2 Corinthians 8:7-13

“Now as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you—so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking.” vs. 7

Because most congregations operate on a budget and are dependent on the giving of members for their revenues, there is often one Sunday during the year in which the preacher will use the sermon to encourage increased giving. Sometimes this “Commitment Sunday” is part of a multi-week “Stewardship Campaign.” In many congregations neither the pastor nor the members look forward to what has been called “the sermon on the amount.” Paul would have been puzzled by that notion. For him anyone claiming to have faith in Jesus Christ would also excel in loving and giving, and he wasn’t one bit bashful about asking for more contributions if the need was great. And because love of money is idolatry, no pastor should be reluctant to talk about it. In fact, such a great danger to our spiritual health should likely be mentioned frequently in the course of the year. Jesus talked regularly about the perils of wealth; it seems to have been one of his favorite topics. Of course speaking about money is uncomfortable–it’s deeply personal and we like to keep our financial matters hidden, sometimes because we don’t want our neighbors to know how stingy we really are! Learning to be generous is really hard, but it’s one of life’s most gratifying lessons.

Thought for the Day: What’s my reaction to a sermon about money?

2  Corinthians 8:3-6

“For, as I can testify, they voluntarily gave according to their means, and even beyond their means, begging us earnestly for the privilege of sharing in this ministry to the saints–” vss. 3-4

A part of Paul’s work as a missionary in the early church included what we might call “advocacy.” A famine was causing severe hardship for the believers in and around Jerusalem, and Paul believed that the congregations in Greece had a responsibility to provide material assistance. He put out the word and sent his companion, Titus, to take up a collection for the hungry and the needy. He tells the Corinthians that he was amazed at the response of the people in Philippi, saying that they had “given beyond their means” for the privilege of sharing. Those stories have continued to be common within the Body of Christ. We belong to a world-wide network of believers, and when one part of the Body is suffering we have an obligation to provide assistance. Many of us have been blessed to be able to give to the social service organizations that have been set up to channel resources to where they are needed the most. Of course some complain about the requests that come from these agencies, but most are glad to give as the Phillipians did, not only according to their means, but beyond their means!  Giving generously really is a privilege, and a blessing!

Thought for the Day: How did I learn to be a generous giver?

Psalm 30:6-12

“What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the Pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness?” vs. 9

This psalmist wrote that the Lord had given him great prosperity, and that his wealth was a source of great stability. It’s a situation that many of us can identify with. Simply by virtue of where we live and an economy that multiplies portfolios even while we sleep, we’ve become accustomed to the fruits of our capitalistic system. And some of us are very grateful. But we also know, like the psalmist, that the tide can turn in an instant. Wealth disappears, but what’s even worse is the loss of good health. When that happened to the psalmist, he tried bargaining with God, saying, “what profit is there in my death?” He’s trying to remind God that he’s been faithful. In fact, since he’s been one of God’s biggest fans, his death will be of no benefit to anyone! What’s really interesting here is that the psalmist’s bargaining seems to have worked! He reports that God “turned his mourning into joy.” It’s hard to know what to do with verses like this. It seems unlikely that God would really be impressed with vague threats, but at the same time we know that fortunes do turn. Sometimes garments of sackcloth are replaced by clothes of joy. When that happened to the psalmist he promised to never cease giving thanks. It seems that however the divine economy works, thanksgiving is always in order!

Thought for the Day: How have my fortunes turned?

Psalm 30:1-5

“For his anger is but for a moment; his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” vs. 5

The psalmist had an intimate relationship with the Lord, the kind of connection that a child might have with a parent. Within the context of that relationship, the psalmist experienced all the estrangements and intimacies that are felt in any healthy family. The times of isolation were balanced by tenderness and love. The Lord might get angry but the anger would quickly dissipate, and in the long run, the psalmist knew, he would never be abandoned. It’s likely that we too, if we have any consciousness of God’s immediate presence, have those same feelings. We know that God is righteous and that we’ve been called and set aside for goodness’ sake, and there will be times when we let God down. That’s what sinners do! So there may be times when we dampen our pillows with tears in our evening reflections on the day. We know we’ve missed times for acts of kindness and for loving words. But  our mornings always bring a sunrise, a daily reminder of God’s re-creation and constant love, and in those moments, almost unbidden, joy slips into our days, and our serenity is restored. It’s the sort of cycle those who live in Christ have come to expect as a part of daily living. Intimacy with the Divine definitely has its rewards!

Thought for the Day: What’s an intimate relationship with God like?

Lamentations 3:22-33

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” vss. 22-23

The book of Lamentations was likely written following the destruction of Jerusalem and the deportation of its leading families to Babylon. Its verses are full of sadness as the writer laments what has happened to the chosen people of God. Having experienced what he believes to be the wrath of God he writes that he has forgotten what happiness is. But here’s what is truly amazing! In the midst of his despair, alone in the darkness, he is able to write, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end!” Affirmations like this have been seen frequently through the centuries among the faithful. No matter how bad life gets, no matter how often their spirits are crushed, they lift up their faces from the dust and sing praises to the Lord. And that’s how it will continue to be. Even if the dystopian visions of some come to pass, even if climate change brings unprecedented catastrophes, the faithful will continue to celebrate the mercies of God, and awaken every morning with thanksgiving on their lips. Why do we do that? The answer is pretty basic: we literally have nowhere else to turn. The One who brings all things into existence is our only hope as long as time endures.

Thought for the Day: What mercies do I experience every morning?

Mark 4:39-41

“And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’” vs. 41

Mark concludes this little story of the stormy sea with a question and his intention in using it is clear. Centuries before in Psalm 107 the psalmist had written, “Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out from their distress; he made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed.” With the disciples’ question Mark is giving a clear indication to his readers that Jesus is the Lord. There could be no doubt. The scriptures were clear–it was only the Lord who could order the wind to cease and calm the waters of the sea. During the course of Jesus’ ministry there were many others who came to this conclusion, and who believed that no one could do the signs that Jesus was doing apart from the presence of God. Many in our time would love to see those kinds of signs too. From their perspective the seeing would make believing a whole lot easier. Unfortunately faith that is dependent on signs has proven to be notoriously unreliable, and when there are no signs the tendency is for faith to disappear completely. In fact those who seem to have the strongest faith often report that they have seen no signs at all. Paradoxically, the absence of signs has made their faith unshakeable!

Thought for the Day: What strengthens my faith?

Mark 4:35-38

“But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’” vs. 38

The disciples weren’t sleeping during the windstorm on the Sea of Galilee. The boat was bouncing on the waves, and they feared for their lives. But when Jesus was somehow able to sleep, they woke him up, somehow assuming that he didn’t care that they were about to perish. At first their conclusion seems bizarre–until we realize that we regularly make that assumption about his presence in our lives. Even when we believe that Jesus is present in our lives, for some reason when our lives go south and we find ourselves on a sinking ship, our first conclusion is that we’ve been deserted, and that our Lord doesn’t care. Our prayers in those instances often contain the question, “Are you sleeping, Jesus?” And we wonder why something isn’t being done about the pickle we’ve found ourselves in. In Mark’s story Jesus responds to the disciples’ question with one of his own, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” That’s a good question for us to ponder too. Just how often is our anxiety in difficult situations triggered by a lack of faith? Admittedly it’s hard to trust when times are tough–our minds seem programmed to catastrophize and to consider worst case scenarios. But what a difference it makes when faith is present and trust is second nature!

Thought for the Day: When is faith difficult for me?

2 Corinthians 6:7-13

“We have spoken frankly to you Corinthians; our heart is wide open to you. There is no restriction in our affections, but only in yours. In return—I speak as to children—open wide your hearts also.” vss. 11-13

Just because Paul had lived in Corinth and had faithfully proclaimed the gospel to the congregation doesn’t mean there were no difficulties between him and the people. We don’t know precisely what the issue was, but we do know that some of the folks in Corinth were not in his camp–and he gets a bit testy about it. While he doesn’t claim to have been of star quality, he does believe that his record was sound. Not only had he endured persecution for the sake of the gospel, he has always acted with integrity and kindness. He had opened his heart to them and now he wants to be treated in the same way. The issue brought up by Paul comes up again and again in our congregations. Pastors often feel that they have given their best in ministry, but sometimes the people can be unappreciative. They may feel the pastor talks down to them and has a superiority complex. There are many reasons why congregants have problems with leaders. The ideal is a kind of mutuality, a situation in which the pastor has obvious affection for the people in the pews, and they are also willing to open wide their hearts to their pastor. 

Thought for the Day: Can you open your heart wide to your pastor?

2 Corinthians 6:1-5

“As we work together with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain.” vs. 1

Paul loved the Corinthians. He had lived among them for many months and he knew many of them personally, and now as he writes to them, we can see his passion in his words. He believes that they are his brothers and sisters in Christ, and that in Christ they are a new creation. But he worried about them too. He’s afraid that the gospel he has preached among them is in danger of becoming mere words, and that it may not be touching their hearts. That continues to be a troublesome reality in our communities of faith. We have become quite adept at using the word “grace” in a variety of circumstances. We affirm the grace of God regularly and even call grace the foundation of our life together–and we particularly love singing about it! But sometimes it can seem as though this amazing grace is purely a doctrinal matter, one we affirm with our minds, but fail to receive in our hearts. If that’s so, all our talk about grace is in vain, and we haven’t come close to allowing its power to be unleashed in our innermost being. The Holy Spirit is certainly capable of inspiring transformation in us even without our consent or cooperation. But we do have some agency, and some have become adept at neutralizing the power of grace. And it really is a shame when grace is no longer irresistible!

Thought for the Day: What happens when grace is resisted?

Psalm 107:1-3, 23-32

“Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out from their distress; he made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed.” vss. 28-29

The seas have always held a fascination for those who lived along their shores. Thousands of years ago we discovered that the oceans held a great storehouse of food, fish of every kind, and we built boats and used nets to harvest their riches. Bit by bit we developed trade routes and learned to navigate to distant lands by using the stars as a guide. But sailors quickly learned that waves combined with winds could be treacherous, and those who went to sea in ships were well aware of the danger. This psalmist certainly knew how dangerous the sailing life  could be and even wrote a prayer that vividly described the fear of those caught in a storm far from shore. Their plea is simple, “Oh that the Lord would make the winds to be still!” While not many of us can know what it’s like to be in a sinking ship, at least not literally, nearly all can identify with it metaphorically. We know what it’s like to be buffeted by unseen forces and about to lose control. It happens so fast in daily life. One moment we’re enjoying smooth sailing and in the next we’re struggling to stay afloat. Those are scary times, and often, purely by instinct, we cry out to God for our salvation! And when stillness comes, our hearts are filled with thanks!

Thought for the Day: What’s it like on a “sinking ship”?