1 Corinthians 11:23-26

“For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread,and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’” vs.23-24

After Jesus’ crucifixion, reports immediately began to spread of his resurrection, a few of which are recorded in our gospels. Convinced by those experiences of his continuing presence, his disciples began to meet together regularly. Bolstered by the presence of his Holy Spirit that community expanded beyond Jerusalem to the furthest reaches of the Roman Empire. Very early on, before the gospels were written, as groups of those disciples met regularly for prayer and teaching they began to celebrate what we call Holy Communion as a part of their fellowship meals. In the congregations that Paul established he introduced a ritual that included what we have come to know as the “words of institution.” That little liturgy is virtually identical to what is said and done in many of our congregations today. Just think! From the very beginning the center of worship for followers of Jesus Christ is Holy Communion–over and over we’ve given thanks, broken bread, and heard the words, “This is my body…this is my blood.” What a gift we have been given! No wonder the Holy Eucharist has such an impact on believers! It is the very best way of maintaining a personal connection to Jesus!

Thought for the Day: What has Holy Communion meant to me through the years?

Hebrews 12:1-3

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us…” vs. 1

In chapter 11 the writer of Hebrews gave a definition of faith that is worthy of memorization. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” He had then gone on to describe how important faith had been in connecting all the generations of the Jewish people. And now in chapter 12 he lets his readers know that now the ball is in their court. All those people of faith are depending on them to continue the race that has been a part of their heritage from the very beginning. We know what that responsibility is like! We too are the benefactors of the generations that have gone before us. The faith that sustained our ancestors is now in our hands, and they’re watching to see how well we carry the torch. The race we’re in is more of a marathon than anything else–it lasts as long as we will live, and the way isn’t smooth or easy. There are plenty of pitfalls and stumbling blocks that can trip us up, and faith can easily slip from our grasp. The good thing is that we don’t run alone, we have plenty of companions, and, best of all, Jesus has already completed the course. And one day we’ll join him in the cloud.

Thought for the Day: How’s the race going for me?

Psalm 71:1-14

“For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth. Upon you I have leaned from my birth; it was you who took me from my mother’s womb. My praise is continually of you.” vss. 5-5

There are many among us who have been faithful and true through their entire lives. As children they learned to pray and then worshiped regularly with parents. Some went through confirmation classes and affirmed their baptisms. They participated in youth groups and even after high school were a part of campus ministries at their colleges. Faith is as natural to them as breathing, and has continued to grow and mature even through periods of doubt. And life has been good for them! Aside from assorted bumps and bruises along the way there have been no times of calamity or despair. Such deaths and losses they have experienced have not seemed out of the ordinary, and their faith has never failed to give them comfort. God has never let them down. And then one day, out of the blue, for no good reason, the bottom drops out of their lives. And it is all grossly unfair! Even though they might know faith does not bring immunity to disease or trouble, there is the sense that a life well lived should mean something in the great scheme of things. But for better or worse, the past does not determine our future. But this we know, even when things are unfair or unjust, our God will always be present, and we will never be forsaken. 

Thought for the Day: How fair has life been to 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

Jesus used the prophet Isaiah as a source for his own self-understanding, and since Isaiah used the metaphor of Servant to describe the people of Israel, Jesus seems to have adopted that description as the model for his ministry. Jesus was not the kind of religious leader who called attention to himself. Rather than parading about in the streets offering prayers and giving alms, Jesus advised doing good in secrecy and was skilled in gently lifting up the hurting and offering strength to the weak. What Isaiah advised and Jesus practiced is different from what has become the norm in the political world. Our politicians are boastful, arrogant, and sickeningly self-serving. And some even claim to be following Christian virtues! It’s as though they’ve never read the gospels. Now it may very well be that a kind and gentle politician would be a loser in this societal climate, but wouldn’t it be wonderful if such a person was even an option for voters? And even if that can never happen in the world of politics, we should be glad that it can happen among the followers of Jesus. We can speak gently to others and act kindly to those in need. In fact it happens every day in our faith communities. Thank God that Isaiah’s Servant is alive and well!

Thought for the Day: How can gentleness bring forth justice?

Mark 15:25-39

“Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, ‘Truly this man was God’s Son!’” vs. 39

Mark closes his account of the crucifixion with a confession of faith from the centurion who was likely the Roman officer in charge of the executions. As he watched Jesus draw his last tortured breath the centurion was moved to say, “Truly this man was God’s Son!.” It seems an unlikely response to watching the final moments of life for a dying man–but not an impossible one. Faith is a fickle companion on life’s journey. At times we can yearn for an unshakable trust in God, and be unable to dispel our doubts. At other times, as in the case of the centurion, it pops up for no good reason at all. Even in the most unlikely circumstances deep faith convictions can show up out of nowhere, and we can find great consolation in their presence. For some even the life of discipleship is a mystery. Such persons have no idea why at some random point in their life they made a conscious decision to follow Jesus. Now we don’t know what happened to the centurion. Ancient traditions indicate that he was martyred for his faith. And we don’t know what will happen in our own life of faith. But surely it will be a blessing if it continues as a source of comfort and strength for the rest of our days!

Thought for the Day: How is the centurion’s story like my own?

Mark 15:16-24

“And they clothed him in a purple cloak; and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on him. And they began saluting him, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’” vss, 17-18

Once Pilate’s decision had been made, the Roman soldiers took custody of Jesus and had their way with him. They knew nothing of him, only that he was said to be the King of the Jews. As soldiers forced to live in a strange and foreign land they decided to use this information to make sport of his crucifixion. Someone had the idea to strip off his clothes, clothe him in a purple cloak, and fashion him a crown of thorns. They found it amusing to bow down before him, strike him with a reed and spit on him. It’s the kind of torture that would enliven the day for bored recruits. What they didn’t know was that the man they were ridiculing really was the King of the Jews. What they also didn’t know was that their actions actually elevated Jesus among those who had become his disciples. Their torturing efforts were forever remembered and the image of Jesus wearing a crown of thorns has become iconic, and it really is the reason so many continue to be drawn to him. He is our suffering savior and in his wounds millions have seen the sacrificial love of God. Because of what he endured we know that we have a companion in our own suffering. However bad life might be, we are not alone!

Thought for the Day: What’s the point of torture?

March 15:1-15

“As soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. They bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate.”  vs. 1

Visitors to Jerusalem often visit the Church of St. Peter Gallicantu, just outside the walls of the city. According to tradition the church is located on the site of the house of Caiaphas, the High Priest at the time. While the church itself is beautiful, many pilgrims are drawn to the cisterns that have been excavated under the building, near first century steps that lead up from the Kidron Valley, where Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane. According to some archeologists, one of these cisterns could have been used as a prison cell by the chief priests. It’s a claustrophobic space with a hole in the ceiling through which prisoners were lowered. While we can doubt the authenticity of many Jerusalem historical sites, this one can actually be dated to the time when Jesus was kept prisoner on that Thursday night. It’s a place for believers to perhaps sense his presence! Standing in that cell we can imagine his anguish as he awaited the dawn and his appearance before the whole council. Of course it was all rigged–Jesus was a threat to the religious establishment, and now that they had him, they intended that he would die! They did need Pilate’s verdict to ensure his death, and in the end, they got exactly what they wanted.

Thought for the Day: Alone in the dark, where did Jesus get his strength?

Philippians 2:5-11

“Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness.” vss. 5-7a

The Greek word kenosis occurs only a couple of places in the New Testament, but it appears here in verb form to describe what Christ Jesus did in becoming human. The translation reads “he emptied himself,” and Paul tells the Philippians to be imitators of him in their lives. Much has been written about what this self-emptying might require, and some even consider it to be the key to Christ-like living, maybe even the first step in spiritual growth. Sometimes people will use the phrase, “learning how to get out of my own way,” as another description of how this kenotic process might work. It begins with recognizing that each of us is created in the image of God with unique and wonderful gifts. But then as we live we discover that the world has another agenda for who we are and what we should become. In that environment it’s not unusual for the image of God in us to be distorted and almost disappear. Our kenotic task then is to peel away the layers of the image that the world has made of us, and gradually return to our true and natural selves.

Thought for the Day: What is my true self like?

Psalm 31:9-16

“I have passed out of mind like one who is dead; I have become like a broken vessel.” vs. 12

As we age it’s not unusual for us to forget which of our many friends and relatives have died and which remain alive. Occasionally the very elderly will be shocked when they are told that their mother or father is dead. It can be almost impossible for them to believe such a thing, even if they were in attendance at their funeral. That’s just how our brains work. Sometimes the information that’s been stored securely in our memory banks becomes suddenly inaccessible, and whatever passwords we’ve been using just don’t work any more. The psalmist seems to have been aware of that too, and what’s even more frightening to him is the feeling that he too will one day pass out of mind. While we know that someday this will take place, we would just as soon that it didn’t happen until we were dead. We would like to be remembered and have value in our circle of friends and family as long as possible. But rather than dwell on that time when we will be forgotten, it’s far more productive to focus on the present, this moment in which we live and breathe and have our being. God is in charge of our future, and we know that in Christ, everything is going to be just fine. But for now our best course is to rejoice in this day that the Lord has made and has so graciously dropped into our laps!

Thought for the Day: What will I rejoice about today?

Isaiah 50:4-9a

“The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. Morning by morning he wakens— wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught.” vs. 4

We know from the gospels that Jesus looked to the prophet Isaiah for inspiration and direction. According to Luke, his first day on the job, as he taught in the synagogue in Nazareth, he used Isaiah 61 to describe how he had been anointed by the Spirit of the Lord to bring good news to the poor. Later we can imagine him regularly reviewing the words of Isaiah 51. The Lord had given him the tongue of a teacher that he might sustain the weary with a word, and now, morning by morning he wakened before dawn to go out in the hills to pray. There in his prayers Isaiah reminded him to listen, to listen as those who were taught. What a lesson for us in our own Spirit-driven missions! We think we know the needs of those we’ve been sent to serve, but too often we lead with our tongues rather than our ears. It’s just so hard, when we’re full of good ideas, to shut our mouths and take time to listen. And sometimes even when we do think we’re listening we’re only thinking of the next thing we want to say. Blessed are those teachers who really listen–for it’s as we’re listening that the healing comes.  Often we don’t need to say a word!

Thought for the Day: How are my listening skills?