John 20:19-20

“Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.” vss. 19b-20

The disciples, wracked by fear, had locked themselves away in a hidden upper room within the walled city of Jerusalem. Even though they had heard that Jesus had risen from the dead, they had no idea what to do. They didn’t even know if the stories told by the women were true. And then suddenly Jesus was there. There had been no knock, the door had not opened. But  his words, “Peace be with you,” calmed them. Everything was going to be okay!

We still crave those calming words in our moments of fear and anxiety. In this broken world we often seek shelter in our hidden retreats. We feverishly scroll through our inboxes and news sources, looking for words to assure us, but we don’t even know if the stories we read are true. If only we could find some assurance, if only there were someone we could trust.

And then all of a sudden, we’re not quite sure how it happens, Jesus shows up. We’ve been so alone and out of nowhere a companion comes close, and we just know that it’s Jesus. We feel his love and in the silence he speaks, “Peace be with you,” and we are calmed. How good it is to know that we’re not alone, that there is a greater presence who is as near as our breath! 

Thought for the Day: When have I felt the presence of Jesus?

1 Corinthians 12:12-14

“For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.” vs. 13

Strange as it may seem, in recent years the word inclusive has fallen out of favor, along with related words like diversity and equity. All this would come as a surprise to the Apostle Paul who regularly used these concepts to describe what he called the Body of Christ. He told the Corinthians that all believers, whether they were Jews or Greeks, slaves or free, had been baptised into one body. The Church was a diverse group and included believers from a variety of backgrounds and stations in life. 

But even though diversity and inclusion have been celebrated in the Church from the beginning it has been so hard to practice. In this good and broken world people have a natural tendency to prefer the company of those who are more like themselves than different. In fact most Christian congregations seem to unconsciously embrace homogeneity and resist diversity. We really do have clannish tendencies.

Still the Spirit labors on and, almost against our wills, we are sometimes drawn into communities of faith where we rub shoulders and pray with people of many different backgrounds and even different political persuasions.  It’s not easy to be one with such folks. Unity is never easy. But, thank God, the Spirit persists, and the benefits of inclusion and diversity are undeniable.

Thought for the Day: How do I experience diversity in my congregation?

1 Corinthians 12:3b-11

“To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” vs. 7

Paul’s words to the Corinthians undermine one of the basic assumptions of contemporary Christianity, namely, that we engage in spiritual practices for the sake of strengthening our personal relationship with Jesus Christ. That sounds good and it speaks to our love of individualism as a national creed. But it wasn’t Paul’s vision of the Church. His phrase “for the common good” implies that believers will not just be looking for faith practices that will be good for themselves. Rather, Paul taught that the Holy Spirit calls us into relationship with one another and that the gifts we are given are meant to strengthen the community, and not just our personal faith.

That’s probably the major reason people of faith who move to a new city or neighborhood cannot really be at peace until they feel part of a community or a congregation. They know how important it is to be connected and have come to believe that they have gifts that can be put at the disposal of the whole. What a blessing it is when such persons stumble into a Spirit-filled congregation that is able to identify and use their gifts! This is when the Church is at its best!

Personal spiritual growth can be a wonderful thing, but there is nothing more vital to our faith than connecting with a body that can actually use and multiply our gifts for the common good.

Thought for the Day: How am I using my gifts in my community?

Psalm 104:24-34, 35b

“O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures…When you send forth your spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the ground.” vss. 24, 30

The psalmist couldn’t contain himself! He was full of praise and exultation. Everywhere he looked he saw the hand of God. God was the creator and the sustainer of the universe and everything that it contains. There couldn’t have been a day that passed in which his joy could be restrained. God was quite literally everywhere, and inside him to boot!

It’s a pity that some of those connections have been lost in our AI, screen-jammed world. Some stare all day long and even into the night at their computers and phones, and completely miss the wonder of God’s presence. When we do take a break from our screens and wander into the realms outside our homes and offices, at first it’s hard to adjust. We don’t even hear the conversation of the birds and we miss the flight of the bumblebees. 

But then the Spirit breaks through and we are able to join the reveries of the psalmist. And it’s wonderful! Through our miraculous senses we are ushered into the presence of God, and our hearts are filled. Some days we may even decide to abandon our screens for the rest of the day!

Thought for the Day: What happens when we turn off our computer and phone?

Acts 2:14-21

“In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.” vs. 17

Luke understood the Day of Pentecost as being a great Spirit-filled revival with Peter as the principle preacher. Peter, in addressing this diverse crowd of Jews, used a passage from the prophet Joel to describe what was happening. This outburst of excitement and enthusiasm was nothing less than the outpouring of God’s Spirit and a promise of a new and glorious day. All flesh would be touched by the Spirit and even the dreams of the old would come to pass.

Pentecost-like revivals have been a fixture in the life of the Church ever since that auspicious beginning, and the Spirit has been poured out upon all flesh. In recent months our country has begun to link that call for revival with the 250th anniversary of the United States. But this call is not being generated by evangelist leaders like Peter or Paul. Instead it’s billionaire politicians who are leading the way, encouraging people to think of our country as a Christian nation under God. 

For some this is good news, a sign of hope in troubled times. But others wonder! The teachings of Jesus are indeed a message to be embraced, but what Jesus taught has nothing to do with waging war, neglecting the poor, or the deportation of refugees. Is this really how the Spirit works?

Thought for the Day: Where do I see outpourings of God’s Spirit?

Acts 2:1-13

“All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ But others sneered and said, ‘They are filled with new wine.’” vss. 12-13

For sheer dramatic effect there is probably no event more compelling than Luke’s account of the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Think of it! There had been a gathering of Jews from around the Diaspora for the annual festival of Shavuot or Feast of Weeks and suddenly Galileans, the followers of the recently crucified Jesus of Nazareth, began speaking in the native languages of all those who had come to worship. This wasn’t an event like the birth of Jesus in a hidden and obscure stable; this was like halftime at the SuperBowl, an explosion of excitement that was both amazing and perplexing. Something big was happening and no one knew what it was!

Of course some were dismissive and gave all the credit to the fruit of the vine and its intoxicating side-effects. That’s far easier to understand than the outpouring of the Spirit that had taken place in the upper room. That’s still the way it is when we encounter people in whom the Holy Spirit is actively working. The transformation is visible and unexplainable. Lives are changed and brokenness healed. Some are quick to say that these are probably the effects of some new drug, but believers know that the restoration is the fruit of the Spirit’s presence. 

Thought for the Day: What Holy Spirit changes have I experienced?

John 17:6-11

“And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.” vs. 11

For the people of Norway this is Syttende Mai or Constitution Day, their national day of celebration. It’s a big day, the Norwegian equivalent of the Fourth of July, and many Americans of Norwegian descent will use today to remember and celebrate their heritage. These ethnic celebrations are fun, and some are happy to participate. But they can also become times for division in congregations. Jesus prayed that his followers would be one, and from the beginning, unity has been one of the marks of an authentic Christian community. The apostle Paul certainly reflects that concern for unity in his first letter to the church in Corinth.

Through the centuries ethnic and racial differences have at various times been a challenge to the expression of oneness in our congregations. Something that is a point of pride for one group becomes an emblem of exclusion for another. As people have become sensitive to such barriers some cherished traditions have had to be put aside. For instance, some congregations have discovered that holding annual lutefisk dinners may not be the best tool for outreach!

For some it’s been hard to give up those connections to the “old country,” but followers of Jesus will gladly put welcoming the stranger ahead of “smelly fish” as part of their mission plan!

Thought for the Day: What ethnic tradition is apparent in my congregation?

John 17:1-5

“I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do.” vs. 4

In John’s gospel Jesus  concludes his ministry by gathering his disciples in an upper room for final instructions and a closing prayer. In that prayer he indicates deep satisfaction with the way his life has unfolded. He believed that he had successfully concluded all the work that he had been given to do. That conviction is borne out the next day by his final words on the cross, “It is finished!”

It seems that Jesus’ main intention in life was to glorify God in all that he said and did, and it obviously gave him great satisfaction in knowing that this is what he had done. While on our part we can’t claim to have been sent as messiahs, the way we live our lives is a way to give glory to God.. Throughout history some have done this by using some version of the Latin phrase, “Sola Deo Gloria.” 

People like Bach, Handel, and Bernard Langer, who use such language with regard to their achievements are giving credit for their excellence to God. They’ve only done what they’ve done by the power and direction of God, and their words testify to their faith. It would be wonderful if all believers would use their gifts and talents, not for their own exaltation, but to give glory to God. How good it would be if we could say at life’s end. “I have finished the work you gave me to do. Glory be to you, O God!”

Thought for the Day: How has my life glorified God?

1 Peter 5:6-11

“Discipline yourselves; keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour.” vs. 8

We can’t be sure if the disciple Peter was really the person who wrote the epistle bearing his name. But if it was, he certainly knew what he was talking about. He probably never forgot the day in Galilee, when Jesus, just after calling him the Rock, humbled him in front of his peers by saying, “Get behind me, Satan!” Peter learned from that experience that temptations can come at us from most any direction.

Even our closest friends can lead us from the path of righteousness with empty promises and false assurances, and if we don’t have a strong moral compass we’re easy prey for deception.  Peter advised his readers to develop a solid self-discipline, one that will enable us to recognize those who are likely to confuse and deceive.

In this social media dominated culture the roaring lions prowl unimpeded through the morass of artificial intelligence and the scourge of those who call themselves “influencers.” There was a time when it was a terrible thing to be a liar and a deceiver, but in these latter days lying has become an artform and permeates every realm of society. Surely this is a time for constant vigilance and discipline. It’s much too easy to be victimized by those we thought we could trust!

Thought for the Day: Where does my life lack discipline?

1 Peter 4:12-14

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.”

It’s good for us to get a glimpse of what life was like for Christians in the beginning years of the Church. While they were fired up by the good news of the gospel there were also fiery ordeals for them to endure. Peter refers to those occasions as being times of testing.

What we forget sometimes is that those moments still happen for followers of Jesus. We are not immune to injustice and acts of cruel insensitivity. And often life just isn’t very fair! Children and parents can disappoint us, and we certainly don’t anticipate the twists and turns that are a part of the aging process. Even our congregations can become a testing ground for our faith–it’s uncanny how nasty people of faith can be to each other! A loving community can transition into a caldron of vicious rumors and gossip in a heartbeat.

Peter seems to indicate that we should not be surprised when such things take place and brokenness comes knocking on our doors. That’s how it is in our good world. All people are broken and we are fools to think we’re not going to be affected. But Peter implies that those tough moments are when faith can become stronger than ever. We could even think of them as blessings!

Thought for the Day: What “fiery ordeals” have tested my faith?