John 18-19

“When Jesus had received the wine, he said, ‘It is finished.’ Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” vs. 19:30

New Testament scholars have examined the differences between the gospel of John and the three other gospels at length. Some of those differences are most apparent in the descriptions of Jesus’ death and resurrection. John’s account is written in a unique style and contains details not found in the other gospels. While it’s fruitless to take some of his words literally, there is no doubt that he had a purpose for every sentence and image that he used, and his perspective on Jesus’ death has enormous value. For John the cross was the climax of the whole gospel, the culmination of Jesus’ life and mission. When Jesus bowed his head and gave up his spirit he had achieved his purpose, he had ascended his throne. He was a king who would reign from the cross and that has been how he ruled ever since. It’s so important that we remember this at a time when riches, power, and prestige are exalted over all else. John knew that the heart of the Christian message included the embrace of suffering, and he was right. It is at the time of human frailty that we are at our best, and in death we have learned to celebrate life. Tonight as we gather again at the cross we will be reminded that this is the most powerful symbol of love our world has ever known.

Thought for the Day: What would I like my last words to be?

John 13:1-12, 31b-35

“So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.” vss. 14-15

As is typical of John’s gospel, Peter and the other disciples didn’t quite understand what Jesus was doing when he washed their feet at the Passover meal. So when he had finished he explained what he had done, and told them to do likewise. The message is pretty straight forward and sums up our mission quite nicely. In some faith communities tonight there will be reenactments of the Passover foot-washing ceremony as a part of the liturgy. It can be a powerful and humbling experience, but its chief benefit is the clear direction it gives for the fulfilling of our mission as disciples of Jesus. Never are we to lord it over others–our role is consistently to be that of a servant. And that’s not to be considered an anomaly, a symbolic task to be performed once a year. Jesus intends that whatever our position in life, whether as a server in a restaurant, a nurse in a care center, or the CEO of a large corporation, we are there to see to the needs of others, and not to just gratify our own needs and desires. Some of his followers “get it,” and demonstrate by their words and actions that their greatest delight is to be of service to another person. Where they are, Christ is made known!

Thought for the Day: How do I live out my servanthood?

Hebrews 12:1-3

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us…” vs. 1

The writer to the Hebrews couldn’t help but admire the faithfulness of the great company of saints who had come before him. In his book they were nothing less than remarkable and he found their courage inspiring. We know what he means. Even though studying history is boring to some and a waste of time to others, there are many who consider historical knowledge an essential ingredient for understanding what is going on now. It is even said that those who ignore the mistakes of the past are doomed to repeat them. There really is nothing new under the sun, and rascals show up in every age! But it’s also true that goodness is contagious. And as we get to know the stories of our ancestors we can use their examples to live better lives now! There are some who believe that those who have gone before us, those who now rest in peace, are actively encouraging us in our journeys. It’s because of their faith that we are where we are today, and we owe it to them to keep trudging along. And what’s even better, Jesus has gone this way before us, and as we walk in his footsteps the fruits of faith will abound.

Thought for the Day: Which of my ancestors do I find most inspiring?

Psalm 71:1-14

“Do not cast me off in the time of old age; do not forsake me when my strength is spent.” vs. 9

We should not be surprised to see a psalm written by an old person who is not feeling particularly good about having moved into the “golden” years. After all, old people have been around for a long time and pretty much all of them have the same laments about their declining strength and loss of status. At a time when memory can begin to fail, and peers are dropping like flies, it’s not at all unusual to begin to question our relationship with God. Like the Psalmist some have trusted God through their entire lives–faith came to them as a child and they’ve never wavered in their allegiance to their Rock and their Fortress. But as we lose our connections in the community of faith and even our families grow distant, loneliness seems our only companion. Of course we battle on! We know how precious life is, and that we do what we can with diets, exercise, crossword puzzles and even memory pills to stay relevant and stave off the approach of the end. It can be taxing, this constant obsession with aging, and some find themselves thinking of little else. How good it is when, like another psalmist, we realize that our times are in God’s hands, and our fretting is a needless distraction. When we come to that point, hope springs alive once more, our lips return to praising God, and joy comes to visit every morning.

Thought for the Day: The joy that comes with aging!

Isaiah 42:1-9

“He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.” vss. 2-3

While Isaiah was not speaking of Jesus, he did provide a template for his ministry. There is little doubt that as Jesus began his work in Galilee he saw himself in the description of the Servant. When he stood before the congregation in Nazareth and proclaimed, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your presence,” that’s what he was doing. He was adopting the role of the Servant for himself. He would be the one who would faithfully bring forth justice. And he did it just as Isaiah described, not with military might or heavy-handed revenge, but in a quiet way that respected the dignity of every person. His would be a gentle justice, one that lifted up the broken and gave dignity to the oppressed. And even though Jesus endured enormous injustice in his suffering and death, his disciples have been fulfilling his vision ever since. All over the world they have been the ones quietly raising their voices on behalf of victims and refugees, and working to correct the rampant injustices that plague the good of God’s creation. They work behind the scenes to ensure that the hungry will be fed and prisoners be set free. They have no choice in their work. After all, they are servants of the Servant!

Thought for the Day: Where do I see justice being done?

Luke 24:26-49

“But all his acquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.” vs.49

As the afternoon drew to a close on that fateful Friday, Jesus cried out, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit,” and breathed his last. The chief priests and the scribes lifted up the hems of their robes with thanksgiving and went home rejoicing at the death of their enemy. The repentant thief wondered and waited, and the centurion in charge of the execution praised God and said, “Certainly, this man was innocent.” And all his disciples, male and female, stood at a distance just watching!

This Friday some of us, likely not a lot, will gather in our sanctuaries around the cross again. It’s likely that we’ll be wondering too, and maybe even praising God for the amazing sacrificial love and forgiveness that is represented in the cross. But a good number of us will be there watching, not quite sure how to feel, and not at all comfortable with the inevitable approach of death. Maybe, like the thief, we’ll be puzzled about the radical nature of Jesus’ promise, and wondering what it might mean to be with him in paradise. There’s a lot that goes through our minds in the course of Good Friday worship. The cross really is the central image of our common faith, and it’s a blessing to have a chance to think about what it means.

Thought for the Day: How is praise connected to the death of Jesus?

Luke 24:1-25

“A third time he said to them, ‘Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no ground for the sentence of death; I will therefore have him flogged and then release him.’” vs. 23

The gospels present the trial of Jesus as being a complete miscarriage of justice. The charges presented by the religious leaders were misrepresentations of his words and actions and some were outright lies. Neither Herod or Pilate were convinced of his guilt and both believed him to be innocent. Yet by sheer belligerence and persistence the chief priest and scribes got their way–Jesus was handed over to his executioners. Because we’ve heard the story so often, the outcome doesn’t surprise us, probably because the same sort of thing continues to happen in our world. Justice is as elusive today as it ever has been, and lawyers have become adept at using the courts for political or economic gain. Innocent people are jailed without due process or cause. Guilty folks with deep pockets can escape consequences for nearly any crime or behavior. Some would even say that justice itself has been perverted. For those who have come to put their trust in government or world leaders such news is deeply upsetting and disturbing. We wonder where we can turn. Jesus doesn’t seem to have had such misgivings. Having put himself in the hands of God long before, he was silent before his accusers, and continued to trust God even in the face of death. He reminds us that there really is a Higher Power!

Thought for the Day: How can a justice system be perverted? 

Philippians 2:9-11

“Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth…” vss. 9-10

Paul tells the Philippians that the Jesus who humbled himself unto death has been highly exalted and is worthy of worship. While Paul doesn’t specify the form of that worship, believers have certainly taken his words to heart. Their faith communities regularly gather for worship and almost always there will be a cross or crucifix to remind them that Jesus is to be their center of worship and praise. Paul doesn’t direct the form or style of worship and countless varieties have evolved through the centuries. In recent years, as worship has come to be seen as entertainment, some believe that the place of Jesus as the center of attention has been replaced by gifted musicians acting as song leaders. In their estimation the change has diminished opportunities for meditation and reflection. Paul seems to have seen worship as a time to “bend the knee” and indeed, for centuries no worshiper would dream of approaching the cross without genuflexion, a conscious bending of the knee in entering the sanctuary. There is much to be said for that practice, even though it’s not a part of all traditions. The bent knee and the bowed head remind us that Jesus is our Lord, and that we haven’t come to be entertained, no matter how talented the current performers might be.

Thought for the Day: How do I acknowledge Jesus as Lord in worship?

Philippians 2:5-8

“Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus…” vs. 5

The Philippians hadn’t gone through confirmation or participated in new member classes. Some of them were Jews, many were Gentiles, and they had no common traditions or doctrines. So it’s not strange that there was confusion in their community about their new life in Christ and what that meant for daily living. Paul wasn’t living with them any longer and he didn’t know if he’d ever visit their congregation again. So as he writes to them he establishes what might be called his first principle for Christian living. His words are plain and to the point, “Let the same mind be in you  that was in Christ Jesus.” And what was it about the mind of Christ that they should emulate? “He emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death.” In other words Jesus surrendered himself to the power of God, quietly submitting to the direction of God’s Spirit on a daily basis, and he never wavered in his obedience. For Paul that was the only teaching that the Philippians needed. He had the confidence that the key to the new life in Christ was humility, a decision to look to the needs of others rather than to one’s own, and if people actually lived that way, the congregation would be just fine. Two thousand years later, that’s still how it is!

Thought for the Day: What are the external marks of a humble spirit?

Psalm 31:9-16

“But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’  My times are in your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors.” vss. 14-15

The psalmist doesn’t specify which terrors were plaguing him at this period of his life. It could have been almost anything: illness, persecution, depression, aging. The list of those things which bring us to our knees in the course of a lifetime is endless. But we do know that he was almost at the end of his rope. Since he had tried everything to find peace and security he has been left with only his faith. Some know that feeling! It’s not at all unusual for us to be overwhelmed with all the ugly stuff that can come our way–and it’s not all because we’re paranoid! Often our enemies are real and the diseases incurable, and, of course, there’s nothing at all we can do with the gradual diminishment of body and mind that comes with aging. And while the bad days can sometimes mind their own business and leave us alone, more often they gang up on us, and we’re completely overwhelmed. In those moments, as for the psalmist, it’s our faith that gives strength. And as we surrender our whole selves to the care of the Divine Presence we discover the peace that passes all human understanding. We don’t understand, but we just know that all will be well. Our times are in God’s hand.

Thought for the Day: What does it take to drive me to my knees?