcomes us.

Thought for the Day: How would I describe my faith?

Isaiah 9:1-4

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness— on them light has shined.” vs. 2

Today many businesses and schools are closed to acknowledge Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a national holiday established by congress to honor and remember King’s life and achievements. Dr. King, a Baptist pastor, was a disciple of Gandhi and was an advocate of non-violent resistance to racial oppression and bigotry. His last speech in Memphis contained these closing thoughts, “I’ve been to the mountaintop…and I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the Promised Land! I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land! So I’m happy tonight, I’m not worried about anything!…Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord!! The next day he was killed by an assassin’s bullet. It’s not an accident that the speeches of Dr. King contain many references to the prophets–he was steeped in scripture and found hope in their words. Like Isaiah he believed that one day the people who walked in darkness would see a great light. While King had many enemies during his lifetime and even today many disparage his accomplishments, those who proclaim Christ as the Light of the World, know that in King’s life and ministry, Christ’s light has shined.

Thought for the Day: In what ways does racial bigotry continue today?

John 1:37-42

“He said to them, ‘Come and see.’ They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon.”

According to John’s gospel, after John the Baptizer pointed out Jesus to a couple of his disciples, they decided to check him out by spending some time with him in the place where he was staying. One of those disciples was Andrew, and he was blown away by what he heard and observed. As soon as he left, he went to find his brother, Simon, also one of John’s disciples, and insisted that he too “come and see.” And that’s how evangelism works! One person discovers good news, and is so moved by the discovery, that an invitation goes out to family and friends. Many times this happens in our congregations. People are so moved by their experience that they can’t keep silent. Others are invited to come and worship or share in an activity, and before long still others are coming and seeing. Sadly in many instances, the excitement doesn’t last for long. It isn’t that the gospel is no longer good news, but we run out of enthusiasm for sharing. And when that happens the whole spirit of a congregation begins to wane. Everything seems routine. That obviously didn’t ever happen with Andrew and Simon. Their excitement lasted for a lifetime and they never tired of urging folks to “come and see.” Epiphany is a good time to refresh evangelism efforts–it always begins with those we know the best.

Thought for the Day: What’s the excitement level in my congregation?

John 1:29-36

“The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, ‘Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’” vs. 29

John the gospel writer begins the story of Jesus’ ministry, not with his baptism at the hands of John the Baptizer, but with John’s testimony concerning Jesus. John the Baptizer is the first witness, the first to recognize that the Spirit rested on Jesus, and he quickly spreads that good news among his disciples. The words he uses, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,” are a forecast of what is to come, a vision of Jesus’ sacrificial death on Calvary. These words show us that Christians had begun using this image to describe Jesus very early in their life together. In fact the image of Jesus as the Lamb of God  continues to be used regularly in worship. It’s the hymn that is sung during Holy Communion in many congregations. It’s not that Jesus was a fuzzy cuddly lamb, but that he was the sacrificial lamb that had been central in temple worship, and his death has everything to do with forgiveness. Some people question that image, and wonder how one death can take away the sin of the world. Still the image persists, and we love to sing the Agnus Dei, (Latin for Lamb of God). It’s a precious symbol that, for many,  captures the message of sacrificial love better than anything else.

Thought for the Day: What’s my favorite metaphor for forgiveness?

1 Corinthians 1:5-9

“He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” vss. 8-9

Paul regularly encouraged people to prepare for the imminent return of Jesus so that they might be ready when that time came. Here he gives the impression that it will be possible for them to be blameless on that day. Now there are some believers who do believe in a kind of perfectionism, that bit by bit, through the years, we can improve until we are virtually perfect, and no longer subject to sin. It’s doubtful that this is what Paul had in mind and it’s really foolish to imagine that we could actually pull this off. We will be in need of the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit until the day we die. Now we can make some improvements, but that only comes through daily repentance and forgiveness. And it may be that we and the people who know us best will be able to see the difference. But we will remain in this good and broken world as long as we live. In fact, as soon as we start to get cocky and think we are pretty decent folks we can probably count on messing up. And ultimately it’s only because of God’s faithfulness that we can have any hope at all. It’s in God’s perfection that we find our own.

Thought for the Day: How have I changed for the better through the years?

1 Corinthians 1:1-4

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus…” vss. 3-4

Paul had worked as a tentmaker in Corinth for about 18 months during his second missionary journey. During that time he had also proclaimed the gospel of Jesus Christ in every venue that was open to him. He knew the people well, and they knew him. After he left he continued to write to the congregation that had sprung up while he was there. A couple of those letters and perhaps part of a third are a part of our New Testament. Evidently someone in Corinth would ask Paul’s guidance on issues being faced by the congregation, and in return he freely offered his opinions and convictions. His letters offer priceless perspectives on what was happening! He begins this letter with a familiar apostolic greeting. His words are a reminder that our relationship with God rests on the grace that has been poured out among us through the Lord Jesus. This particular congregation often dealt with divisions and conflicts, showing that such issues have troubled followers of Jesus from the beginning. Paul did not hesitate to share instructions and admonitions, but he always presented his guidance from the perspective of grace and peace.  Because we continue to struggle with differences, we would do well to pay attention to what he had to say and remember that life in Christ always begins with grace!

Thought for the Day: Why is church unity so difficult?

Psalm 40:1-11

“I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.” vss. 1-2

We’ve probably all imagined what it would be like to be caught in a pit of quicksand. Maybe we’ve seen a movie or video showing some person slowly sinking out of sight. It’s the source material for nightmares! Can you see it now? You’re walking a rainsoaked path through a jungle area and wander onto a muddy flat. The muck is deep and clings to your feet. Suddenly you’re stuck and unable to move and the sinking begins: knees, thighs, waist. Alone you cry for help! And then your rescuer comes, bending, he catches hold of your arms and pulls you to safety, a rock on which you can stand. The psalmist says that this is what the Lord does when we lose our way. His words sound like the testimony we’d hear at an AA meeting. We know the stories. In the face of addiction God acts to rescue and restore. The Lord gives power when our own strength has disappeared. At the bottom, at the end of our resources, our God comes and we are saved. It may be that this is our own tale, one that we should never be reluctant to share. This is what God is for us–this is what God can be. That’s why every day is a time for thanks and praise.

Thought for the Day: What’s my story?