1 Samuel 3:1-5, 10

“Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’” vs. 10

When Hannah, in her old age, had borne a son, she dedicated him to the Lord, and when the boy Samuel was weaned she brought him to the priest, Eli, and left him to serve in the temple at Shiloh. Each year she would make him a new robe and bring it to him, and he grew and prospered, and ultimately the Lord called him to serve as a prophet to Israel. The story of his call is touching. Asleep in the temple, he hears his name called, and thinks Eli is calling. But Eli hasn’t called, and tells Samuel it was the Lord, and that he should listen. The next time the Lord calls Samuel does listen and goes on to become one of the great leaders of Israel. This pattern has been repeated through the centuries whenever there has been a need or a crisis. People don’t volunteer to become leaders, they are called. It happens again and again among women and men, the young and the old.Often when it’s least expected, we hear our name called. And if we have the insight and the courage to listen we can be drawn into roles that are full of meaning and purpose. The tricky part is discernment. In a world where scams abound it’s hard to know if it’s the Lord who’s calling. At that point, all of us need an Eli!

Thought for the Day: How do I practice discernment?

Mark 1:9-11

“And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him.” vs 10

According to Mark, after his baptism Jesus received an epiphany that forever changed the direction of his life. Prior to that moment we know virtually nothing about him, only that he had come to the Jordan from Nazareth in Galilee, a small hamlet near the city of Sepphorus. There are some who believe that Jesus must have known of his divine origins as a child, and that he knew the trajectory of his life from the beginning. But, apart from one random story in Luke’s gospel, there is no scriptural basis for that understanding. Indeed, Mark tells us his call was like a bolt out of the blue, unexpected and overwhelming, with both visual and aural elements, and that from that point on Jesus believed himself to be the Chosen One of God, the long awaited messiah. Not long after that experience, after some time in the wilderness being tested and trained by the Spirit, he began his teaching, preaching, and healing ministry. Life-changing epiphanies are rare, but not unknown among us. Spiritual leaders like St. Francis, Martin Luther, John Wesley, and even Joseph Smith claim to have had life transforming experiences. Most of us learn to be content without such “eureka” moments–it is enough for us that Jesus did. It’s a blessing to just follow in his way!

Thought for the Day: What epiphany-like moments have I had?

Matthew 2:1-12

“On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” vs. 11

Matthew really didn’t have much to say about the birth of Jesus. According to his sources, Joseph had a home in Bethlehem and the child was born there–there’s no mention of an inn or a stable. But he does add a follow-up story about wise men from the East that captures our imagination and that provides parts for three tall boys in our Christmas Sunday School pageants. While we spend time speculating about the magi and their origins, the real star of Matthew’s story is the star. Its sudden appearance in the heavens propelled the wise men on their journey and the story reminds readers that Jesus belongs to the nations and not just the Jews. From early on the Church has celebrated the festival of Epiphany to commemorate the visit of the magi. Jesus is the manifestation or epiphany of the Divine Presence for all people and during the season of Epiphany we’ll be celebrating all the ways in which the Light of God was revealed in him through the course of his ministry. This is also the time of the church year in which we emphasize the natural inclination of Christians to let their light shine in the presence of others. It is often thought of as the season of evangelism and outreach.

Thought for the Day: How does the light of Christ shine in my life?

Mark 1:4-8

“And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins” vs. 5  

John’s ministry along the Jordan attracted large numbers of people, most of whom seemed to have had a strong awareness of their own sinfulness. There were ways within Judaism for them to deal with this issue–the law was quite precise in explaining how people could find atonement through the sacrificial system. But John offered another way, a baptism with water accompanied by the confession of their sins. It wasn’t complicated and didn’t require compliance with temple regulations. In fact it was so popular that there are followers of John the Baptist,now known as Mandaeans, still practicing the religion that he founded. Groups of them can be found in many areas of the Middle East. Other followers of John became disciples of Jesus, because Jesus too made forgiveness a central feature of his ministry. We don’t really know if he actually baptized anyone but people were regularly comforted by his forgiving words. And in our time confession and forgiveness are a regular part of most Christian worship services. As hard as we may try to be good, all people wander from the Way of righteousness and regularly experience guilt and alienation. Even modern sophisticated folks need to hear words of forgiveness before restoration can occur–and it’s likely that this is how it will always be.

Thought for the Day: When do I most often need a word of forgiveness?

Acts 19:1-7

“When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied—” vs. 6

When Paul encountered disciples of John the Baptist in Ephesus he convinced them that their baptism was lacking. When he then baptized them in the name of the Lord Jesus, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues. Luke’s description of this event has provided the impetus for what has been called the Pentecostal movement. Preachers have convinced believers that they have not received the “full gospel” and that there is something lacking in their faith. As a result millions have been rebaptized and have begun to practice speaking in tongues as proof that the Holy Spirit has entered their lives. They like having a kind of external evidence that the Holy Spirit is present. The problem is that, as Paul experienced in Corinth, speaking in tongues is not the best indicator of the Spirit’s presence, and its public practice can often lead to division in congregations. Rather than worry about whether they need a new spiritual practice, believers would be well advised to concentrate on public demonstrations of love, joy, peace, and patience. When these are present people are unified and we can be confident that the Holy Spirit is present. Speaking in tongues can be a fine private meditation practice, but it quickly divides when it goes public–and that’s not how the Holy Spirit works.

Thought for the Day: What’s lacking in my faith?

Psalm 29:6-11

“The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord sits enthroned as king forever. May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace!” vss. 10-11

All of us are acquainted with what we have become accustomed to call “natural disasters.” These are the regularly occurring hurricanes, tornados, floods, fires, tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanoes that are a part of our human experience. We’ve learned to predict their coming, and make preparations for their regular appearances, but no matter what we do, they always leave devastation in their wake. Many have a hard time correlating such events with a benevolent God and question why God allows them to take place. The psalmist had no such questions. In his belief system they were signs of God’s presence, and they left him singing songs of praise to such an awesome God. We might not agree with the psalmist–we probably don’t connect such naturally occurring phenomena to God at all–and so we’re left to wonder. What we often don’t realize is that we live on a planet that is alive, and the creative process is continuing. All of the things we call disasters are in fact signs of life, and unless they occur, the earth would become uninhabitable. And so, like the psalmist, we just learn to live with the vagaries of nature, and see in them the living presence of the God who is. And we occasionally get smart enough not to build houses on flood plains!

Thought for the Day: How can we best deal with “natural disasters?”        

Psalm 29:1-5

“The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over mighty waters…The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.” vss. 3, 5

The beauty of creation regularly brings us to our knees in awe and admiration. We’re especially drawn to sunrises and sunsets, or the appearance of a rainbow in the sky. In those moments we’re drawn to give thanks and praise to God for the wonder of life and the privilege of being a witness to the splendors of nature. We don’t need to think about our response, the joy rises spontaneously within us, and we run to find a camera to capture the moment. The psalmist surely had those moments, but there were other times too. Here he describes the Lord as a  thunderstorm, one with brilliant flashes of lightning and powerful winds. For him the storm was a reminder of God’s power and might, and his own weakness and fragility. We who have been caught out in such storms know what he’s talking about. The thunder literally shakes the ground, while the lightning turns night to day, and the winds are relentless. Unless we have shelter we will be blown about like leaves–the strength of the storm is overwhelming. While we know that God is more than a storm god, there’s nothing like a tornado or hurricane to remind us that God is more than we can even imagine, and certainly deserving of our praise and glory.

Thought for the Day: How do big storms affect me?

Genesis 1:1-5

“Then God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. And God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness.” vss. 3-4

Our faith ancestors didn’t give any shape or substance to God, nor did they picture him occupying any space. From their perspective God is, and since there was no need to say any more, they began their story of creation with the words, “In the beginning God…” Many centuries have passed since then, and not even the most brilliant minds have been able to come up with anything better. And now as we begin yet another year on our beleaguered blue planet, there’s no better thought with which to guide and comfort our reflections and resolutions. God is, and because God is, even though it seems as though chaos rules, the entire universe has been bathed in light. In other words, the universe has been enlightened by the presence of the God who is. And even better yet, that enlightenment is available to every created being, and even to every darkened human heart. For centuries wisdom seekers of every creed and clan have sought that enlightenment through a variety of means, often involving some form of meditation or study. In our time, as we begin to see the consequences of our preoccupation with wealth and power, many more are seeking the enlightenment that comes from the God who is. And January 1 is as good a day as any to get started!

Thought for the Day: Where do I seek enlightenment?

Luke 2:33-40

“There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four.” vss. 36-37

In Luke’s infancy stories of Jesus he gave the major speaking roles to Mary and Elizabeth, and he continued that pattern in today’s text by pairing the prophet Simeon with the prophet Anna, an even older woman who was a fixture in the daily temple scene. Then, in his descriptions of Jesus’ ministry he lets his readers know that women regularly walked with him and even offered financial support along the Way. As the Church took shape and began to grow women continued to play a significant role, with many now remembered as saints for their spiritual insights and leadership. Although the ministry of women has been significantly hampered by antiquated traditions for many centuries we are blessed in these latter years to see their roles expand in many denominations. Today it’s not unusual to experience the leadership of female pastors and bishops in our congregations. While they have always been a force for good in the Church it’s been a huge blessing to see them step out of their traditional subordinate positions to assume the roles for which they have been so richly gifted. We can be confident that as the Holy Spirit continues to reform and revitalize the Church in the coming years, the voices of women like Anna are certain to be heard. 

Thought for the Day: How have women shaped my faith?

Luke 2:22-32

“Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation…” vs. 29-30

Those who have the privilege of living for many years sometimes begin to believe that they’ve “seen it all,” that there is nothing new under the sun, and to some extent they are right. There is a certain rhythm to life in this world, and some of us have been able to experience several of the repeating cycles. Simeon was like that, but he had something more, a sense that there was something big remaining to take place, and he longed to live long enough to see it. And according to Luke’s little post-birth story, that moment came when he saw Joseph and Mary enter the temple with their baby boy. Luke tells us that it was a Holy Spirit thing–there was no particular reason for Simeon to pick out this child from the many.  But whatever had happened, whatever he’d seen, Simeon was satisfied–his heart was filled with peace–now he was ready to die! That doesn’t often happen for folks–most of us don’t have that spirit of readiness. But sometimes it still happens! We see a person or hear some news or experience some event, and it is enough. Everything on our bucket list has been checked off, and we’re ready to leave. What a blessing that feeling is! What is truly amazing is that for some it’s a part of everyday living! They’re ready even if they have stuff left to do!

Thought for the Day: What’s left on my bucket list?