Isaiah 60:1-6

“For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you. Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.” vss. 2-3

Even though we’ve heard the song “Twelve Days of Christmas” more times than we really wanted to during Advent, it doesn’t dawn on a lot of folks that there really are twelve days in the season of Christmas, and that today is the last one! There’s one more day to celebrate the coming of light to our darkened world! Even in their darkest days the people of Jerusalem had been told by the prophet that one day the glory of the Lord would shine brightly among them, and they hung on to that hope for centuries.  Even kings would come from afar to catch a glimpse of that glorious light the prophet said, and that hope got picked up by the early Christians. A story was told among them that Magi had come to see the newborn Jesus, and that they’d even brought him gifts. And we’ve continued to tell that story, with some people giving the Wise Men a place in their nativity scenes. It’s the perfect way to celebrate the universal appeal of the Christ Child. Jesus wasn’t just the Light of Bethlehem, he brought light to the whole world. The Wise Men do look a little out of place by the manger, but they really are an important part of the story, and deserve to be included.

Thought for the Day: When is Christmas over for me?

John 1:14-18

“And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.” vs. 14

John acknowledges that it’s impossible to see God. We can look at a thousand sunrises and marvel at the wonder of creation, but when it comes down to it, the sheer transcendence of God is too much for our puny minds. The best we can do is catch a glimpse or two of the Divine but at that moment we really don’t know what we’re seeing. That’s why worship is so important–it’s in the act of falling on our knees that we acknowledge the wonder and the glory of what we cannot comprehend. But John also believed to his core that in Jesus we can know enough of the unknowable God to satisfy the desires of our souls. He told his readers that the Word became flesh, the Light and Life of the world became incarnate, and in him we get more than a glimpse of God. In Jesus we see the glory of God, an intimate look that reveals God’s grace and truth. We may not be able to come up with some irrefutable proof or definition of God, but we can know that God loves us, and that is plenty enough for anyone. Love is God’s nature, and when in despair we surrender our fears and addictions to God, we fall back into our Mother’s arms.

Thought for the Day: What’s the best description of God’s love for me?

John 1:10-13

“He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him.” vs. 10

John didn’t confine his nativity story to the stable in Bethlehem. For him everything about Jesus has a cosmic dimension. All things came into being through the Word and in a real sense, creation itself was the first incarnation. That’s such a powerful image that we can scarcely comprehend its significance. To put it in another way, God poured God’s self into the creation and is continuing to do so even today. There is nowhere in the world where God is not present and there is nowhere that we can flee to escape God. That doesn’t mean that everyone in the world can see God or know God–some folks can live a lifetime and never catch a glimpse of God’s glorious presence. But most folks at least have a sense that God is, and that God can be comprehended in the wonders of creation. That’s why we love sunrises and sunsets and rejoice at the miraculous life cycles of plants and animals. That’s why mountains are so beautiful and why black holes are so mysterious. That’s why life is so precious to us and why we giggle at a baby’s smile, and it’s why we fight so hard to stay alive even when the brokenness of the world overwhelms us. And it’s not only Christians who have this God-consciousness and such reverence for life. It’s what we have in common with all people of faith who matter how they express it. 

Thought for the Day: What is a God moment?

Ephesians 1:7-14

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us.” vss. 7-8a

When starting anew there’s no better feeling than knowing that we have a blank slate. None of the pages of our memoir from this day forward have any words on them. The story of our 2026 is yet to be written! But one thing we do know is that our trespasses, however great they may have been, have all been forgiven. This was the theme that Paul chose for his letter to the Ephesians and it was the guiding principal of his life. Whatever the death of Jesus might have meant, there was no doubt that it was connected to forgiveness, and that remains true for us as well. There are several theories of atonement that try to explain the logic of redemption, but not one of them is sufficient. The mystery is beyond our comprehension. But we continue to affirm Paul’s message: forgiveness is real! And it is for all people! And if that seems impossible, well, that’s just how God is. We don’t have to understand it and we don’t have to earn it. It’s simply a matter of receiving the gift and laying aside the burden and guilt of sin. So how will that affect what we write in our memoir tonight? How are we living out our holiness today? Oh what magnificent stories we are writing!

Thought for the Day: How does page 1 of 2026 reflect our goodness?

Ephesians 1:3-6

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love.” vss. 3-4

What a great thought for New Year’s Day! Praise God! We have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus. We have been chosen from before time began to be holy and blameless people, and that gift is ours purely and totally because of God’s love. Because the world is both good and broken, sometimes we completely forget the blessings that God so generously showers upon us. Bedeviled by the ever-increasing presence of AI, greedy politicians, and conspiracy theories it’s hard to see through the veil of despair that dominates the daily news cycle. More than ever we need to look beyond the threats and our fears and grasp the timeless reality of God’s love. Since today has been traditionally linked with resolutions, perhaps we can resolve to look beyond the ubiquitous rumors and commonplace lies, and take hold of the promises that are ours in Christ Jesus. We are called by the Holy Spirit to holiness, to stand above the chaos of social media, and to spend every day spreading love and good cheer among friends and enemies alike. We’ve never lived the days of 2026 before–they could be our best days ever.

Thought for the Day: How’s my holy blameless life going?

Psalm 147:12-20

“He gives snow like wool; he scatters frost like ashes. He hurls down hail like crumbs—who can stand before his cold? He sends out his word, and melts them;   he makes his wind blow, and the waters flow.” vss. 16-18

What a year! Who would have expected last January 1 that we would have seen the changes that have taken place in our country! Some of course are thrilled, while many have been deeply distressed. The collusion of big money and unlimited power has consequences that boggle the mind, and we have no idea what will happen in 2026. The psalmist weighs in today with a reminder that should give us some assurance. No matter what those with big egos might think, there is another force at work in our world, and God’s power dwarfs that of mere mortals. As some in our country are experiencing today, snow and hail come with the rhythm of the seasons and the resulting cold grips our core. All the seemingly quirky shifts of nature are a part of God’s continuing creation. Icy times are followed by sunny skies; waters flow, and life is recreated. All we can do is stand in awe as the world changes before our eyes, one season following another. May each of us have the confidence that God is actually the one in charge, and that in Christ joy and will abound for all people of faith.

Thought for the Day: How will I toast the New Year tonight?

Jeremiah 31:10-14

“Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry. I will turn their mourning into joy, I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.” vs. 13

In spite of his concern for Jerusalem and his contempt for the policies of the king, Jeremiah could scarcely contain himself as he thought about the future the Lord had in mind for the people. His vision is magnificent, and he even gives a nod to the rejoicing that comes from dancing, probably a bit of a surprise to some of our puritanical forebears. And when he says that even the old shall be merry we can’t help but smile, because sometimes it doesn’t seem that the aged have much to look forward to. But Jeremiah refuses to be silent. We have a God that is full of surprises! Read again what he says, “I will turn their mourning into joy, I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.” What a treat it is to get this message from one of the prophets! Sometimes in these latter days, it seems that our country is out of control and that we’re heading in a direction that promises only disaster. But that’s not the big picture, and that message certainly doesn’t correspond to what we receive from Jesus. His promises will never fail, and one day the Kingdom of Peace will prevail!

Thought for the Day:When was the last time that I made merry?

Jeremiah 31:7-9

“See, I am going to bring them from the land of the north, and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, those with child and those in labour, together; a great company, they shall return here.” vs. 8

Jeremiah was a hard-nosed prophet, and as we read his book we get an earful of judgment. The Lord was not pleased with the faithlessness of Israel and Judea. They were the Chosen People and they had disregarded the commandments of God and profaned worship. Surely they would be defeated by their enemies and driven into exile. People in Jerusalem were tired of Jeremiah and refused to listen to his fiery blasts of condemnation. But that isn’t the whole picture of Jeremiah and it certainly doesn’t reflect his full teaching about the grace and mercy of God. You see, Jeremiah knew that the bottom line with even the God of the Hebrew scriptures was grace. Even though the people had turned their backs on God and deserved punishment, there would be a return to the land, there would be restoration and healing, and no one would be left behind! There was a future for the people of God! Wow! What a powerful message, it’s not what we might expect from Jeremiah. And the best news is that this is also the word that we hear from the mouth of Jesus. It’s the message that should be shouted from the pulpit of every church in the land. Our past never defines our future.

Thought for the Day: When do we need a word of judgment?

Matthew 2:16-23

“But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee.” vs. 22

In an age when tribal connections meant everything and many people expected that the messiah would come from the tribe of Judah, David’s tribe, it was a bit of a mystery how Jesus would have been raised in the village of Nazareth in Galilee. As Nathaniel puts it indelicately in John’s gospel, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Matthew was certainly aware of such feelings and takes pains to tell how Joseph moved Mary and Jesus north when they returned from Egypt. It wasn’t strange at all. In fact, in the preceding century many people had moved from the area of Bethlehem to Galilee and they were probably all from the tribe of Judah. Joseph likely settled in Nazareth, a hamlet only three miles from the thriving city of Sepphoris, because there would be plenty of work for a carpenter there. We know what that’s like. Our families get scattered too, and it’s rare to discover people who live in the place where they were born. The good news is that as we move we can always find a new family, and that happens most often in our congregations. There it’s not our tribe that counts but our connection to Jesus. Jesus thrived in Galilee, and it’s there that his ministry caught fire.

Thought for the Day: Where have I found family as I’ve moved?

Matthew 2:13-18

“Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, ‘Out of Egypt I have called my son.’” vss. 14-15

In the gospel of Matthew Jesus is presented as a new Moses, a leader chosen by God to inaugurate a new covenant with Israel. Rescued from King Herod as a baby, just as Moses was saved from the pharaoh, Jesus too spends his early years in Egypt in kind of a divine witness protection program. And then to prepare for his mission, Jesus leaves Egypt with his parents and goes to live in Nazareth. Moses went to Mt. Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments, while Jesus begins his teaching with the Beatitudes on a mountain in Galilee. Of course Jesus was more than a new Moses, and presented in his teaching, not a new law but a new way of life. As the gospel of John puts it, “The law indeed was given through Moses: grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” It’s important for us to remember this distinction. Too many would like nothing better than to turn Jesus into a law-giver and ignore his teachings on forgiveness and mercy. Following Jesus is far more than obeying a set of rules and commandments. Joseph paid attention to his dreams. In Christ we  learn to listen to the Spirit of God and to go with the gospel wherever a word of grace is needed

Thought for the Day: Who needs a word of grace today?