Revelation 22:1-5

“And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.” vs. 5

Occasionally people will fall into an illness which brings them to the brink of death. Doctors will advise family and friends that there is nothing more that can be done, that their loved one is in a coma from which there is likely no return. And then there are signs of life, the heartbeat strengthens, and finally, sometimes after days or weeks, eyes open, and there is a miraculous recovery. Sometimes the patient will then confide that they had been conscious of drawing closer to a bright light, and that they had been about to enter into the light when they came back. Such episodes have come to be known as “near-death experiences.” Of course there is much speculation about what such reports mean. For some they are a confirmation of the new life that awaits beyond the grave. Almost always those having such experiences report that they no longer fear death, that the light was warm and welcoming. For others they sound a lot like the Seer’s vision in Revelation. And it’s true. Light is a mysterious force. Scripture teaches that it was there in the beginning and will be there in the end. Jesus taught that he is the Light of the World, and it is comforting to believe that in the end, we will be enveloped in light. Perhaps it’s really something to look forward to!

Thought for the Day: What do I think of near death experiences?

Revelation 21:10, 22-27

“And in the spirit he carried me away to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.” vs. 10

The city of Jerusalem has had enormous significance through the centuries, ever since David made it the capital of Israel over 3000 years ago. It’s been besieged, destroyed, and rebuilt dozens of times and even today is regarded as holy by Christians, Jews, and Muslims. Its streets are crowded with pilgrims year round as people come to celebrate holy days and pray in sacred spaces. Even today visitors who come by way of the Mount of Olives are stunned by their first view of the Temple Mount, now dominated by the Dome of the Rock. So it’s not surprising that the final section of John’s apocalyptic vision would also include a bird’s eye view of the new city of Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. When John wrote, the old city had been once again destroyed, and the temple had been obliterated. But not to worry, the new Jerusalem will have golden streets and pearly gates, and there will be no need for a temple–the Lord God and the Lamb will be the temple. This is not a picture of heaven but of a worship center for the nations, a place of healing and reconciliation. That’s why we build cathedrals and mosques–we keep on hoping that they will be houses of prayer for all nations–beacons of light for all people.

Thought for the Day: Why do we seem to need places of worship?

Psalm 67

“The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, has blessed us. May God continue to bless us; let all the ends of the earth revere him.” vss. 6-7

As the psalmist surveyed the world from his perch on the mountains of Judah, he could not help but see all the benefits that had been showered upon the land. Not only were fields and vineyards producing an abundance, riches and goods from the ends of the earth were bringing wealth to the nations. Through faith the psalmist saw God as the source of all these blessings, and gladly composed this psalm of praise to be sung in temple worship. Because we too are people of faith we will agree with the sentiments of these verses. We know that the good life that we enjoy ultimately comes from God. Human beings are responsible for many things but the material prosperity we enjoy is most certainly a gift, and is not the product of our own hands. But with that knowledge there will also be a note of concern about the future. Could it be that our action and inaction on matters of the environment could mess things up for the generations that follow? There’s no way of knowing that of course, and the creation does have an amazing amount of built-in resilience. So our prayer will be that of the psalmist, “May God continue to bless us!” It’s been a great ride so far! May it continue for the generations that follow!

Thought for the Day: How can humans be a blessing to the environment?

Acts 16:13-15

“A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul.” vs. 14

A man from Macedonia had appeared to Paul in a vision and asked him to come with the gospel. So Paul dropped everything, caught the next sailing ship and was there within a week. After searching the city for an audience, on the sabbath he and his companions went down to the river to pray, and there they found a group of women willing to listen. One of them was Lydia, already a worshiper of God, who eagerly absorbed what Paul had to say. Likely a person of wealth, (she was a dealer in purple cloth), she invited Paul and his friends to come stay in her house, which later became the center of missionary activity in Philippi. Paul could go to the home of a Gentile woman because he had been set free in the gospel from all the restrictive practices of Judaism. It’s interesting that the congregation that had its beginnings in Lydia’s house, under her leadership, became the faith community that was closest to Paul’s heart. His letter to them, written some years after his visit, reveals that he had a deep appreciation for them and always remembered them with deep thanksgiving for their love and generosity.

Thought for the Day: Why would a rich person respond eagerly to the gospel?

Acts 16:9-12

“During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia…” vss. 9-10a

As Paul traveled through what we know as western Turkey he stopped in the cities where Jews had settled, preached there, and brought the latest news from Jerusalem. Because he did not feel the direction of the Holy Spirit he avoided some regions and passed by some of the cities. But when he came to Troas, in the area of ancient Troy, during the night he had a vision. A man of Macedonia was pleading with him to come there and help. And that was enough for Paul. He left with his friends in the morning. There were no Jewish communities there, and he had no invitation, but he was convinced that he had to go. We talk a great deal about waiting for the direction of the Holy Spirit in pursuing a call or a new position, but it’s enormously difficult to discern the difference between our own desires and the voice of the Spirit. Too often when we say the Spirit is directing us we’re really doing what we want and then cloaking it with religious verbiage. Paul had no doubts and he followed his vision and the gospel was received with joy in Macedonia. It’s beautiful when the voice we hear is that of the Spirit and not our own! That’s how the world is transformed!

Thought for the Day: How do I know when I’m being Spirit-led?

John 13:33-35

 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” vs. 34

As it began to be obvious to the disciples that Jesus was going to be leaving them, there was undoubtedly anxiety in their hearts. How could they possibly get along without him? He was their glue. It was because of him that they had come together. Without him wouldn’t they separate and splinter? Jesus knew their hearts but he also believed he knew how they could be united. So he gave them his secret sauce in the form of a new commandment: it was simple, they are to love one another. But there’s a caveat! They are to love one another as he had loved them! And that’s the problem. We think we know all about love; it’s the subject of songs, poems, and every mushy note written for birthdays, anniversaries, or just for the heck of it. We think we know everything about love. But do we? The love Jesus had for his disciples was sacrificial–he gave his life for them. And that’s more than sweet talk and a bouquet of roses! Real loving is tough, mainly because so many of the folks we’re supposed to love just aren’t very loveable. We might not even like them! But where disciples have actually taken Jesus’ words to heart and loved as he has loved, a miracle happens. Jesus is resurrected and it’s as though he never left!

Thought for the Day: Where have I experienced sacrificial love?

John 13:31-33

“When he had gone out, Jesus said, ‘Now is the Son of man glorified, and in him God is glorified;’” vs. 31

As John wrote his gospel he treated the departure of Judas from the Passover meal as a sign that the end of Jesus’ brief ministry was near. Death was just around the corner. Jesus knows this but there is no sign of panic and no admission of failure. On the contrary Jesus speaks of this ending as his moment of glory, implying that this had been his destiny from the beginning. It’s hard for us to wrap our minds around this notion of a glorified death. We’re much more likely to even avoid speaking of death, and God knows, most of us spend a lifetime trying to fend off its approach. But John, the last of the gospel writers, had had a chance to see how Jesus’ death had caused an explosion of grace and glory that had propelled the good news of salvation to every corner of the Empire. We can even say that his death made him larger than life, and the cross, an instrument of torture, became the universal symbol of forgiveness and love. This does not mean that we, as his followers, should seek death like a crowd of lemmings leaping from a cliff, but it does mean that death has lost its sting, and should not be feared as though it were the end of the world. For those who live in Christ, it is the beginning of life!

Thought for the Day: Why am I trying to extend my life?

Revelation 21:1-6

“…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, for the first things have passed away.” vss. 3b-4

As John comes to the close of his vision he leaves us with words that resonate with every person who has ever walked the face of the earth. In the new creation, he boldly asserts, “death will be no more,” and we breathe a collective sigh of relief. Oh how good it will be to live without our enemy stealing away our loved ones, and stalking us through every time and season. Whether we like to admit it or not, for one reason or another, death is never far from our minds. Of course most have learned not to dwell on it–that morbid fascination will destroy our experience of the beautiful life that God has given us. But still it hangs there, hiding in the closets of our unconscious, poking its head out periodically as we age, presumably to remind us that it’s waiting. Followers of Jesus have learned not to pay much attention to those glimpses. We know that death is a defeated enemy and so when death does come close, in our obstinate way we choose to celebrate life and use John’s words as a source of comfort and hope. One day, mourning and pain will disappear and death itself will be no more.

Thought for the Day: What will the new life be like?

Psalm`148:7-14

“Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars! Wild animals and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds! Young men and women alike, old and young together! Let them praise the name of the Lord…”  vss. 9, 10, 12, 13a

Having covered the heavens, the psalmist still wasn’t done! Echoing Genesis 1 he credits the Lord with all that has been brought forth upon the earth, and nothing is excluded. Even snowstorms, mountains, sea monsters, creeping things and young women are included in the chorus of praise that sounds out daily from every part of the planet. We are so blessed to be a part of that great symphonic hymn as it echoes around the world and gives glory to God. Of course there are many times when our hearts are heavy and our voices are filled with complaining. This is, after all, a broken world, and goodness is often obscured. Sometimes we can go for days without offering a peep of praise. Flying birds and mountains don’t seem to have that problem, and morning by morning we hear their songs of joy and see the graceful peaks in the distance. And when we are silent, nature screams out praises, and blossoming flowers and gentle rains can refresh even the most hardened hearts. Sometimes all we have to do to restore our connection to nature is to take out our earbuds, put aside our personal devices, and take a walk in our neighborhoods. As our portals are opened we will be refreshed by the Spirit of God and praises will abound.

Thought for the Day: What refreshes my spirit?

Psalm 148:1-6

“Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights! Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his host Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars!” vss. 1-3

Humans have always been fascinated by the skies and we’ve spent thousands of years observing both day and night, recording the movements of stars and planets, and tracking the paths of the sun and moon. They certainly aren’t static, and it was easy for the psalmist to imagine everything in the heavens offering praise to the Lord, the One who had brought them all into existence. We have the same high regard for what we see, and as we’ve gotten the ability to explore the farthest reaches of the universe, our astonishment has grown even more intense. The more we see and learn, the more we are inclined to grow in appreciation for the sheer glory of being able to spend even a few years on this beautiful blue planet on the edge of the Milky Way. Praise God for people like St. Francis who were able to discern our kinship to Brother Sun and Sister Moon and compose hymns of praise on their behalf. Praise God for composers like Herb Brokering who wrote, “Earth and all stars! Loud rushing planets! Sing to the Lord a new song.” His words perfectly capture the joy of the psalmist. What blessings flow our way when we lift up our eyes to the Lord!

Thought for the Day: Why is it easy to miss the wonder of creation?