James 5:13-15

“Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord.” vs. 14

When we feel sick we will likely go to an Urgent Care Center or to an emergency room for treatment, and usually some sort of healing will follow, sometimes quickly, but often after a period of time. James presented his readers with another option. Since medical services were primitive or lacking, he suggested they call the elders of the church and receive the laying on of hands and be anointed with oil. It’s likely that, given an option, most of us would prefer the modern approach. But there are some who periodically still follow James’ suggestion. Some congregations in fact hold regular healing services that are probably similar to those James recommended. There are scripture readings and prayers with the laying on of hands and the anointing with oil, and for many the experience is powerful and effective. So, do they work? Skeptics would say, “Of course not!” But others are not so dismissive. Healing is a natural and mysterious process, and no one can say exactly how it works or why it doesn’t. But there’s no doubt that there is healing in touching–that’s why the best doctors touch their patients. And what we know for sure is that prayer is a powerful connective tool in any community, and prayers for the sick are always appropriate.

Thought for the Day: What would anointing with oil mean for me?

Psalm 19:7-14

“The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the decrees of the Lord are sure, making wise the simple… But who can detect their errors? Clear me from hidden faults.” vss. 7, 12

The psalmist loved the law and believed that its decrees and precepts were exactly the guide that was needed in this broken world. If people were obedient to all of its precepts life would be perfect, and humans could enjoy the bounty of creation and live together in harmony. He was right, of course, life is always better when everyone plays by the rules. The problem is that the law, while being very good, was also flawed, and could only expose sin, and was incapable of healing it. Humans are enormously complex, and, as the psalmist noted, are capable of hiding their faults even from themselves. And this is where the problem is. Even when on the outside things appear to be going very well, on the inside there can be a tangle of contradictory and embarrassing thoughts undermining our serenity. Our minds take us places that we never imagined going, and we’d die if those secret journeys ever became public knowledge. And here the law provides no help–all it can do is increase our feeling of guilt. And we don’t need more commandments. We need steadfast love and mercy and the restoration of our broken hearts. And that’s what we get in Jesus!

Thought for the Day: What are my hidden faults?

Numbers 11:16, 24-29

“So the Lord said to Moses, ‘Gather for me seventy of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; bring them to the tent of meeting, and have them take their place there with you.’” vs. 16

When Moses had his meltdown and complained to the Lord about the burdens of leadership, Numbers reports that the Lord had a simple solution. Seventy elders from among the tribes were chosen to stand with Moses in his leadership role. To put it simply, the Lord told Moses, “It’s not all up to you.” That simple directive has become a foundational truth for the people of God, and it’s especially true in the Church. We are a community of faith, the Body of Christ, and individually members of it. Each of us have different callings that are derived from the gifts of the Spirit, but nobody carries the whole load. Of course the Body functions best when each person faithfully does their part, and falters when some bow out or imagine that their presence makes no difference. But when congregations are attentive to this rule of faith, wonderful ministry can take place. No one feels left out, the burdens of leadership are shared, and the gifts of all are identified and nurtured. Under that operating structure, no one is indispensable, and everyone is priceless, and the whole Body is blessed.

Thought for the Day: How do I feel when it’s all up to me?

Numbers 11:4-6, 10-15

“Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they come weeping to me and say, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ I am not able to carry all this people alone, for they are too heavy for me.” Numbers 11:13-14

According to this ancient Hebrew story, Moses had gotten fed up with the people in the wilderness because of their constant complaining. They were given a daily provision of manna, but they wanted more than that. They wanted to eat like they had in Egypt. They wanted meat! So Moses complains to the Lord–he’s tired of being the leader. In some ways, times have not changed. It’s still hard to be the leader. Oh, it can be fun during those moments when everything is going well and people are appreciative of those who are in charge. But when things start getting tough, look out! The first thing that people will do is blame the leader. And it doesn’t even make any difference if the problem is their fault. When things go bad folks aren’t interested in looking for possible causes. Instead they focus all of their anger and displeasure at the person they perceive to be in charge. It’s no wonder that leaders find it hard to endure. Moses was ready to die rather than continue in his thankless calling. During the stress of the COVID years hundreds of pastors resigned their positions. In a crisis being the leader is a thankless job.

Thought for the Day: How does my pastor handle the stress of leadership?

Mark 9:33-37

“He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, ‘Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.’” vs. 35

We can only imagine how disheartening it must have been for Jesus to pour out his heart to his disciples about the cost of discipleship, and then have them engage in a great debate about which of them was the greatest. They had completely missed the point of his teaching! The only thing he could do was to give them a visual image that they could never forget. After telling them that the highest calling is to be the servant of all, he takes a child in his arms and says, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name, welcomes me.” Jesus regularly reminded his followers that if they really wanted to know him, they should imitate the faith of children. There is something precious about the faith of a child, a kind of naive trust that is often lost in that period of angst and questioning that typifies adolescence. But then, for many of us there is a second chance. Having tested every kind of alternative belief, we go back to that childlike period, and simply believe. By that time we know there are probably no answers to our big questions, and God remains a mystery, but it feels good to humble ourselves and be a child again. And there in the arms of Jesus, we fold into our eternal destiny, and perhaps, learn how to serve!

Thought for the Day: How is my faith like that of a child?

Mark 9:30-32

“But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.” vs. 32

Mark indicates that after the disciples had acknowledged that Jesus was the messiah, it became more difficult for them to understand his teachings. Evidently he was teaching them that the path of discipleship led through suffering and death, and did not provide them a direct route to triumph and glory. We can understand their difficulty. Even though we know the gospel story well it still remains difficult for us to deal with the suffering that is inextricably linked to the new life in Christ. In fact most people will do most anything to avoid suffering of any kind. As a result we not only have a drug crisis in our culture, but most folks are perplexed by the “dark night of the soul” that is so common to those who strive to walk in the way of Jesus. People like Mother Theresa know this well, and have discovered that the best way to deal with suffering and darkness is to embrace those moments of pain, and relish the opportunity it gives to have unity with Jesus. But it’s hard to understand those kinds of things, and the mysterious blessings of suffering will likely remain hidden for most. It’s good to know we’re not alone in our wondering, and that even Jesus’ disciples had difficulty figuring out the mystery of sacrificial suffering. And even if we don’t get it, there’ll still be plenty of blessings for the faithful.

Thought for the Day: What does it mean to embrace suffering in our lives?

James 4: 3, 7-8a

“You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures.” vs. 3

It’s obvious that James was familiar with his readers, knew their complaints, and had plenty of advice about how they should change their ways. His letter gives us a glimpse of what life must have been like in the first century and we can surmise that their struggles were similar to our own. There was division among them, and a lot of complaints. James thought that they were overly concerned about pleasure, and that their prayers for more goods were entirely out of order. Now it’s unlikely that the desire for more stuff is central to our prayers, but we certainly do have a strong yearning for pleasure in our futures, and most are very attentive to the health of their retirement plans. James implies that there are many things more important than spending our energy on pleasurable living. Among those things he would likely include gentleness, humility, and peace, and of course, learning to share what we get in life with those who have gotten short-changed. The trick is learning the balance between caring for our own pleasures and caring for the needs of others. Far too often we’re much more likely to look to our own pleasures first, and then to the needs of others. And that certainly wouldn’t have gotten James’ stamp of approval.

Thought for the Day: What difference do James’ opinions make to me?

James 3:13-18

“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy.” vs. 17

There are plenty of smart people in our world and tons of folks claim to have high IQ’s, but real wisdom seems to be in short supply. And even though some claim that AI is the way of the future, skeptics abound. It’s a great way to access information quickly, but discernment, one of the qualities of true wisdom, has so far been lacking. James offers an alternative. Wisdom, he says, doesn’t come from books or a Google search engine, it comes with a divine purity, and is notable for being peaceful and gentle, willing to yield, and full of mercy and good fruits. He believed that where wisdom was present in a community, there would be no partiality or hypocrisy; it would be like living in the peaceable kingdom, the one promised by Jesus. Some have actually been blessed to have lived in such a community, a congregation that has somehow managed to avoid the kind of strife and divisiveness that lies in wait for unsuspecting believers. Sadly, as the overall political climate, with its rancor and discord, has spiraled almost out of control in recent years, such faith communities have had a much more difficult time maintaining the bond of unity, and real wisdom has become a rare commodity. 

Thought for the Day: Where do I experience wisdom from above?

Psalm 54:4-7

“With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you; I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good.” vs. 6

Once the psalmist had made his request for vindication, he assumed that his prayer would be heard, and he moved immediately to promise thanksgiving in the form of a freewill sacrificial offering. He didn’t consider it enough to simply tack a “thank you, Lord” to the end of his prayer–he intended to make his response tangible and concrete. His example is a good one. While prayer is often a part of our daily lives, we normally don’t connect our petitions with a thanksgiving offering. That could be because we’re waiting to see if we get what we ask for, but more often it’s because we just don’t think of it, and besides, it’s a lot easier to ask than it is to give. What a blessing it is to get to the point in our faith walk when we begin to think of giving, not only as a duty but as a delight. Some never reach that point and will always consider giving as a burden, a kind of tax imposed by the church on believers. But when sacrificial giving becomes joyful, and we see it as a thanksgiving offering for the sheer privilege of being alive in this spectacular universe, happiness will abound. Even when our prayers aren’t answered, we’ll keep on giving, knowing in our hearts that God is always good.

Thought for the Day: When is my giving a pure delight?

Psalm 54:1-3

“Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth.” vs. 2

When this prayer was included in the collection of psalms that were used by the people of Judah some 2500 years ago, it was attributed to King David. Whatever its origins it has become a favorite of believers who are crying out to God in moments of profound need. It is not at all unusual for us to find ourselves in situations where we feel pressures coming from every direction. Sometimes we can even identify enemies who have it in for us, those who would love to see us stumble and fall. Occasionally the attacks, often delivered via social media, can be horribly mean-spirited and destructive. In those instances, whatever the situation, we will frequently find ourselves driven to our knees in prayer. And as we pour out our fears and complaints we echo the psalmist, “Hear my prayer, O God.” The words, sometimes felt as much as said, come from the depths of our souls, a crying out for connection with our Creator. We crave vindication, some sort of affirmation or sign that our enemies will not have the last word. Sometimes we even pray that they will suffer calamity, that suffering could be visited on them. But then we think of Jesus and his reminder to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. And we’re left wondering. What shall we pray for? When we’re really hurting, it’s much easier to pray like the psalmist!

Thought for the Day: How do I choose to pray?