Psalm 29

“The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon. The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.” vss. 5, 7

It’s no accident that as our ancestors began to offer hymns of praise to God, they used the image of a violent thunderstorm to describe God’s presence in the world. Whenever we see the massive banks of clouds gathering on the horizon, the huge dark thunderheads roiling about, lightning flashing, we know from experience that we need to seek shelter from the wind and the rain. And when the storm hits and we hear the rolling thunder, and see the lightning sizzle through the air, a sense of puniness takes hold and we realize how impotent we really are in the presence of nature’s unleashed fury. And even if we understand the science of it all, and can describe what is happening in meteorological terms, the awesome power of the wind and rain can bring us to our knees. And even though we know that God is more than an ancient storm god, the sheer violence of a summer storm is a vivid reminder that the creator of the universe has power beyond our imaginations. Even if we never set foot in a church, the sermons delivered by Mother Nature can penetrate the hardest heart and bring us to our knees. The psalmist had it right, great is our God, and greatly to be praised!

Thought for the Day: What thunderstorm experiences have I had?

Isaiah 6:1-8

“And I said: “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” vs. 5

In his younger years, Isaiah had a profound sense of his own sinfulness, and yet he seems to have enjoyed hanging around the temple. In a sense, it was probably the best show in town and a center of activities for the whole city. And then one day, out of the blue Isaiah has a vision of the Lord God Almighty that brings him to his knees. In response to his confession the vision envelops him and a seraph, a winged heavenly being, touches his lips with a burning coal. In that moment, having been declared clean, he hears the call of the Lord to serve. His answer has inspired millions through the ages, “Here I am; send me!” It’s amazing what an experience of forgiveness can do! It doesn’t always happen in our rituals or liturgies, but sometimes right in the midst of living, we are touched by the hot coal of forgiveness, and we are transformed. Oh what power there is in the word or touch of grace! When it happens at the right time, at that moment of deep self-awareness and shame, it changes people in miraculous ways. We are turned from paralyzing guilt into bold and confident servants of the Lord. It may not happen often, but when it does, it’s a delight to see!

Thought for the Day: When have I been energized by forgiveness?

John 16:8-15

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.” vs. 12

While the situation is certainly different, Jesus sounds very much like a savvy parent as he says good-bye to the disciples and sends them off into the world. He could have said a lot more to them, but they wouldn’t understand until they had lived into a place where their ears would be opened. Some of us have had the same experience with our children as they leave home and head off into an uncertain future. There is so much we could tell them, but we knew we’d only be wasting our breath. Like Jesus we have to trust that the Spirit of truth would become their guide and that their future choices and decisions would be undergirded by divine wisdom. Sometimes, rarely perhaps, they might bless us by checking in for advice. There are just so many unknowns as we consider the road that lies before us–and that’s true at any age. And few have self-contained answers for every future situation. It’s good to know that the Spirit of Jesus is always lurking at the edge of our consciousness, and that we’ll never be left without a rudder in stormy and difficult times. And even as we enter our golden years, we’ll retain the ability to learn and do new things. Many times we’ll even surprise ourselves!

Thought for the Day: How did I feel when I left home the first time?

John 15:26-27, 4b-7

“Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” vs. 7

This text is from a part of John’s gospel known as the final discourses. Set in the context of the last supper, after the departure of Judas, they are a summary of what Jesus wanted his disciples to remember as his death approached. In these verses he speaks of the Advocate, or Spirit of truth, who he will send to them after his departure. He wants them to know that, even though they will miss him, in the long run they’ll be better off. To this point his influence has been limited–he can only be with them when he is physically present. But after his death he will be with them through the Advocate in every place that they are. In other words, they will have unlimited access to him, and will even learn things that he hasn’t had the time to teach them. Presumably this wasn’t much comfort to them–it’s hard to hear that we’ll be better off if the one we love isn’t with us. But it is the truth, and some of us know exactly what Jesus meant. We’ve experienced the death of a loved one and have discovered that life gets better in their absence! It seems like an unloving thought, but it’s really the way it is!

Thought for the Day: How has the death of a loved one been a benefit for me?

Romans 8:26-27

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.” vs. 26

Praying can be easy! It doesn’t take much planning or thought to pick a table prayer to use before each meal, and often at other times we have our regular list of people–we pray for them every day, often in the same order. Occasionally we even  go through the names without even stopping to think of those for whom we are praying. It really can be an easy discipline! But at other times, the really important times when our souls have been crushed and our very spirits are threatened, words become nearly impossible. We don’t have a clue about what to say or even to whom to speak. In those moments we are driven to grunts and moans, and cries of frustration. And Paul says that’s good enough! He tells us that in our weakness the Spirit will intercede, and our mumbling becomes a deep and profound prayer. Jesus himself told his disciples that their best praying would be done in secret, and in the hiddenness of their prayers God would be certain to hear and reward them. Don’t be fooled by those who show off their piety with emotional and effusive prayers in public–that’s only a show, and God is not impressed. It’s the simple inarticulate prayer that will go directly from our mouths to the ear of God.

Thought for the Day: How would I describe my prayer life?

Romans 8:22-25

“But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” vs. 25

Hope is a big part of the believer’s journey! Because life is not like a novel there’s no way we can look ahead to the last page and see how the story is going to end, and some days that just drives us crazy. It’s not that we haven’t been told what the future will be like–all kinds of scenarios have been laid out for us to consider, and some are better than others. Paul says that if we could see what lies ahead, we wouldn’t have to hope. But since we can’t see, hope is all we have to hang on to, and some days that’s enough. The key is patience, waiting with confidence day after day, trusting that there will be a fulfillment of our deepest dreams. Of course life is long and it’s filled with intermediate hopes all along the way, and sadly some of those don’t turn out so well for us. And those disappointments can sometimes eat away at the big hope we have for reconciliation and completion at the end of our lives. Discouragement sets in, we lose our patience, and all hope goes out the window. Paul says that it’s the Holy Spirit who helps us in our weakness, and amazingly enough, even when we feel overcome by hopelessness, out of nowhere, hope appears. That’s how precious it is. Its resilience is awesome, and it just doesn’t take much to revive it.

Thought for the Day: What are my greatest hopes right now?

Psalm 104:24-34, 35b

“O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. When you send forth your spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the ground.” vss. 24, 30

The psalmist understood the basics! All things have come into existence through the Lord and all things are sustained by the Lord. There is nothing whose source of being is not the Lord! For that reason the psalmist daily gave thanks and praise to God for everything he perceived with any of his senses, and more than that, he believed that every living creature had that same relationship with God. When this great truth fills our hearts we begin to see the natural world from a different perspective. Like St. Francis we find solidarity with the creatures of the forest and the birds of the air. We feel the Spirit of God in walks through natural landscapes, and relish the sound of the wind through the boughs of pine forests. Paradoxically we find that “wilderness areas” can provide food for our souls and breathe new life into our wounded spirits. Oh how God’s blessings can abound when we sense solidarity, not only with other humans, but with every whale and condor, and even monarch butterflies! Worship opportunities are expanded to all the days of the week, and redwood forests become our great cathedrals! Our God is more expansive than we can even imagine!

Thought for the Day: What blessings can come from a walk in a park?

Acts 2:14-21

“In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.” vs. 17

From the disciples’ perspective what had happened with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was unprecedented. All the old presuppositions about how God works in the world had been turned upside down, and from now on anything was possible. Luke uses a magnificent verse from the prophet Joel to show that the Spirit of God can be expected to show up anywhere and at any time. While we pay lip service to this notion and even enjoy telling about the Pentecost experience in Acts 2, it’s more difficult when we encounter the Spirit in real time in our own environment. Religion is all about uniformity and developing creeds and doctrines that are changeless, and we don’t like it when new things explode into our church experience. We’ve seen that in the last half century when women and then LGBTQ folks started showing up asking for full inclusion in the life of our congregations. This outpouring of the Spirit seemed strange and even wrong to may believers, and deep divisions appeared in the Body. This kind of change was just too much and many questioned whether this really was of God or some sort of cultural aberration. And it is true that not everything new is Spirit-driven–but sometimes we just plunge in and trust that blessings will follow!

Thought for the Day: How do we know when a change is Spirit driven?

Acts 2:1-13

“All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.” vs. 4

Luke and John deal with the gift of the Holy Spirit in different ways. John’s account is more subdued and occurs in a locked room, away from public scrutiny. Jesus simply breathes on his disciples, and says “Receive the Holy Spirit. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” In Luke’s account the Holy Spirit arrives on the Day of Pentecost in a storm of wind and fire, and soon everyone in Jerusalem knows that something spectacular has taken place. Fittingly enough, it’s Luke’s story that for most marks the birth of the Church, and it’s what we think about when Pentecost rolls around on the liturgical calendar. However we prefer to remember the day, this occasion clearly marks the transition from the personal mission of Jesus to a dynamic, Spirit-driven movement that spread rapidly all over the earth. And even though we don’t always know what to make of the Holy Spirit, there is no doubt that this is truly the continuing Spirit of Jesus. Through the work of the Spirit people have been called and gathered to be the living Body of Christ, and within that Body countless lives have been transformed and made holy. And as the gifts of the Spirit have been recognized and released, the outpouring of the fruits of the Spirit have changed the world.

Thought for the Day: What are the signs of the Spirit’s presence in my congregation?

John 17:14-19

“As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.” vs. 18

Even though the world can be dangerous and is continuously trying to confuse and entrap us with its seductive ways, this is exactly where followers of Jesus have been sent to love and serve. In fact if it weren’t for the presence of people of faith it’s hard telling what dreadful conditions would exist. Moral corruption would be rampant and it would be virtually impossible to trust anything that we see or hear. Everyone would be operating in their own self-interest and there would be no controls on any kind of behavior. Now some might say that this is already how things are, and sometimes it does seem that way. Some days it’s hard to find any good news in the news at all. But that’s only if we close our eyes to the truth being lived and proclaimed by the people of God all around the globe. The homeless are being housed, the hungry are being fed, and truth reigns supreme in countless people’s lives. People are even coming to know Jesus in response to faithful preaching and teaching. Repentance is happening and lives are being changed. And even if some days our mission seems formidable, Jesus calls on us not to lose heart. We are making a difference, and that’s going to continue being our story until the end of time. What a blessing it is to be a purveyor of love in a broken and hurting world!

Thought for the Day: Am I more of an optimist or a pessimist about the world?