Philippians 1:27-30

“Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit…” vs. 27a

Paul had been invited to come to Macedonia to proclaim the good news of Christ in a dream. Trusting in the Spirit, he found a ship that would take him across the Aegean Sea to Philippi. Knowing no one, he found a group of women praying by a river on the Sabbath, and that was the beginning. The congregation, with Lydia as a leader, prospered, and when Paul was arrested and chased out of town, the community flourished and grew.

Paul was so proud of the Philippians and, when in prison, continued to remember them with thanksgiving and joy. As he wrote this letter to them he had one wish, that they would continue to live their lives in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ and stand firm in one spirit. 

We can understand why Paul might feel that way. It’s the way a pastor might feel about a previous congregation or a mom or dad would feel about their kids. We care deeply about those who come after us, and if we’re honest, we’d love it if they lived in a way that was consistent with the gospel of Christ. Pastors will rejoice when they hear good things about a previous congregation. Parents will rejoice if their grandchildren love Jesus. It’s a powerful sign of hope.

Thought for the Day: What do I want for my descendents?

Philippians 1:21-26

“For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labour for me; and I do not know which I prefer.” vss. 21-22

Paul had reached an age, perhaps 55-60 years old, when he had begun to think of himself as aged. And since he was in prison, with plenty of time on his hand, he was considering his own mortality. He reported to the Philippians that he was of two minds. He didn’t mind dying, because that would mean new life, but he hated to think of not continuing his work. 

At some point, if we live long enough, it’s likely that we too will be in Paul’s position. The symptoms of age creep up on us, and ultimately they are daily reminders of our mortality. When that happens, it’s good to be at a point where we really don’t fear death. It’ll likely be a new feeling for us! Most people don’t want to die and in fact dread the possibility. We want to stave off death for as long as we can!

Even people of faith do all we can to live long and well–it seems to be a natural inclination. But one day, having experienced aging in our own bodies, we will come to a point where it no longer feels like an enemy invasion. We will continue to use our days for living fruitfully, but we also know that dying will bring new life. There is no need to fear the end!

Thought for the Day:  What do I think about living and dying?

Psalm 145:1-8

“The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” vs. 8

As we read through the Hebrew scriptures it is stunning to note how often the theme of God’s grace and mercy shows up. It seems that the psalmists and prophets never tired of reminding people that the Lord was slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 

And from what we read about Jesus in the gospels it’s obvious that he had absorbed this sense of the Divine, and that in him the grace of God had become incarnate. And as people began to think of the Church as the Body of Christ, it was this unconditional and sacrificial love of God that was at its heart. In the midst of this broken world it was here that the Spirit of God would be at work to bring peace and reconciliation.

Sadly, not all have received the gracious word of God with gladness. Some like the prophet Jonah are angered by the good news of God’s love. They prefer a world marked by condemnation and judgment, and many would like to return to the good old days of repression and punishment. They simply cannot believe that love works better than bombs in transforming the world.

But not all have fallen away from the gospel! There are millions of the faithful who revel in the good news of God’s grace and mercy, and not only for themselves, but for every other broken inhabitant of this earth. They are the hope of this world!

Thought for the Day: Where have I seen the power of love make a difference?

Jonah 4:5-11

“Then the Lord said, ‘You are concerned about the bush, for which you did not labor and which you did not grow; it came into being in a night and perished in a night.’” vs. 9

The truth came out in the end. Jonah didn’t really care about the people of Ninevah, what he got angry about was the death of the bush which had been giving him shade from the sun! And the Lord knew it! 

This story hits us right where it hurts and is typical of our attitude toward  hurting people. We’ve heard the news–we’ve seen the pictures of starving people. We get constant appeals from World Hunger and Refugee Support and most of them get tossed in the recycling bin. And we get angry, not because people are starving for no good reason, but because we get so many brochures in the mail.

So what else do we get upset about? Well, some days it’s the high price of fuel or groceries. On others it’s the neighbor who doesn’t pick up after his dog. Some days we’re irritated by the hot weather and on another it’s because there’s a leak in our drip system. And it’s just so hard to keep flowers blooming in the summertime–and why do they let the greens get so slow at the golf course? Life is so irritating! 

What if the concerns of the Lord Jesus became our own and we started seeing the world through his eyes? That’s a tough question–but perhaps it’s worth at least a few minutes of reflection.

Thought for the Day: What does it mean to “major in minors”?

Jonah 3:10-4:4

“‘And now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.’ And the Lord said, ‘Is it right for you to be angry?’” vss. 3-4

The story of Jonah probably catches our attention because of the great swallowing fish that shows up to rescue Jonah from certain death, but to focus on that is to miss the conversation he has with the Lord about his anger. Jonah did not love the people of Nineveh and had nothing but contempt for their foreign ways, and he looked forward to seeing their destruction. So when the Lord spared the city, he became very angry, so angry that he wanted to die.

Anger is familiar to us, and at various times in our lives we have become very angry, maybe even so angry that we wanted to die. There are many things that can trigger that anger. It could be because of some familial dispute, an occasion when a loved one has done or said something that has triggered deep feelings, a time when we’ve lost our temper. Occasionally anger pops up in response to societal matters, times when we’ve witnessed horrible injustice, and innocent people have suffered. We might even call this justifiable anger.

And then there are the times when we, like Jonah, have gotten angry with God and cry out in rage against the unfairness of life itself. In the end, it’s a natural part of life in this good and broken world. And sometimes it’s the first step on the way to healing.

Thought for the Day: What makes me angry?

Matthew 18:28-35

“But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’” vs. 28

When we read this parable about forgiveness that Jesus told we can’t help but be appalled at the behavior of the slave who had been forgiven all of his debt. Evidently his heart had been completely untouched by this incredible act of mercy that had changed his life. We wonder how anyone could be so arrogant and unfeeling!

And then we take a look around at life in our world. Businesses and corporations manipulate laws and regulations and reap massive benefits for themselves and their shareholders, with little regard to the effect on those who end up losing their jobs. They seem to think that the mind-boggling profits are their due, and if they can pull all this off without paying taxes, all the better.

And this is only the tip of the iceberg! Attributes like compassion, humility, and service have been largely forgotten in our cultural stampede toward lives of pleasure and luxury. Thank God for those who sacrificially devote themselves to following the Way of Jesus. In a world awash with greed and desire, they forgive as they have been forgiven and love as they have been loved. Their stories may not hit the headlines and they probably don’t have million dollar yachts, but their loving compassion is changing the world.

Thought for the Day: What mercies have been extended to me?

Matthew 18:21-27

“Then Peter came and said to him, ‘Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.’” vss. 21-22

People who live by faith have come to believe that their relationship to God is totally dependent on God’s unconditional love and never-ending mercy. Even though we live in a broken world, by God’s grace we are continually being forgiven and restored. With that as a foundation we are freed to experience all the joy and delight that this good world has to offer.

It’s no surprise then, that when Peter asked how many times he should forgive someone who had sinned against him, Jesus gave an extravagant answer. We are to relate to others in exactly the same way as God has related to us. Forgiveness is not only at the center of our God connection, it’s also the tie that binds us together in love with our brothers and sisters. We can understand why Peter asks his question–he hadn’t yet come to know the whole story of God’s love. What’s really amazing is that we keep on asking the same old question! We should know this!

Of course knowing something doesn’t make it any easier to do. Forgiveness is difficult, especially when the hurt is fresh and deep. But ultimately, if we want to feel forgiven ourselves, we will have to get off our high horse and imitate our merciful God!

Thought for the Day: What’s the longest I’ve held on to a grudge?

Romans 14:7-12

“Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.” vs. 10

Paul couldn’t understand how the faithful could harbor such hatred against other members of their community simply because they had different ways of practicing what they believed. It seemed bizarre to him that they would expend such energy in judging others–ultimately that wasn’t even their job!

Today many are remembering the events of September 11, 2001. It’s one of those dates we can’t get out of our heads. Even though we complain about our poor memories, most folks can recall exactly where they were and what they were doing when they got the news of what had happened. Along with December 7, 1941 it’s one of those “dates that shall live in infamy.”

But people are not only recounting the many acts of heroism and bravery, some are also rekindling powerful feelings of hatred toward the perpetrators. Many politicians and leaders are taking advantage of the moment to stoke renewed attacks on Muslims and the Islamic faith. In such a charged atmosphere there is no attempt to temper accusations or seek understanding. Old lies are dredged up and old truths are forgotten as the appetite for vengeance is fed.

And Paul asks why pass judgment and why despise? Our job as members of the Body of Christ is to love, even when it isn’t easy! Even at times like this!

Thought for the Day: Why does hating seem to be more powerful than love?

Romans 14:1-6

“Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions. Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables.” vs. 1 

Congregations are full of people with varying opinions about any number of practices and beliefs. Paul had discovered that the Romans regularly got fired up about their diets. Some refused to eat meat because it came from pagan sacrifices. Others thought that was foolish. For them eating meat wasn’t a faith issue! So the meat-eaters were battling the vegetarians, and calling them spiritually weak.

And it wasn’t just about diets! Some also battled about worship practices, things like fasting or the proper words to use in public worship. And these weren’t minor skirmishes. The arguments were threatening the unity of the Body of Christ and undermining the mission of the congregation. 

Since we aren’t likely troubled by these issues anymore we might be tempted to think that opinions are no longer an issue for the Body. And of course that is sheer foolishness. Only now it’s not diets that are driving people apart, it’s the radical differences in our political opinions. It isn’t that we argue about them in our congregations, we can’t even express them. Fractures have become commonplace among people of faith.

If we were to apply Paul’s wisdom to our situation we would say, “All are welcome in our community. Red or blue, we don’t care. What counts is our common kinship to Christ, the Lord of us all!”

Thought for the Day:  When does sharing political opinions become difficult?

Psalm 103:8-13

“As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him.” vs. 13 

Scripture regularly uses the metaphor “father” to describe the relationship of God to humanity. And because most people have extensive experience with fathers, the metaphor is useful. Here the psalm describes God’s compassion as being like that of a father for his children, and, because we may have experienced a father’s compassion,  we have a general sense of what he’s getting at. 

But still the metaphor is limited. Not all fathers are compassionate and some have had fathers who are stern and unyielding. It could even be that the most compassionate figures in our lives have been our mothers! So it’s important for us not to get caught up in any metaphor that describes the compassion of God. In truth, God’s compassion is really incomparable because God’s steadfast love goes far beyond anything we have ever experienced.   As the psalmist himself says, “God’s love is as great as the heavens are high above the earth.”

This doesn’t mean that we should never use metaphors in speaking of God. At times they can offer insights that can’t be articulated in any other way. God is gracious and merciful and abounding in steadfast love, and there are both masculine and feminine images that we can use in describing that Divine Presence. The more varied our description the more accurate it is bound to be!

Thought for the Day: What is my favorite metaphor for the love of God?