Psalm 29

“May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace!” vs. 11

Our faith ancestors described God using clues that came directly from their observations of the world around them. They saw the movements of the stars and had experienced the earth-shaking terrors of thunder and lighting storms. They’d seen hurricane force winds level forests and rip the branches from trees. There were devastating floods in the ravines and valleys as rain pummeled the dry land. And as they sat huddled in places of safety they agreed that they were experiencing the power of God, and composed psalms of glory and praise to the Almighty. We can understand those feelings–the powerful forces of nature still have the capacity to bring us to our knees in fear and trembling. But as this psalmist finished his hymn he had one final request of his God, “May the Lord give us strength! May the Lord bless his people with peace!” And we say “Amen!” No matter how we conceive of the great God, no matter how we picture the Great Mystery, we still desire strength for life’s challenges and peace for the world’s warring peoples. We simply don’t know what the future will hold. So many things remain unknown. Just when we think we’ve got things figured out, the consequences of our behavior wreak new havoc and bring new challenges. But we continue to know this: whatever happens we will need strength, and oh how wonderful it would be to live at peace!

Thought for the Day: What do I need strength for?

Isaiah 43:4-7

“Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you, I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life.” vs. 4

Even though the people of Israel had regularly engaged in idolatry and their kings had been inept, in their captivity the prophet brought them words of encouragement and hope. In their brokenness he tells them they are precious in the sight of the Lord and that they are loved. That good news has been a constant source of encouragement for the people of God through the centuries, and it continues to spark joy even in the trials and turmoils of 2025. When we’re discouraged by political shenanigans and disheartened by stories of terror attacks it’s good to know that we have a special place in God’s heart. And that’s even true when our personal relationships are in shambles through our own selfish and misguided actions. God never falls out of love with us, and always sees our precious core. We’ve heard it said many times that God doesn’t make junk and that continues to be true. Certainly there are flaws in our behavior and we often disappoint ourselves with our words and actions, but God’s love remains constant in every circumstance. That’s the whole reason for Jesus’ ministry! Out of love he reaches out to the broken and offers healing for the ravages of sin. And as we receive him God’s intentions become reality and we are restored.

Thought for the Day: How do I know that I am loved?

Isaiah 43:1-7

“But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” vs. 1

Through the centuries Israelites had come to believe that they had a special relationship with God. They weren’t just a scattered group of people, free to do as they pleased with life, they actually belonged to God. They were God’s own people, a holy nation set aside to be a blessing to the world. We who are called by the name of Christ are the inheritors of that promise. When we are baptized into Christ we gain a new identity as the children of God, and this is no small thing. Now it’s not unusual to wonder about our purpose as we meander through life. So often we seem to be going through the motions: going to school, marrying, having children, accumulating possessions. We do as the culture directs us with little sense of a broader purpose or direction. But those who know they belong to God also know there is another dimension to life. We have a calling. We’ve been set aside to be a holy people in a broken world, and that purpose gives a new perspective to everything we do or say. Gathered by the Spirit into faith communities we will spark healing and reconciliation in a multitude of places. We will be the world’s difference makers.

Thought for the Day: What difference am I making?

Matthew 2:1-12

“When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy.” vss. 9-10

In Luke’s gospel an angel appears to shepherds outside of Bethlehem to announce the birth of the Messiah, but in Matthew’ gospel it’s a star that gets central billing. It’s a lovely story, and even though it lacks the tender warmth of Luke’s manger scene, the star has become the symbol of an entire season of the church year. Today is Epiphany, a day when we say farewell to Christmas and all its trimmings and embrace the Star of Bethlehem. Stars have always had an attraction for humans and we love to spend our nights in observing and probing the mysteries of their movements. Most of them are at an enormous distance, yet they appear each evening as a reminder that we earthlings are not alone. In a very real sense, they are the light of God, the light that gives life to the universe. The Epiphany Star is the Light of Christ, and through this season we’ll be remembering the ways in which that light was revealed in the life of Jesus. And even more than that, we’ll be celebrating the times when the Star actually stops over our lives and its light can be seen in all that we say and do.

Thought for the Day: What do I feel when I look at the stars?

John 1:15-18

“No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.” vs. 18

From the beginning humans have engaged in speculation about the nature of God, with many religious leaders claiming to have special insights or inside information. Sometimes their descriptions have been compelling enough to gain massive numbers of adherents for their movements. But ultimately, John is right! No one has even seen God! Our languages fail us–there are simply no words capable of unraveling the Divine Mystery! And then John makes an audacious claim. Even though we can’t see God we can know him through Jesus Christ. And what is it that we know of God through Jesus? Well, Jesus didn’t give us a new book of laws–in fact, according to John he had only one commandment, that we love one another. Jesus revealed to the world through his words and his life that God is the source of unconditional and sacrificial love. To put it simply, God is Love! And whenever we encounter that pure, self-giving love, we can know that we are in the presence of God. Now, the simplicity of that message may not be enough for some, but for those who believe it is enough. And what a blessing it will be, as we move through the months of this brand new year, to actually be the means by which others will know God!

Thought for the Day: How do I make God known?

John 1:10-14

“He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God,” vss. 11-12

Sometimes we wonder why people are reluctant to acknowledge Jesus as the Incarnate Word of God, particularly when those persons are members of our own families. Yet that’s how it is–and that’s how it’s been from the moment that Jesus began his ministry in the towns and villages of Galilee. There isn’t a clear cut answer as to why this happens. Many factors are usually involved and it’s hard to pinpoint exactly why any particular person does not receive Jesus as their Lord or Savior. Sometimes it isn’t even Jesus who is the issue–some folks often have an appreciation for him and his teachings but have huge issues with those who call themselves by his name. In our time “Christian” has come to be just another word for a hypocrite! It’s important for us to remember that those who do not receive Jesus are not rejected by God. In fact, all people are created in God’s image and contain the divine DNA, and that’s something they can’t lose. But John says that those who do receive Jesus get a kind of “genetic bump” and actually become empowered to be the people they were destined to be. And as their light shines before others, God is glorified and the world is loved.

Thought for the Day: What keeps people from receiving Jesus?

Ephesians 1:11-14

“In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit;” vs. 13

Paul recognized that as people came to faith in Christ there would be a two step process. First they would hear the word of truth, what he called the gospel of salvation. And then, having heard, they would respond by believing; they would trust that the words of the gospel were true. This process of hearing and believing is familiar to most of us, and some can even add dates as they recount their journey. Always there is the sense that one day we’ll be united with Christ in a new and glorious life. And in the meantime Paul says that we are sustained in faith by the presence of the Holy Spirit. While there is considerable debate about what he means–some say it’s baptism and others claim it’s some other manifestation of the Spirit–we can know this for sure. All those who have come to faith will be sustained by “Spirit Moments,” times in everyday living when God comes close and we are lifted up in our weariness, and sustained in our believing. All things are not yet as they one day will be, but how good it is to be able to rest daily in the peace that comes with the gift of grace.

Thought for the Day: When did I first hear the gospel?

Ephesians 1:3-10

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love.” vss. 3-4

Early Christians continued to use the language of election to describe their relationship to God, but now, instead of linking it to Abraham, as the Jews had done, they taught that it happened “before the foundation of the world.” With that understanding believers began to think of themselves as part of a universal movement, and not a narrow nationalistic religion. As the gospel writer John put it, all things have their beginning in the Word and all humans have a common origin in Christ. The writer to the Ephesians links this common origin to the spiritual blessings that belong to us as the children of God, and says further that we have been destined to be God’s holy and blameless presence in the world. At the very least we can conclude from this that our prime duty and delight in life will be to love the world and one another with all of our heart, mind, and soul. There is no higher calling than to love, not because we have to, but because this is what we have been created to do. How beautiful it is when humans actually live together in such holy harmony!

Thought for the Day: How can broken people love one another?

Psalm 147:12-20

“He declares his word to Jacob, his statutes and ordinances to Israel. He has not dealt thus with any other nation; they do not know his ordinances. Praise the Lord!” vss. 19-20

The psalmist believed that Israel was uniquely privileged among all the nations of the world. They were the only nation to whom God had revealed the statutes and ordinances which had given them definition. Of all the peoples on the face of the earth they were the ones who God had chosen; and it was an exclusive claim! No one else was included and out of that position of privilege the psalmist says, “Praise the Lord!” While we are familiar with this claim, it has come to sound quite out of place in our contemporary, multicultural world. It certainly doesn’t fit with what Jesus came preaching and proclaiming, and bears no resemblance at all to what we have come to know as the “Peaceable Kingdom.” And even though Christian Nationalism has been gaining adherents at a rapid pace in our country, people of faith know that its basic claims are antithetical to the gospel! No matter what religious people might teach and believe, the Divine Presence transcends national boundaries. Every folk and nation is included under the umbrella of God’s grace and love, and there’s no better way to start the new year than to reaffirm our allegiance to that one Lord and Savior of us all.

Thought for the Day: What’s my number one New Year’s resolution?

Jeremiah 31:10-14

“Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry. I will turn their mourning into joy, I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.” vs. 13

There’s likely to be a lot of singing and dancing tonight as 2024 bids farewell. Some are really looking forward to the new year. Their leader has taken power and is promising wholesale change. For those who are his followers there is bound to be jubilation. But not everyone feels that way, and their festivities this evening will be more muted, and may even involve some serious drinking. It’s interesting that when Jeremiah mentioned making merry he wasn’t talking to the powerful. He had in mind those who’d been immersed in mourning and sorrow. That’s alway how it is for the prophets. Their audience is not the powerful but the poor, and the good news always involves some sort of reversal. That’s why the most poignant images of joy tonight will likely be seen in places like Bethlehem or in refugee camps. It’s here that hope burns deeply in human hearts, and that is why, even in the rubble, there’ll be some dancing and merriment. The spirit of the poor and the persecuted is remarkably resilient, and they’ll never give up their hope. And who knows, 2025 may have some surprises up its sleeve! We never know for sure what’s going to be happening. The only given we have is that God Is, and when I Am is in charge, goodness is bound to follow.

Thought for the Day: What’s my hope for 2025?