1 Corinthians 1:1-4

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus…” vss. 3-4

Paul had worked as a tentmaker in Corinth for about 18 months during his second missionary journey. During that time he had also proclaimed the gospel of Jesus Christ in every venue that was open to him. He knew the people well, and they knew him. After he left he continued to write to the congregation that had sprung up while he was there. A couple of those letters and perhaps part of a third are a part of our New Testament. Evidently someone in Corinth would ask Paul’s guidance on issues being faced by the congregation, and in return he freely offered his opinions and convictions. His letters offer priceless perspectives on what was happening! He begins this letter with a familiar apostolic greeting. His words are a reminder that our relationship with God rests on the grace that has been poured out among us through the Lord Jesus. This particular congregation often dealt with divisions and conflicts, showing that such issues have troubled followers of Jesus from the beginning. Paul did not hesitate to share instructions and admonitions, but he always presented his guidance from the perspective of grace and peace.  Because we continue to struggle with differences, we would do well to pay attention to what he had to say and remember that life in Christ always begins with grace!

Thought for the Day: Why is church unity so difficult?

Psalm 40:1-11

“I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.” vss. 1-2

We’ve probably all imagined what it would be like to be caught in a pit of quicksand. Maybe we’ve seen a movie or video showing some person slowly sinking out of sight. It’s the source material for nightmares! Can you see it now? You’re walking a rainsoaked path through a jungle area and wander onto a muddy flat. The muck is deep and clings to your feet. Suddenly you’re stuck and unable to move and the sinking begins: knees, thighs, waist. Alone you cry for help! And then your rescuer comes, bending, he catches hold of your arms and pulls you to safety, a rock on which you can stand. The psalmist says that this is what the Lord does when we lose our way. His words sound like the testimony we’d hear at an AA meeting. We know the stories. In the face of addiction God acts to rescue and restore. The Lord gives power when our own strength has disappeared. At the bottom, at the end of our resources, our God comes and we are saved. It may be that this is our own tale, one that we should never be reluctant to share. This is what God is for us–this is what God can be. That’s why every day is a time for thanks and praise.

Thought for the Day: What’s my story?

Isaiah 49:5-7

“He says, ‘It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors of Israel; I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.’” vs. 6

As the prophet considered the mission of Israel he had come to believe that the Lord had a larger vision for his Servant. He tells the people that they have been given as a light to the nations. The salvation of God was for all the world and not just the descendents of Abraham and Jacob. That prophetic vision was a massive step forward for the Jewish people and it was picked up by Jesus who insisted that his disciples’ mission was to go with the gospel to the whole world. As members of the Body of Christ we have learned that this is our commission too, and Epiphany has become a time for us to reflect on that evangelical mission to be the Light of the world, not only as individuals but as communities of faith. Some days it seems as though darkness has gotten a second wind among us. There is a sense that something is wrong, and that our leaders are more interested in the exercise of raw power than the promotion of the common good. Sometimes we imagine that we’re on our own in healing the brokenness, but that’s never the case. It’s together that we are the Light of Christ, and together we make a difference.

Thought for the Day: How will I be the light today?

Isaiah 49:1-4

“And he said to me, ‘You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.’ But I said, ‘I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my cause is with the Lord, and my reward with my God.’” vss. 3-4

Even as the people of Israel languished in their Babylonian exile, their prophet continued to assure them that collectively, they are still the servant of the Lord. So in this beautiful Servant Song he takes note of Israel’s long mostly futile history of sketchy obedience, and then reaffirms their continuing call. It’s a reminder that God doesn’t give up on those who have been chosen, even when it appears their labor has been in vain, and that’s certainly true for we who are called the Body of Christ. As the Christian Church there is much that we have done that has been fruitless and even contrary to the mission of Jesus. We have been caught up in struggles for power and glory. Our leaders have succumbed to political pressures and have adopted the ways of our broken world. We’ve engaged in crusades, supported slavery, and ignored the poor. In short our witness to the Way of Jesus has been a joke. Nevertheless, our call to be the hands and feet of God in the world is still in effect. Because we are loved unconditionally, the forgiveness and mercy of the Lord is our strength!

Thought for the Day: How does the Church get off track?

Matthew 3:15-17

“And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’” vs. 17

Jesus’ baptism was likely quite routine. We don’t know John’s method but it was likely full immersion. That was the tradition in Judaism, and many homes would have had a mikvah or bathtub for use in purification rituals. Since John wouldn’t have had a mikvah handy, he likely just used a pool in the river. But what happened after the baptism wasn’t at all what Jesus anticipated. He had a full-blown encounter with the Spirit of God and even heard a voice affirming him as God’s beloved Son. That experience changed the trajectory of his life in a big way–in fact it changed the course of human history. From that point on Jesus believed that he had received the stamp of God’s approval, and that he had a divine mission, though he didn’t quite know what that might be. In our experience baptism has taken on a different meaning. Only occasionally does it involve a life-changing encounter with the Divine. For many it’s a ritual that comes so early in our lives that no memory remains. But that doesn’t mean that it’s meaningless! On the contrary it’s the most powerful celebration of God’s love and grace we will ever experience. In the waters of baptism we are named and claimed as God’s own children, and its cleansing power is forever.

Thought for the Day: How do I remember my baptism?

Matthew 3:13-15

“Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?’” vss. 13-14

All the gospels begin their accounts of Jesus’ ministry with the story of his baptism in the Jordan River at the hands of John the Baptizer. John was already well-known and his baptismal ministry had attracted widespread attention. Even King Herod was aware of him and wary of his influence. So it’s really not strange that Jesus would come down from Galilee to see what was going on. He may even have intended to become one of John’s disciples. At any rate he had come to be baptized, just one of many who were seeking spiritual transformation. Later on, after Jesus’ ministry exploded and John had met a tragic end, there was some confusion about which of them should be regarded as the messiah. John’s disciples had remained attached to him, and they wondered about this upstart from Galilee. Matthew, in writing about Jesus’ baptism much later, makes sure that his readers knew that Jesus was superior, and that even John recognized it. What we do know is that Jesus was likely very surprised by what happened immediately following his baptism. This was not what he had expected, and it changed his life, and the course of human history!

Thought for the Day: What effect has your baptism had on you?

Acts 10:34-43

“Then Peter began to speak to them: ‘I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.” vss. 34-35

It’s a new Peter that speaks to Cornelius and his family in Caesarea–he’s been converted to a brand new way of understanding the salvation of God. He’d grown up as a devout Jew and had an extremely narrow sense of who was included within the boundaries of God’s Peaceable Kingdom. But following his vision in Joppa he had concluded that God shows no partiality, that God does not love one nation more than another. What God cares about is goodness, the goodness that is planted in the heart of every human being, and  when that goodness shines through the ubiquitous brokenness of humanity, God rejoices. For some reason Christians have had a hard time believing this and putting it into practice. We’ve invented denominations of every description and burnished their boundaries with rituals and traditions, all in an attempt to make clear who is in and who is out. And we all do it! Conservatives judge liberals and liberals mock conservatives, and then we act surprised when we see goodness in those we judge and mock. Perhaps we need conversion as much as Peter. Good news rests within the hearts of all people and all are capable of being light in the midst of darkness.

Thought for the Day: When has someone’s goodness surprised me?

Psalm 29

“The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over mighty waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.” vss. 2-3

According to Genesis 1 God spoke the universe into existence. Again and again we see the repeated phrase, “And God said…and it was so.” And the gospel writer John, agreeing with Genesis, wrote, “All things came into being through the Word.”

The psalmist knew the origin stories and observed that the Lord had not stopped talking! And we see it too. All the creative energy of the Divine continues to shape the universe in awe-inspiring ways. From the microburst that levels the trees of a golf course to the formation of black holes far off in the heavens we catch glimpses of God’s majestic power, and we wonder at God’s continuing presence. Of course our scientists and climatologists are quick to offer explanations that leave God out of the picture. But people of faith, while appreciating the incredible advances in knowledge and understanding, know by instinct that there must be something more. Beyond the natural God is, and in the natural God acts! There is no place where God is not. And day by day as we search for more understanding, the uniqueness of our existence spurs us to join the psalmist in offering praise and thanksgiving.

Thought for the Day: What evokes awe in me?

Isaiah 42:1-9

“He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.” vss. 2-3

Sometimes we want to cry out in protest against the politicians of our age. We cannot believe that the values of our nation could be completely ignored. We’re baffled by the transfer of power into the hands of self-promoting billionaires without a shred of empathy for the poor and the needy. And it’s all happened on our watch and without our approval! We want to do something, but we don’t know what we can do. So we march in the streets and hold up signs–and things only seem to get worse. Isaiah knew what tough times were like too, and he offered hope for the people who were yearning for justice. One day, he tells them, there will be a gentle servant leader who will quietly and faithfully bring restoration. Perhaps there is a clue in his words for those hungering and thirsting for righteousness in our own dysfunctional times. Perhaps gentleness is the key! What if there were among us a whole cadre of servant leaders with love in their hearts who pray for their enemies instead of yelling at them? What if each of us could learn to live that way? Isaiah seems to indicate that this is where we will find hope for the future. Wouldn’t it be crazy if he were right?

Thought for the Day: Where does gentleness get its power?

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.” vs. 9

Matthew demonstrates scribal skills in the writing of his gospel. He always looks for connections between the life of Jesus and the promises of the Hebrew scripture. And while sometimes the references he chooses seem unrelated we can’t deny that there are definite threads that bind our bible together. In this instance he connects a passage from Micah about a future king to the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. And even his story of Herod’s cruelty has a basis in historical records. He’s not just making stuff up! And the linkage makes for a great story! Even a baby is not safe in this broken world. A mad king hears a story from Eastern Astrologers and slaughters the innocents of Bethlehem. But the child visited by the Magi and destined for death is whisked away in the nick of time to the land of Egypt. And the story still hasn’t ended. That star that marked the house where Jesus lay has become for us the symbol of Epiphany. Political tyrants can’t crush the Light of the World, and today begins our celebration of the Star’s resilience. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it!

Thought for the Day: How will I celebrate Light today?