Acts 5:1-2

“Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.” vss. 1-2

The number of believers was growing at a rapid rate in Jerusalem. Saul, a young zealous Pharisee, was appalled at what was happening and acted on behalf of the high priest to destroy their community. He went from house to house with his minions searching for Christians to throw them into prison. Many scattered and ran for shelter in other cities. When Saul heard that some had gone to Damascus in neighboring Syria, he arranged to pursue and arrest them. His tactics were similar to those used by enforcement agencies in our time. He didn’t care about the rights of the believers, he only wanted to eliminate them. In his mind, he was acting justly, and the piety and bravery of men like Stephen seemed to enrage him. His story reminds us of how dangerous religious people can be. In fact throughout history the greatest threat to the gentle, loving, sacrificial Way of Jesus has come from those claiming to uphold the laws of God. Their bigotry has been cruel and insatiable, and always wrapped in the facade of piety. And just when we think that such attitudes are a thing of the past, the persecutions begin anew!

Thought for the Day: How can religious people be so cruel?

John 20:24-31

“But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.” vs. 31

Those who read the gospel of John are regularly puzzled by his account of Jesus’ ministry and life. Often the details seem exaggerated and many of his stories aren’t even included in Matthew, Mark, or Luke. No wonder some end up identifying with Thomas–in fact doubts are often our regular companions all the way through the book. But at the end John offers clarity. He has been intentional in the way he wrote, wanting only to convince readers that Jesus really is the Messiah. His desire is that people like Thomas, folks who were “out of the room” when Jesus appeared, but who didn’t get a second chance, will “come to believe” and thereby receive life. His choice of words resonates with the experience of many believers. For one reason or another faith is hard and initially there are a ton of roadblocks. But then stuff happens, objections are less compelling, and bit by bit there are “coming to Jesus” moments of insight. Belore long our faith is solid, unshaken by old inconsistencies,  and strong enough to take us through every kind of suffering on the Way. Then it will truly be said of us, “Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have come to believe.”

Thought for the Day: How did I come to believe?

John 20:19-24

“Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.’” vss. 21-22

Each of the gospel writers chooses a different way of describing what we call the Great Commission. John tells his readers that it happened immediately after Jesus appeared to the disciples in Jerusalem after his resurrection. Two things are involved: first, he sends them out, and then, to empower their mission, he breathes on them the Holy Spirit. Those two actions launched the greatest outreach ministry the world has ever known, and they continue to be the guiding force in the life of every believer. When we were called through our baptisms to be children of God we didn’t get a free ticket on the Heavenly Express. Rather we were presented with lifelong marching orders, a call to live as Jesus lived, to be his presence to the broken and the hurting, to be a light in the midst of darkness. We know the routine. We’re familiar with his life. We know how much he loved. There’s nothing about the life of Jesus that we don’t know–so we can’t plead ignorance. And we can’t even say that we’re impotent or incapable. Remember? He breathed his Spirit into his disciples–and we’ve got Holy Spirit power too. And oh what wonderful things we are doing! Jesus is alive in this world, he’s alive in us! 

Thought for the Day: How’s my mission going?

Revelation 1:5b-8

“‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” vs. 8

We’re used to the language John used to describe God. After all, many of us grew up with the hymn, Holy, Holy, Holy, and came to love the cadence of the words in the second verse, “Which wert, and art, and evermore shall be.” There’s a poetic quality to that description of God that has stood the test of time. Granted we probably have developed a more sophisticated way to talk about God, one that takes into consideration the absolute impossibility of defining the great “I AM.” But there’s nothing that beats the simplicity of John’s description. There never was a time when God was not and there will never be a time when God will not be. God is the beginning and the end, or as John puts it, the Alpha and the Omega. Somehow this is a comfort in the midst of the variables we face in our own quite finite existence. The way things are going some days we even question whether the earth can survive our malfeasance. We wonder what life will be like for our grandchildren–some have concluded that surely the end is near. From a human point of view things are teetering on the edge of catastrophe. But people of faith know that all things have their foundation in God, and no matter how badly we break things, goodness will always triumph. 

Thought for the Day: What worries me most about the future?

Revelation 1:4-5a

“Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.” vss. 4b-5a

John begins his letter to the seven churches with a greeting of grace and peace from the Eternal God and from Jesus Christ. His threefold description of God is familiar and reflects a common belief that God transcends time: God is, was, and shall be forevermore. The phrases he uses to describe Jesus Christ appear to be a precreedal declaration: Jesus faithfully proclaimed the truth about God, was raised from the dead, and now reigns over all the earth. John uses this description to set the stage for the apocalyptic vision which makes up the bulk of the book of Revelation. Believers through the centuries have had varying reactions to these writings. Some, particularly in the last century, have pored over the symbols and have claimed that they are predictions of actual events. A few have made fortunes writing books and making movies. In reality the writing arises out of John’s own time and place and when properly interpreted gives a picture of what life was like for Christians in the first and second centuries. Above all, John wanted his readers to be hopeful. No matter how arrogant or cruel national rulers could be,  God would give them life–Jesus Christ was their forever source of salvation.

Thought for the Day: How do I use the book of Revelation?

Psalm 118:17-19

“I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord.” vs. 17

The psalmist had feared that his end was near. We don’t know what kind of crisis he had been caught up in. The context points to a military victory over a longtime enemy, but it could also have been some dread illness, or just one of the many challenges that are faced in the process of aging. At any rate, the prospect of an imminent death had diminished, and his health and vigor had been restored. He knows he’s going to live and he wants to give thanks to the Lord in the presence of the whole congregation. Now it’s not likely that the psalmist was thinking of life beyond death–that wasn’t a part of the Jewish belief system. But because we live on the other side of Easter, we can’t help but apply his words to our own situation. For us, though death remains a lifelong enemy, it’s lost its power and sting because of what has happened in Jesus. We will die–it happens to us all. But then we shall be made alive, and for that reason we too gladly recount the deeds of the Lord. That’s why early Christians gathered for worship on the first day of the week. Every Sunday became another Easter for them, a time to celebrate new life, and to give thanks to God for the promise of victory over death.

Thought for the Day: What keeps me away from worship?

Psalm 118:14-16

“The Lord is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation.” vs. 14

It’s fitting that a psalm of praise and triumph be assigned to this week following Easter, our great festival of life and resurrection. The psalmist, writing in celebration, loudly proclaims his trust in the Lord. Because of that strong faith he has come to see the Lord as his strength and his might, the source of his salvation. Typically we become conscious of that confidence after passing through some life crisis from which we’ve emerged relatively unscathed. We may have taken our faith for granted, but in that challenging moment, as we realize our innate weakness, we are amazed that the Lord really is at hand and has become our strength and salvation. This is how it’s possible for people to suffer great pain and loss and still be able to laugh and sing for joy. We’ve seen it happen in our faith communities. Horrible things happen to people, but instead of losing their trust in God, they seem to find it. They’re knocked down but not out, and in their weakness they’re lifted into the arms of grace that have been there all along. And it’s not a momentary respite. From that point on they never miss a chance to offer thanks and praise to the Lord of their salvation. Once they were on their own, but now they have been found.

Thought for the Day: Where is my strength?

Acts 5:27-32

“But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than any human authority.’” vs. 29

After initial disbelief, Luke reports that Peter and the other disciples, filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, began to proclaim the resurrection boldly throughout Jerusalem. Unafraid of anything, they even preached in the temple precincts and incurred the wrath of those who had so recently killed Jesus. It was a difficult choice but they were compelled to obey God rather than human authority. Those crucial decision points continue to regularly show up in the lives of believers. Martin Luther faced one when he stood before the Emperor at the Diet of Worms in 1521 and launched the reformation. As we move into this new age of authoritarianism many people are finding themselves in positions where they are being forced to make a decision between obedience to political leaders or their own moral principles. Many are choosing to speak out even at the risk of losing their positions–some are even facing the threat of prison unless they acquiesce. While for some this is just another political squabble, others believe that there is something deeper involved. For them, like the disciples, it’s a matter of faith and integrity. They know that there are eternal values at stake, that truth is sacred, and that there is a Higher Power who deserves obedience at all costs. The apostle’s devotion to the sacred gospel has meant the triumph of life, and now it’s our turn. When the moment comes to decide, where will we take our stand?

Thought for the Day: When have I compromised my values?

Luke 24:8-12

“Then they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest.” vss. 8-9

Luke reports that when the women arrived at the tomb of Jesus with their spices for anointing his body, they found it empty, and were baffled. Then in a scene reminiscent of the transfiguration, two men in dazzling garments joined them and announced that Jesus had been raised from the dead. After a moment of disbelief the women rushed to tell the disciples what had happened. We can imagine them rushing into the room where the eleven were hiding out and saying, “Christ is risen,” the same good news as we’re sharing in worship today. But on that day the response was not, “He is risen, indeed,” but “You’ve got to be kidding!” The men dismissed the women’s story as an idle tale. Now there’s a good likelihood that some who hear that message this Easter morning have that same dismissive attitude. Such a response is not surprising–resurrection is hard to grasp. But many more will feel joy inside, and like Peter, be amazed at the wonder of it all. The women’s story was the spark that has changed our world, and is the source of hope in the face of death. In the midst of darkness there is light, and life always triumphs over the grave. And it’s true whether we believe it or not!

Thought for the Day: What draws people to worship on Easter?

Luke 24:1-6

“The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.’” v. 5

In many cultures when death occurs, it’s the women who seem to know what to do. While men lament the loss, the women take charge of the body and get things ready for burial or cremation. Such was the case when Jesus died. God only knows what the male disciples were doing on that Saturday, but the women were already making plans to do what they’d been unable to do when Jesus’ body was taken down from the cross. First thing on Sunday morning, they told each other, they’d go to the tomb with spices and do what their tradition prescribed. It’s nice to have people around who know what to do when death occurs. And it’s even better to have a plan! Often, in our death-denying culture death throws people into a panic, and people are forced into making decisions that they’ve mostly avoided thinking about. Blessed are those families who have a plan and who know what phone calls to make and what needs to be done. The death of a loved one can be an opportunity for family and friends to come together in love and unity. It’s a time for shared memories and maybe even a few laughs. And we do it best when we trust that the words of the angel are true. “He is not here, but has risen.”

Thought for the Day: What plans have I made for my death?