Psalm 34:15-22

“When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit.” vss. 17-18

Some believers have difficulty with verses like this. The words just don’t resonate with their experience. We have all known exceptionally good people, we might even categorize them as righteous, who have cried to the Lord for help in their troubles, and who have not been rescued. At the end of their prayers, whatever ugliness has been plaguing them is still present! When that happens, faith is tested and questions abound. And then there are those who have had the opposite experience. They’ve cried out to God and immediately their prayer has been answered–which is of course a good thing. The problem is that their resulting testimony tends to be an indictment of those who feel as though they’ve been “ghosted” by God, and may cause such persons to then assume that they’re not among the righteous. What we often fail to see is that the psalmist does offer consolation to those who feel neglected! He says that the Lord is close to those who have been crushed in spirit. And it’s here that we find an amazing truth! Even in our brokenheartedness God is near–and when we’re on our last legs, God is present. And if we listen closely, in those moments we will hear that we are loved!

Thought for the Day: When have I felt that God has “ghosted” me?

Joshua 24:15-18

“Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve… but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” vs. 15

It was crunch time for the Israelites. They were in the Promised Land and now Joshua wanted to know who they intended to serve. There hadn’t been many options in the barren waste of the wilderness, but now they were living in a land where there were a variety of gods to choose among. And Joshua puts them on the spot. And like any good leader he lets them know exactly where he stood. They could do as they wished, but he and his household would be serving the Lord. That’s how faith questions get settled in most of our families. While faith can’t be forced upon anyone, leaders do make choices. The decisions they make about matters of faith will determine the worship practices of the family. And those are not insignificant choices. Parents have an enormous influence on what their children come to believe about God and the Church. When their faith is sincere and disciplined, when prayer and worship are a regular part of family life, children are much more likely to remain connected to Jesus. Where hypocrisy reigns children will decide quickly that there are better ways to spend Sunday mornings, and they disappear from church in a hurry.

Thought for the Day: What faith leaders did I experience in my family?

Joshua 24:1-2a, 14

“Now therefore revere the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.” vs. 14

Most people have a curiosity about their ancestors. Some spend years in genealogical research to figure out their family tree. Others send in saliva samples to testing companies like 23andme or Ancestry to find out what an analysis of their DNA can tell them about their heritage. While these results are purely physiological it would also be enlightening to get information about our faith ancestry. Like the Hebrews all of us have ancestors who likely worshiped idols. And somewhere along the line some leader, perhaps someone like Joshua, called them out of idolatry into the worship of a mysterious invisible God, that we have come to know as the Lord. And though there have likely been hiccups along the way, for the most part, we’ve continued to practice the faith of our fathers and mothers. But for every generation there comes a time for decision making. Will we continue to walk the path trod by those faith ancestors or will we wander off on our own to seek gods of our own making, ones that will be more satisfying? Often there’s not a conscious choice to walk away from our heritage. It’s more likely that inattention and apathy are the real reasons people wander from faith. And soon we all begin to wonder what the faith of our grandchildren will be!

Thought for the Day: When did my ancestors decide to serve the Lord?

John 6:54-58

“Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me.” vs. 57

Some of us can remember a time when the celebration of Holy Communion was infrequent in some of our congregations. There was a sense that what really counted was a good sermon, and direction on how believers ought to live in this broken world. And at the same time, in the majority of congregations there was an emphasis on the Mass, and the Eucharist was the main event. Sometimes there was barely time for any kind of a homily. Now it seems there is more of a balance in weekly worship between word and sacrament, and that’s a good thing. Exposition of the scriptures is always important, and we’ve come to understand that the celebration of Holy Communion is the source of life for every believer. Jesus described it well. Mysterious as it may seem, the bread and wine of the sacrament is what connects us to the living and ever-present God. Creation wasn’t just the making of a lot of stuff. It was the source of all life, and it was that life which became incarnate in Jesus through the Holy Spirit, and that same life enlivens our spirits every time we eat and drink. As we have begun to understand what grocery store food is best, our insatiable life-seeking faith drives us back to the Table week after week. 

Thought for the Day: What enlivens my spirit?

John 6:51-53

“The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’” vs. 52

Not surprisingly, when people heard that the bread of heaven was actually the flesh of Jesus there was great consternation. Those words were too graphic, repelling even, and they couldn’t imagine that this is what Jesus intended. But that’s what the early Christians believed and that’s what they taught. No wonder then that they were accused by the authorities of cannibalistic practices in their secret eucharistic rituals! So it’s not surprising that through the centuries, as theologians wrestled with the question of the Real Presence, many of them came to believe that this isn’t what Jesus really meant. Instead they came up with alternative explanations, ones that were more palatable to believers, and that did not provide a roadblock to faith. One of the most popular was to suggest that Jesus really meant that the bread of Holy Communion represented his body and that his presence was spiritual and not real. Now that seems entirely reasonable and this understanding is probably the one most Christians hold close to their hearts. The problem is that this explanation robs the sacrament of its radical core and destroys its mystery. To continue using the word “flesh” makes Jesus alive in the present and restores power to the Eucharist. To be with someone in the flesh opens us to the thrill of their presence, and is far better than vaguely remembering something they said or did.

Thought for the Day: How does it feel to be with someone in the flesh?

Ephesians 5:18-20

“Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit…giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  vss. 18, 20

One of the options available to us as we consider how to use our hours in these troubled times is drinking. In that choice we have an advantage over the Ephesians. They seem to have had access only to wine, while we have a wide array of alcoholic beverages to choose from, and of course we still have wine. But Paul doesn’t consider drunkenness to be a wise choice, and he recommends the Spirit instead of spirits. And then after advising the Ephesians to engage in singing hymns and spiritual songs, he blows our minds. He tells them and us to give thanks to God for everything at all times, and to do it in the name of Jesus. If we were to take Paul’s words to heart, remembering that he writes them from a jail cell, we would not let external circumstances dictate the mood of our days. Instead, each day we would awaken with a prayer of thanksgiving on our lips and then receive every minute of that day as a gift, giving thanks for everything that comes our way. If you’ve never tried living in a Spirit of thanksgiving all day, every day, it wouldn’t hurt to try. It might even make that glass of wine you have in the evening all the sweeter!

Thought for the Day: What could a Spirit of Thanksgiving do for my soul?

Ephesians 5:15-17

“Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil.” vss. 15-16

It’s impossible to know exactly what Paul meant when he told the Ephesians that the days were evil, but it wasn’t an unusual perspective. In fact, there are some who use that language in describing the present moment in history–daily reports of some new danger lurking makes talk of evil days seem appropriate. But regardless of whether our times are worse than any other, Paul’s advice is right on. He recommends wise living, making the most of the time that is ours. It’s sad to see how time can be frittered away. There are countless distractions and most folks get hung up on any number of foolish and time-wasting activities. Years can go by, and only occasionally do we ever take stock of how we’ve been using our precious hours. And for all of us, the time we have left is always diminishing–the sand keeps running through the hourglass day and night, relentlessly decreasing the time that is left. And it’s that way for everyone. The question is: how shall we spend the rest of our lives? And what would be the wisest use of that time? It’s the most valuable asset we have left in our portfolios. These are big questions, and there is no right answer. What is important is for us to be mindful of how we are living, and resume control of our hours.

Thought for the Day: How can I best use my remaining time?

Psalm 34:9-14

“Which of you desires life, and covets many days to enjoy good? Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit.” vss. 12-13

Some psalms had their origins in the Wisdom Literature of Israel and leaders used them in worship to teach people particular insights about how to live. This psalmist says that the way we use our mouths is the key to a long and fruitful life, that in fact, all happiness depends upon our tongue. The New Testament writer James would agree. Comparing the tongue to the rudder of a ship he writes, “So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits.” He calls it, “a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” We would be hard-pressed to disagree. There’s scarcely a person among us who hasn’t been betrayed by the careless use of our tongue. It starts as children as we try to figure out appropriate speech in the home and continues through adolescence as we experiment with profanity and curses. We use it in our courting and loving and then use it to demean and ridicule those we have wooed and won. We pass on gossip and salacious untruths, lie in every conceivable way, and then wonder why our lives have gotten so screwed up. The psalmist says, “It’s not rocket science, you fool! It’s your mouth! Choose words carefully, words of love and affirmation, and life will be good!”

Thought for the Day: How has my tongue betrayed me?

Proverbs 9:4-6

“To those without sense she says, ‘Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed.Lay aside immaturity, and live, and walk in the way of insight.’” vss. 4-6

Every generation professes concern for succeeding generations, frequently castigating the young for their senseless and immature behaviors, even though we all know that foolishness is not the exclusive domain of that sector of the population. Folks of every age are susceptible to outrageous and childish words and actions. According to the book of Proverbs dealing with such people is the particular domain of Sophia or Wisdom. In fact that’s her role, and she invites those without sense to a meal of bread and wine, a supper that will enable them to live with insight and understanding. That same invitation is given to the wandering of our age, youth and adults alike. It’s what Jesus said to the people he encountered, “Come to me, you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” In our communities of faith, there is even a meal involved, one in which we are invited to feast on the Bread of Life. The key to the invitation of both Proverbs and Jesus is the insight that Wisdom is always mediated. We don’t just stumble on it–always there will be a mediator–it could even come through a meal with Sophia. Often it comes from Jesus as channeled by a particularly wise friend or acquaintance.

Thought for the Day: Where have I received wisdom and insight?

Proverbs 9:1-3

“Wisdom has built her house, she has hewn her seven pillars. She has slaughtered her animals, she has mixed her wine, she has also set her table.” vss. 1-2

Many are familiar with the ode to the capable wife that is found in Proverbs 31 but some don’t like it very much. They claim that it perpetuates a patriarchal attitude toward women. That may be true, but it’s also true that Proverbs also implies that the source of wisdom in the home is the mother. In fact, in this passage Wisdom is clearly described in female terms, and she not only sets the table, she built the house. More than that, she butchered the animals and produced the wine for the meal! She does it all! Obviously, even in the highly patriarchal Hebrew society, there was a sense that wisdom was a female trait. Among the Greeks the word for wisdom was Sophia, definitely a feminine noun, and in early Christendom her name was chosen for the largest and most beautiful church in the world, Hagia Sopia, in Constantinople. How sad it is then, that the voices of women have been so regularly silenced in the Church. So it’s been a blessing in the last 75 years to begin to hear female pastors proclaiming the gospel as leaders in the church! Women have always been the voice of Wisdom–now they can be publicly heard.

Thought for the Day: Why is wisdom thought to be a female trait?