1 Kings 17:8-12

“Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, ‘Go now to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there; for I have commanded a widow there to feed you.’” vss. 8-9

Elijah lived in Israel during the time of King Ahab, and had announced that, because of Israel’s great idolatry, there would be a three year drought. Because the king saw him, not as a prophet, but as an enemy, Elijah had to spend the period of the drought on the run. Eventually he is directed by the Spirit to go to a small remote town and stay with a widow who will feed him. As we read this story we can’t help but think of the millions of people in the world today who have become refugees because of drought, war, and famine. It’s an enormous problem and tragically those seeking refuge have discovered that there are few places where they will be welcomed. Thousands have died on their journeys, and tens of thousands live in camps where most are destined to spend their lives in crowded and disease-ridden conditions. Those who do find their ways to wealthy nations find themselves ostracized and feared. Many, instead of being welcomed, are rounded up and sent back where they came from. Unlike the poor widow who gave all she had to help Elijah, the wealthy in today’s world hoard their goods and turn the poor away. Thank God for those people with a heart for the hungry and wandering! They are the hope of the world!

Thought for the Day: Why are we afraid of immigrants?

John 11:38-44

“Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, ‘Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.’” vs. 39

Ever the pragmatist Martha objected when Jesus ordered the stone to be rolled away. She knew how long Lazarus had been dead, and she knew that his body would have begun to decompose. The stench would have been overwhelming. That’s how it was with death and Martha was willing to live with the customs and the rituals of her faith. She didn’t have a clue about what Jesus had in mind. We too have our customs and rituals for dealing with death, and that’s a good thing! It’s important to know what to do when our loved ones die, and the moment of their death is not the time to be wondering what to do. For people of faith that ritual will most often include an invocation of God’s presence and at the end of the service our loved one will be released into the arms of Jesus. Like Martha we don’t know what that will involve, but based on Martha’s experience we believe that it will include the gift of new life. That’s why the Lazarus story is in our scripture–we love the picture it gives of moving from death to life, and even though it’s more of a resuscitation than a resurrection, it’s an affirmation of Paul’s contention that nothing in all creation, not even death, can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

Thought for the Day: Who am I remembering on this All Saints Sunday?

John 11:32-37

“When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’” vs. 32

Mary’s words should not surprise us. They reflect a desire to assess blame in the face of death or some other calamity. Some of us have done the same thing. When things don’t go our way, the first impulse is to find a reason, and we regularly lash out at the people we think have failed us. This is one factor in the rising costs of medical treatment–liability insurance costs doctors and hospitals an enormous amount of money. And when we can’t find anyone to sue, sometimes, like Mary, we take our complaints to Jesus. We wonder why, when he clearly has promised to answer our prayers, there is absolutely no response when we ask him for help. It’s like he has deliberately ignored our requests. And so, when things go wrong, or loved ones die, he gets blamed. John says that Mary’s accusation triggered deep anguish in Jesus. When he saw her pain he began to weep. Mary wasn’t alone in her suffering. Jesus felt it too, and so it is for us when darkness creeps in and our prayers seem ineffectual. Jesus understands! And while there is no divine intervention of the kind we might prefer, we get something even better. We get the loving arms of Jesus, and in those moments we come close to the loving heart of God!

Thought for the Day: Who do I blame when things go wrong?

Revelation 21: 3-6a

“He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more;mourning and crying and pain will be no more…” vss. 3b-4

Many people wonder about their loved ones when death occurs, and questions abound. We would love to have concrete answers but the best we can do is speculate. Some are comforted by accounts reported by folks who have “died” and come back to life. They like the image of a peaceful ending followed by a journey toward the light, and that is indeed a fine way to think of death. Others prefer the vision put forward by the writer of Revelation, a future filled with the presence of our loving God in which every tear will be wiped away, and there will be no more mourning or crying or pain. It’s wonderful for us to be able to think of life after death in these ways, particularly at a time of the year when we are remembering the saints who have been among us spreading love and kindness, who are now absent from our family gatherings and celebrations. The one common element in all of these pictures of the future is that death never has the last word for us. Believers know, following Paul’s teachings, that there is nothing in all creation, not even death, that can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. That’s probably the best news that any of us could possibly receive!

Thought for the Day: What’s my favorite image of life after death?

Revelations 21:1-2

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.” vs. 1

On this day in 1517 Martin Luther hammered on the church doors of the Castle Church in Wittenberg of Electoral Saxony in Germany and posted the 95 Theses, a document that sparked the Reformation and literally changed the face of Europe. On this day in 2024, 504 years later, it’s likely the only door hammering that we’ll hear will come from the fists of little goblins and witches threatening mayhem and demanding treats. Times certainly have changed! But the holiday is the same, it’s All-Hallows Eve, a time to remember the dead and acknowledge the saints. In our text for today the writer continues his description of the new creation, a hope that enables us to move toward the future with confidence, knowing that death is not the end and beasts and monsters will never have any power over us. To some extent our conspiracy fixated times have bred deep feelings of uneasiness around the world. Many are very worried about the future and some are convinced that the end is near. The writer of Revelation lived in such times too, but was convinced that the One who had brought all things into existence, could be counted on at the end of time as well. Not even our enemy death will have the last word.

Thought for the Day: Why might we need a new heaven and a new earth?

Psalm 24

“Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? Those who have clean hands and pure hearts, who do not lift up their souls to what is false, and do not swear deceitfully.” vss. 3-4

The psalmist had some high standards for those he adjudged to be fit for admission to the sanctuary of the Lord. His reasoning was logical. Since the Lord was the epitome of holiness, those who came into his presence should be known for the purity of their hearts and souls. While many of us are rightfully uncomfortable with that thinking (it doesn’t mesh well with our conviction that all are welcome at the Table of the Lord), it is important that we be reminded that behavior matters. Just because we acknowledge our own sin doesn’t mean we can throw holiness out the window. Words and actions do make a difference! Which makes our whole election process so difficult for people of faith! Most people arrive at their political positions through a lifetime of observations and experiences. We pretty much know whether we’re liberal or conservative or neither. But often we lament the choices that are forced upon us in an election. Sometimes we really question the holiness of the candidates and mistrust their truthfulness. We wonder if it really makes a difference if the words of our leaders are deceitful or misleading. It’s a hard decision–and some might even wonder what the psalmist would advise!

Thought for the Day: Is there any room for holiness in politics?

Psalm 24:1-6

“The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it; for he has founded it on the seas, and established it on the rivers.” vss. 1-2

Our faith ancestors certainly had an expansive notion of God’s dominion, not so big as our own perhaps, but big enough! As far as this psalmist was concerned all things in this world belonged to the Lord, and nothing was excluded. That’s why some folks today, those who spend time in regular meditation and contemplation, tell us that if we truly want to get a glimpse of God’s glory and majesty, the way to start is to get our heads out of our weighty theological tomes, and into the book of creation. It’s all right there for us, right in front of our eyes, and if we can put aside our smartphones for a moment, we’ll be stunned at what we see. The beauty is indescribable, beyond the capacity of artificial intelligence to create, and words are plainly inadequate. Even the finest videos can’t come close to replicating what’s right in front of our eyes every day of our lives. We knew that when we were children, sitting for hours watching a colony of ants go about their daily business, but somehow we’ve let the joy of watchfulness slip through our fingers. But not always! Sometimes God comes up behind us with one more big surprise, and we see just how very good this world really is.

Thought for the Day: What are the wonders of this world?

Isaiah 25:6-9

“And he will destroy on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all peoples, the sheet that is spread over all nations; he will swallow up death forever.” vs. 7

The universal dimensions of the prophet’s vision have been shared by many believers  through the centuries. This is no narrow anticipation of victory for a chosen few. Not only will there be a sumptuous feast on the mountain for all nations, but the shroud of death that has been our bain from the beginning will be lifted, and every tear will be wiped away. Paul must have been thinking of this verse when he wrote to the Romans that nothing, not even death, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Death really is a pain for us. Even though we know that it’s part of the natural order of things, it still hurts when it comes near, and sometimes the suffering it brings is overwhelming. And as we age, there’s comfort in knowing that one day, when we shut our weary eyes, the eyes of our souls will be opened to a new and glorious existence close to the heart of God. We have no adequate way of describing that final surprise, but it does feel good to know that when our days are over, God is our final destination. And that last day will be the best day of all!

Thought for the Day: When am I most likely to think of my life beyond death?

John 8:33-36

“So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” vs. 36

Jesus says that he is able to free us from the slavery of sin. That’s a bold and rash statement and, unfortunately, not many people believe it. We’ve gotten so caught up in the old maxim that everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin that we’ve pretty much stopped believing that anyone can be sin free. Now it is true that we are going to be sinners for as long as we live in this broken and chaotic world, but we forget that in Christ we are set free. If then we have been set free from sin, why can’t we live as righteous persons instead of as sinners?  Otherwise why would Paul have written to the Galatians, “For freedom Christ has set you free, stand fast therefore, and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.”  Of course we will back slide as we move from sin to freedom from sin, but we don’t have to stay there! We’ve got all the tools we need–prayer, confession, absolution–to quickly move back onto the path of righteousness. We might start out with a 50-50 ratio but with the changing power of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives we should be able to reach 80-20 without any problem at all. Think how great it would be to freely walk in righteousness for large portions of the day and night! This is what the beautiful life is like!

Thought for the Day: What’s my righteousness ratio right now?

John 8:31-32

“Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’” vss. 31-32

So many were interested in what Jesus had to say and some believed that he could  be the messiah. But Jesus knew that interest and belief weren’t enough; that was only a shallow beginning. To truly be his disciples they would need to continue in his word. It’s that word “continue” that was a stumbling block for many, and it continues to be so for us. We have become quite adept in introducing people to Jesus, with first introductions often taking place in Sunday School or confirmation classes. Occasionally those teachings are taken seriously and some young folks actually learn the basics of Jesus’ life, including the good news of his crucifixion and resurrection. And for most that’s enough! Armed with that basic knowledge they move on to live their lives, and don’t even come close to becoming disciples. And that’s really sad, because they never, ever experience the delight and joy of being free in Christ! But some do! Powerless to control their own lives, distraught with the chaos of life in this world of social media, they surrender to the Jesus they never knew, and discover the beauty of life in the Spirit. And as they continue in that life, love, peace, and joy proliferate, and they are set free to be.

Thought for the Day: How does one surrender to Jesus?