Hebrews 10:11-14

“And every priest stands day after day at his service, offering again and again the same sacrifices that can never take away sins.” vs. 11

As the writer of Hebrews recounts the sacrificial rituals of the temple, he suggests that even in the glory days of Israel, the whole system was an exercise in futility. Even though the priests faithfully, year after year, offered the same sacrifices on behalf of the people, they never really worked–sins were never forgiven. It’s possible to ask the same question about the rituals that are so dear to our hearts in our worship life. Carried on with exquisite attention to detail, accompanied by words and prayers that date back to the early days of Christianity, they are repeated week after week by pastors and priests. And it’s fair to ask, do they really work? And with the writer of Hebrews we can say, “Absolutely not!” While that might seem shocking to some, that’s the only possible answer. It’s not the rituals or our artistry in performing them that make any difference at all. What gives us forgiveness is the sacrificial love of the Divine Presence! And that love is not dependent on what we do. What we receive in the sacraments is the affirmation of what has already taken place. Their efficacy is not at all related to the skill or even the faith of those who preside. Rituals come and go, but the steadfast love of God remains forever.

Thought for the Day: What’s the purpose of rituals in worship?

Psalm 16:7-11

“You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.” vs. 11

There are times when current events overwhelm our ability to even process them and life can seem burdensome. Some folks were feeling that way last week when it became obvious that candidates they had backed in the election had been soundly defeated. They were discouraged and frustrated; a few were angry. It was hard for them to see a way forward in the current situation and some had a deep sense of foreboding about the future. Whether it was right or wrong for them to feel this way was not the question. Obviously many other people were exultant and optimistic as they watched the stock market reach new highs. In the midst of such mixed feelings the psalmist gives another perspective. There is another way! The Lord shows us the path of life and it’s not related to political parties or elections. Instead we are actually invited into the Divine Presence, and there we will find the fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore. He’s obviously not talking about material delights here, or the momentary thrills that come with sports or election victories. But there is a way to live that moves those things from the center to the periphery, and that is the path of life.

Thought for the Day: What gives me the most joy?

Psalm 16:1-6

“Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord;

I have no good apart from you.’” vss. 1-2

There are times in life when it’s good to just take stock of who we are, and perhaps more importantly, whose we are. The psalmist is doing just that. There doesn’t seem to be any particular crisis and he’s not pleading with the Lord to do an intervention. In fact he’s pretty satisfied with his situation and recognizes that he’s doing pretty well. Many of us know what that is like. We live in a country where we enjoy amazing freedoms and prosperity. Since we also love to complain we don’t always like to admit the blessings that are ours. But the truth is, we have it pretty good, especially when compared to the vast majority of people in the world. But people of faith will also recognize that God is the bedrock of our existence. Apart from God we are quite literally nothing, and everything in our lives that we cherish and love is of God. In God our future is secure; apart from God we have no future. Because God is our all in all, we could lose all we hold dear, and still have everything. That’s how amazing God is. Most days we don’t even think about things like this–it’s a blessing that we’ve come to take for granted–and that’s a good thing. Praise God!

Thought for the Day:  From one to ten, how good is my life today?

Daniel 12:1-3

“Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.” vs. 3

Even though many have little interest in the apocalyptic messages found scattered through scripture, when we take the time to read them we can find what might be called “hidden gems.” Such is the case today with the vision recorded in this section of Daniel. These are words that those who might still be reeling with feelings about the recent election can hang on to with enthusiasm. Always, no matter how broken our world might seem there are going to be wise people, and in dismal circumstances they will be points of light and optimism. Their words and actions will break through all the foolishness and ignorance and they will be fountains of truth and hope. And when we see around us those whose words and actions are actually leading others in the way of righteousness, we will leap for joy. And the good news is that such folks are all around us in our communities as the hands and feet of Christ. And as we follow in their way we will be walking in the footsteps of Jesus and bringing unconditional love and sacrificial service to the multiplying numbers of hurting people. Even though we may seem to be living in apocalyptic times Daniel is right. There are plenty of things to give thanks for.

Thought for the Day: Where am I seeing wisdom in these days?

Mark 12:41-44

“He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums.”  vs. 41

It’s fascinating to read in Mark that while he was in Jerusalem Jesus took time away from his teaching to sit down by the treasury and watch people give. He knew that there is no better way to gauge what is in a person’s heart than to observe their  giving habits. That’s one of the reasons that some pastors give who insist on seeing how much each of their congregants give. It’s very likely the best way to know the state of that person’s spiritual health. Most people resent that kind of external scrutiny of their giving as an invasion of privacy. And it could be that it is. But even if it is, the truth of Jesus’ observation remains. Generous giving is one of the marks of a spiritually healthy person. And Jesus adds one more caveat in his teaching. Holding up the poor widow as a model, he tells his disciples that sacrificial giving is the standard most pleasing to him. We certainly get plenty of opportunities to give–our mailboxes are filled with pleas, especially this time of year. And many will give generous gifts, especially to those causes that are close to their hearts–and perhaps a few will give sacrificially. And for them there will undoubtedly be spiritual benefits.

Thought for the Day: What would sacrificial giving mean for me?

Mark 12:38-40

“As he taught, he said, ‘Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the market-places, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets!’” vss. 38-39

The scribes of Jesus’ day were teachers of the law and along with the priests pretty much oversaw anything that had to do with the temple. As the authorities in every aspect of daily living they wielded enormous power and were among the most influential men in Jerusalem, and Jesus had contempt for them. He taught his disciples that they were hypocrites and that they were using their power to amass wealth by extracting it from the poor. Jesus probably wouldn’t be surprised to see the same behavior among the wealthy of our time. Many are well-educated and are adept at manipulating complex financial systems in order to benefit themselves. Many have billions of dollars, and use it to leverage even more power, wealth, and authority. And frankly they don’t even care what Jesus might have thought. His ways are not their ways, and Jesus tells us to watch out for them. He seems to have thought that simplicity was the best way to live, and that the call of a disciple is to generously share what they have with the poor and needy. Who knows? Ultimately it may be made clear that Jesus was right, and who knows what might happen then?

Thought for the Day: When did I realize that I had enough?

Hebrews 9:28-29

“But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the age to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself.” vs. 26b

In this section of Hebrews the writer is taking pains to convince his Jewish readers that in Christ the old sacrificial system has been replaced. This was an important message, particularly since the temple, the place of sacrifice, had been destroyed by the Roman armies. While not all Jews were willing to give up the rituals of their law, many Jewish Christians embraced these new ideas eagerly. Central to the argument was the conviction that in the sacrificial death of Jesus all sin had been removed and forgiven. While we may not find the images of Hebrews compelling, it is good to know that the sin and brokenness of this world have been taken care of. This does not mean that we will never sin again or ever experience brokenness anymore. Indeed most of us can testify that we’ve all fallen into sin. As the epistle writer John says, “If we say we do not sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” But the good news of Hebrews is that grace abounds. There is no sin committed in the past that will define our future in Christ. It’s all been taken care of. Each day we awaken with brand new opportunities to love and serve, and we don’t even have to think of that old bad stuff again!

Thought for the Day: What things from the last few days do I need to let go of today?

Psalm 146:5-9

“Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God, who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry.” vss. 5, 7

The psalmist was aware of the words of the prophets who trekked all around the countries of Israel and Judah lambasting the rich and speaking on behalf of the poor. In their minds God has a heart for the oppressed and desires that the hungry be fed. Jesus echoed those words and lived them out as he carried out his ministry in Galilee. And since God has no hands but ours, this has become the primary mission of Jesus’ followers throughout all generations. In fact, it’s very likely that in the recent election believers cast their votes for leaders who would join them in working on behalf of the oppressed. And even though there is no such thing as a Christian nation, it is possible for legislative bodies to adopt policies that will address the needs of the growing number of homeless and hungry people in the world. And while we are blessed to live in a country that separates church and state, leaders of faith communities will regularly act as advocates for the poor at meetings of those legislative bodies. If we’re going to be faithful to the teachings of Jesus, it’s one of the most important things we can do. After all, we are the voice of the broken and oppressed.

Thought for the Day: How is my congregation engaged in advocacy? 

Psalm 146:1-4

“I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God all my life long. Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help.” vss. 2-3

Well, the elections are over but not all the results are known. It’s likely that it will be days or weeks before all the lawsuits are over and the true winners have emerged. What’s really sad is that the divisions that have emerged will likely last for years, and it’s hard to know what could bring any kind of reconciliation or bi-partisan work for the common good. It could be that some are singing praises to the Lord today because their preferred candidate won. The psalmist would laugh at such a notion. We should be praising God even if our party got wiped out, because in the long run princes, mortals, and presumably politicians are not worthy of our trust. Anyone who has been watching elections for any time at all will know that there’s a cyclical nature to politics. Yes, it’s necessary to elect leaders, but none of them will even be remembered within a couple generations. But God’s been around forever and will continue to be our strength and source of hope until the end of time. And because that’s the truth, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out who we should be praising today! As the hymn puts it, “O God our help in ages past, our hope for years to come.”

Thought for the Day: How am I going to behave today?

1 Kings 17:11-16

“Elijah said to her, ‘Do not be afraid; go and do as you have said; but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterwards make something for yourself and your son.’” vs. 13

Today is Election Day and there are many who are terrified about what the results might be. Of course that’s no accident! Some candidates have gone out of their way to terrify us with horrendous anecdotes about what will happen if their opponent wins. They want us to believe that only they can save us from future disaster. No wonder anxiety is filling our hearts! Of course we’re not the first people to be fearful. The widow of Elijah’s day was at the end of her resources–the drought was intense and she had only enough for one more meal–and then she and her son would lie down and die. Elijah tells her not to be afraid. She should just go on living as usual–her future was in good hands. And he was right! God did not abandon her. That’s not bad advice! There is no need to be afraid. We can move through this day as planned. If we haven’t already voted we can go to the polls, and then go home and wait. And when the results are eventually known, some will rejoice and others will be deeply disappointed. And no matter what, God will not abandon us. Life will go on, and we can get on with our ministry of healing and restoration.

Thought for the Day: Why am I so anxious today?