Luke 4:24-30

“When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff.” vss. 28-29

We might not understand the rage felt by the people of Nazareth when they turned against Jesus after his teaching moment in the synagogue–it seems so abrupt and out of proportion to what he actually said. Nor do we understand the rage that builds up in our own congregations from time to time–but it does happen! For some the COVID years were particularly traumatic, and the internal strife broke the hearts of many believers. Some congregations didn’t survive those years, and many are still struggling to recover. When decisions were made to discontinue in-person worship based on recommendations from national or synodical leaders some believed their religious freedoms were being threatened. And when they saw that other congregations didn’t curtail public worship at all, a few became incensed. The rage was palpable, pastors were driven to resign, and many people moved on to less restrictive faith communities. Some say that the only blessing of those years was the enhancement of livestream worship, but technology proved ineffective in healing the ruptures, and in-person participation has been slow to recover. We don’t know if rage continued to plague the synagogue in Nazareth, but it’s really not likely that Jesus was ever welcomed back with open arms.

Thought for the Day: How does my congregation deal with rage?

Luke 4:21-23

“All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, ‘Is not this Joseph’s son?’ He said to them, ‘Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, “Doctor, cure yourself!”’”  vss. 22-23a

As Luke writes it, Jesus’ response to the folks in his hometown seems harsh to our ears. We wonder why he didn’t put the best construction on what they said instead of taking offense. The day that began with his triumphant return ended with his disastrous rejection, and it seems like Jesus exacerbated the situation instead of defusing it. But Luke wasn’t writing for the Nazareth Gazette and he really didn’t care about the details. So we should read the story as he intended it, a kind of parable that foreshadowed the ultimate rejection of Jesus by those who thought they knew him best. We still see that sort of thing going on in our churches and congregations. We can get real “cozy” with “our Jesus” and begin to think that we’re the insiders. As a result, when it seems we’re getting called out of our comfort zones, it can get uncomfortable for us. We’d rather stick with the familiar Jesus and assume that he will take care of our families, rather like an old-fashioned family doctor. So when a confronting message comes from Jesus, sometimes through a pastor, we can be irritated, and folks can even get angry. 

Thought for the Day: When folks get angry with a pastor what do they do?

1 Corinthians 13:8b-13

“For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.” vs. 12

Paul could hold his own with the great debaters of his age. He wasn’t intimidated in the least by the inner core of Jesus’ disciples. His theological arguments combined the best of Hebrew scriptures and Greek philosophy. But he also knew that, when it came to knowing God, he was little more than a child. Everything that he had learned from his teachers and his experience could only give him a glimpse of God’s glory. We would do well to remember that as we walk in the way of Jesus and relate to our fellow believers. We’re all infants, and even the most learned among us are guessing when we presume to describe the Great God. The intricate doctrines that we’ve learned in the course of our study can be satisfying and helpful, but they’re human inventions, a futile attempt to know the unknowable. That’s not meant to be a disparaging thought–it really is the best we can do, and it’s good to remember that as we share our thoughts and ideas with others. Like Paul we know that the best is yet to come, and that one day we will see and know God fully. In the meantime we are called to focus on the big three: faith, hope, and love, and make loving the true center of all we say and do. 

Thought for the Day: Why am I proud of my knowledge?

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

“Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth.” vss. 4-6

Having presented love as the more excellent way, Paul now proceeds, in one succinct sentence, to define it. We’re familiar with his definition because we’ve heard it read at countless wedding ceremonies as encapsulating what the bible has to say about love. We can’t say it’s a bad choice. It is nice to say something about love at a wedding, and these words are surely better than what is read at some. Of course Paul wasn’t talking about married love at all–he gets into that in a radical way in his letter to the Ephesians. But here he’s describing the way in which members of the body will treat one another, and his words are beautiful. We will be patient and kind, not arrogant or boastful, and not insist on doing things our own way. Paul’s reflections were likely based on experience and his insights are familiar to all who read them. He’d been around irritable and resentful people and he knew how wearisome they are. He’d heard folks rejoice at salacious gossip that exposes the faults of others. Oh how we love to hear about the sins of others! And he knew how precious it is when we can count on others to tell the truth! How wonderful it is to love and to be loved!

Thought for the Day: Where is my loving community?

1 Corinthians 13:1-3

“If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” vs. 1

Paul concluded his lesson on spiritual gifts for the Corinthians by introducing what he called “a more excellent way,” the passage we have come to know as the “Love Chapter” of the bible. He begins with a critique of the practice that had begun to divide the congregation. Some in Corinth had begun speaking in tongues, not so they could communicate with those speaking in other languages, as on the day of Pentecost, but as a sign they were spiritually superior to others. Paul doesn’t tell them to stop speaking in tongues but lets them know plainly that, without love, they’re only a nuisance in the congregation. In fact, he tells them, love is even more important than prophetic powers, faith, or generosity. Through the centuries millions of believers have experienced the truth of what Paul told the Corinthians. There really is nothing more important than love in the life of a congregation. Preachers can present sermons that regularly flop but if their hearers experience love in their presence, most any fault can be overlooked. And love can’t be faked. It’s easy to mimic piety in our prayers and behaviors, but not love! People will spot us as hypocrites in an instant, and intimacy will be impossible. Love is the key to the health of our life together!

Thought for the Day: How do I experience love in my congregation?

Psalm 71:1-6

“For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth.” vs. 5

Like many of us the psalmist had trusted and served the Lord from his youth. That meant regularly bringing sacrifices and offerings, and participating in the rituals and practices of Judaism. But that didn’t mean that he had been preserved from the ugliness that spoils the tranquility of life in this good and broken world. He was well acquainted with the wicked, the unjust, and the cruel. Sometimes those experiences can cause us to question the goodness of God, and even wonder why we’ve bothered being so faithful in the course of our lives. Life doesn’t always go as we have been conditioned to believe that it will. It’s interesting that the psalmist doesn’t even consider turning away from the God he’d leaned on from his birth, the One who had taken him from his mother’s womb. Instead he doubles down, and continues to trust in the One he called his rock and his fortress. And that’s what people of faith continue to do, even when it feels like evil forces have risen against them. Instead of whining about how God has let them down we continue to trust the Ground of our Being. There really are no better options! There never have been and there never will!  The Lord who breathed life into the universe is continually with us and will sustain us forever. 

Thought for the Day: What do you say to someone who believes God has let them down?

Jeremiah 1:4-10

“Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the Lord said to me, ‘Now I have put my words in your mouth.’” vs.9

Jeremiah had felt totally unqualified when he heard the call to be a prophet in Judea. It made no sense–he was just a kid and didn’t have a clue about what he might be expected to say. As it turned out, that wasn’t an obstacle. The Lord simply put words in his mouth and announced, “Okay, now you’re good to go!” Now that’s normally not the sort of thing that people like to hear. In fact, we’re likely to resent it when we suspect that someone is putting words in our mouths. But in situations when we don’t have any idea about what we should say, a moment of deep crisis or pain for instance, it’s a great blessing to have the Holy Spirit put words in our mouths. It’s that sort of thing that happens regularly for people of faith. When faced with a moment in which we’re tongue-tied or afraid, our simple prayer, “Lord, give me some wise and loving words to say,” will not go unheard. All we need to do is open our hearts to the person standing in front of us, and appropriate words will come to our tongues, and even though to us they may seem fumbling and foolish, to the one who is hurting, they will be heard as having come from the mouth of God.

Thought for the Day: Where do I find words when I’m speechless?

Luke 4:16b-21

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free…” vs. 18

The people in the synagogue in Nazareth didn’t know it but this first public appearance was Jesus’ inauguration day. This was the first speech of his ministry and in just a few words he laid out his basic plan for changing the world.

He had found the inspiration for what he said in the words of Isaish, and it wasn’t complicated. The Spirit of the Lord was upon him and he had good news not only for the poor, but for the captives, the blind, and the oppressed. In him there would be healing, recovery of sight, and freedom. His words have continued to be the theme for all who call themselves by his name and who walk in his ways. In our time we can’t help but contrast his themes with those who occupy positions of leadership in our country and around the world. Everywhere we see a preoccupation with power and influence–somehow we have made it possible for 10% of the population to possess 76% of all wealth–and the gap continues to grow. Nearly all of our leaders are billionaires, and few seem inclined to share their riches. But we don’t have to follow their example! There is another way, the path laid out by Jesus in Nazareth, and when others are faithless, we can be faithful!

Thought for the Day: How am I being faithful?

Luke 4:14-16

“When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom.” vs. 16

Sometimes followers of Jesus wish they could teleport back to Galilee and spend a week or two just hanging around him. The record suggests that he spent his days preaching, teaching, and healing, but we’re curious about his habits. Fortunately, given that teleporting hasn’t been perfected yet, Luke does give us a couple of insights as he provides his account of Jesus’ life. First, it seems he started each day with a time of private meditation and prayer. It must have been like a “reporting for duty” moment when the Spirit could offer direction. And then, Luke tells us that it was his custom to go to synagogue on the sabbath day. He was part of a community of faith and this is what his people did weekly and so he did it too. Sometimes he was asked to teach at this public gathering, but at other times we can presume he simply participated in the rituals, and listened to the readings for the day. This was habitual for him, and doubtless his presence was a blessing both to himself and to others. That continues to be the way it is for his followers. Habitual worship connects us to the community of faith better than anything else we do. We don’t have to be entertained or taught anything–it’s purely in the “showing up” that we are blessed!

Thought for the Day: How did worship become a habit for me?

1 Corinthians 12:21-31a

“Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” vs. 27

Paul had spent about 18 months in Corinth, and while he was there many had responded to his proclamation of the gospel, and had become a part of the Christian community. Of course he hadn’t been trained as a mission developer and there wasn’t a particular plan to follow. This was totally a Spirit driven operation and as the congregation began to take shape there were a variety of influences. Other evangelists came and started preaching. Decisions had to be made about ritual and community life. And who would take the prime leadership roles? It became apparent that people had a variety of gifts and there was considerable debate about which were most important. Paul had had a huge influence on the initial structure, but when he left there was confusion and division. When Paul heard what had happened, as a founder, he offered direction to the floundering congregation. We don’t know if they paid attention to his letter–but we do know that they saved it! And we can see why! His insights were Spirit-centered and continue to direct our understanding of the Church. Using the human body as a brilliant metaphor he says that no member of a congregation is more important than any other. Callings or gifts will be different, but the proper functioning of the whole requires that all callings be honored and encouraged.

Thought for the Day: What is my calling in my congregation?