Psalm 98:5-9

“Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody. With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord.” vss. 5-6

We know that temple rituals involved the offering of sacrifices on the altar, but the Levites who ran the temple organization were also responsible for music making and the chanting of psalms. They would have included professional musicians–singers and instrumentalists who regularly would have made a joyful noise before the Lord. It’s likely that some also had responsibility for composing the psalms. Those traditions were continued by the followers of Jesus, and music quickly became a central part of worship life in the early faith communities, and that’s still true in contemporary congregations. There’s no better way to offer praise and thanksgiving to God than through the songs of joy that we hear regularly in our weekly worship. And while it’s nice to have well-practiced choirs and gifted singers and instrumentalists, it’s particularly uplifting when the entire congregation joins in the melodies. In those moments the singing is truly an act of worship by the entire body and not just a performance by a gifted few. There is no better feeling than to joyfully join the singing and not worry about being on key. As this psalm puts it clearly, what pleases God more than anything is a joyful noise, when everyone joins the choir.

Thought for the Day: How does singing enhance my worship?

Psalm 98:1-4

“O sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things. His right hand and his holy arm have gotten him victory.” vs. 1

We don’t know what has occasioned the psalmist’s great hymn of praise. It could have been that the king had won a battle and the Lord was being given credit for the victory. Or, as some have suggested, perhaps the psalmist is celebrating the return of the Jews from exile and the rebuilding of the temple. If that’s the case there would have been no battle and no victory for Israel. The return was occasioned purely by the triumph of the Persian king Cyrus over the Babylonians, and his gracious decision to let the captives return to Judea. If this is the reason for the psalmist’s joy then Israel’s greatest triumph was purely an act of grace, and owed nothing to its exploits on the battlefield. It was a gift of God and for that reason the people were encouraged to sing a new song. How strange it is then, in later centuries, as Christianity expanded, Christians began to assert political control in countries and use armies to defend and expand borders. We’ve dropped bombs on fellow Christians and killed millions of them on the battlefield, and when victory has been achieved we’ve given the credit to God. Somewhere we’ve missed the point! Yes, we are to sing to the Lord a new song–God has indeed done marvelous things. But we worship the Prince of Peace, and not a God of War.

Thought for the Day: How does the Lord win victories?

Acts 10:44-48

“Then Peter said, ‘Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?’” vss. 46c-47

It must have been freeing to be a leader in the apostolic community of the first century. Within the space of a few hours Peter broke the long-established law about associations with Gentiles, and then made a huge decision about who was worthy to be baptized. It appears that he was simply flying by the seat of his pants, though he would have said he was being guided by the Holy Spirit. In reading this we can’t help but marvel at the contrast with the way decisions are made by church leaders in our time. Whenever an idea or change is proposed that is different from the current practice, the most frequent response is, “Well, we’ve never done it that way before.” And when the proposal is not dropped but pursued, it’s the signal for what may be decades of committee meetings, scholarly papers, and ultimately a decision of the governing assembly. For some reason religious changes are heartily resisted by those affected. But sometimes we do find faith communities that are open to the direction of the Holy Spirit. Leaders of such congregations, when presented with an idea that could mean change, will often say, “That’s an interesting proposal. Let’s try it and see what happens!” While there are risks in such an atmosphere, it’s also a place where the Holy Spirit is alive and well.

Thought for the Day: What provokes change in my congregation?

John 15:4-8

“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.” vss. 7-8

Jesus used the metaphor of the grapevine to describe the loving relationship that he had with his disciples. The connection of the branches to the vine is intimate and fruitful, a mutually beneficial relationship that can have enormous benefit for believers. Unfortunately some have interpreted these words as giving them a blank check for all the goodies of life. They believe that if they ask Jesus for anything, he will most certainly give them whatever they wish, thereby ensuring a steady flow of health and wealth into their lives. A brief look at the context of this saying should disabuse us of such an idea. Jesus makes it plain that he’s talking about the production of fruit in a believer’s life–it’s what flows out of us and into the lives of others that brings glory to God. When we ask for the gifts that will enable us to become more fruitful, Jesus will hear our prayers and give us what we need. Of course there will be blessings for disciples too. Leading a generous and giving style of life will always bring joy and even pleasure. These are the by-products of our connection to Jesus, and they’re always a reason to praise and give thanks to God.

Thought for the Day: What happens when you ask for whatever you wish?

John 15:1-4

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit.” vss. 1-2

It takes considerable skill and expertise to be a successful wine producer. Even the highest quality vines need to be watered, tended, and pruned to get the highest quality wines. Expert viticulturists spend years honing their craft and are in great demand wherever grapes are produced. Certainly that would have been true in Galilee during the ministry of Jesus, and he likely saw more than a few vineyards in the course of his travels. And according to the gospel of John he was familiar with high quality wine, and the effect it could have at a wedding reception. It’s not surprising then that in this section of the gospel he describes himself as “the true vine.” For him it was the perfect metaphor for the lives he expected his followers to live. They were his branches and they were expected to produce fruit in abundance. If they bore no fruit, he warns, they would be removed by the vinegrower. While that sounds ominous, that’s the ever present reality in any vineyard. Pruning is a necessity for good grape production, and the same is true for every person of faith. It’s one of the ways the Holy Spirit works in our lives to produce the fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Ultimately the pruning is a blessing!

Thought for the Day: How have I experienced pruning in my life?

1 John 4:17-21

“Those who say, ‘I love God,’ and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen.” vs. 20

During these last decades it’s been stunning to see people who claim to be Christians joining the choruses of hate that masquerade as public discourse in our country and around the world. Claiming to possess freedom of speech they regularly disparage and belittle opponents at every opportunity. Could it be that they’ve never read Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount where he encouraged his disciples to love their enemies and pray for their persecutors? Maybe they missed these words from John where he says that love for God and hatred for enemies is incompatible. It really is discouraging to see how shallow Christianity has become in the lives of some claiming to be adherents. They have the latest Jesus tee shirts and love to advertise their love for God, but their behaviors make a joke of their public testimony. Admittedly good people can hold passionate positions about matters of faith and life, but that’s no reason to demean or ridicule those with opposite opinions. Nor do we have to keep our mouth shut about what we believe–people of faith should be able to have difficult conversations. But they will always be conducted in an atmosphere of kindness and mutual love. Of course such loving is not easy–that’s just the way it is with sacrificial love!

Thought for the Day: Who would it be easy for me to hate?

1 John 4:7-16

“So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.” vs. 16

When we get confused about the doctrines and creeds of our denominations, and long for a plain description of God, it’s good to reread these chapters from John’s first epistle. For him everything revolves around God’s love for the world, and he even goes so far as to define God as love. Of course we know that God is much more than that, but this is God’s essence. Whenever we encounter sacrificial and unconditional love, we are seeing the face of God. This is the unbreakable bond that ties us both to God and to one another. And somehow it feels really good to know that God even works through us to lift up and sustain those who are experiencing any kind of suffering. Doubters and unbelievers might not know it but in our touches and hugs they are meeting as much of God as they would ever need to know. Love reaches across boundaries and breaks down barriers, connecting human hearts and souls all over the world. And smack dab in the middle of our caring communities stands the Christ, who is the Light of the World. We can talk about bombs and artillery shells all we want, but they will never change the hearts and souls of humankind. Genuine repentance only comes through the abiding love of God in us and in Christ!

Thought for the Day: If God is love, how can anyone be an atheist?

Psalm 22:25-31

“For dominion belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations. To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, and I shall live for him.” vss. 28-29

The psalmist had an expansive sense of the Lord’s dominion. In his estimation no part of the universe was outside God’s control and rule. Even all the people who had died, all those who slept in the earth were subjects of the Lord–it’s almost like the psalmist had a sense of what we might call “universal salvation.” But what really catches our attention is what he says about himself.  No matter what has happened to others, he proudly says, “I shall live for him!” Wow! Talk about an Easter affirmation! Even though Christ is risen from the dead and we also have the promise of life beyond life, blessed are those who are bold enough to say, “I am going to live for the Lord now! I am going to serve and love in the name of Jesus all the days of my life, and I am going to see resurrection hope in every single day that remains for me on this earth.”  It is a blessing to see people who live each day in this fashion. Joy oozes from their being, and love flows from their pores! They are alive! And no one is going to mistake them for the zombies who wander among us. Resurrection is real and it awaits us with every morning breath. 

Thought for the Day: How do people know that I am joyful? 

Acts 8:36-40

“When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.” vs. 39

Jesus had twelve disciples but Luke doesn’t say much about the majority of them in his Acts of the Apostles. The Acts stories are mostly about Peter, John and Paul–and Paul wasn’t even one of the Twelve. But the story Luke tells about Philip is a gem. Out of the blue Philip connects with an Ethiopian Jew who was an official in the court of Queen Candace, and their brief conversation along the way culminates with the eunuch’s baptism. At that point in the story Philip disappears and the Ethiopian goes merrily on his way back to the court of the queen. Nothing more is said–but we do know that not too long after this there was a thriving colony of Christians in Ethiopia. We can presume the eunuch had something to do with this. That same sort of thing was happening all around the Middle East–Paul wasn’t the only apostolic missionary. The stories didn’t get written down, but we know preachers were on the road, and we know they penetrated far beyond the boundaries of the Roman Empire and baptizing was done even as far away as Mongolia and India. There was an unparalleled appeal to the good news of Jesus, and it spread quickly wherever it was proclaimed. And it continues to spread today!

Thought for the Day: Why is the pace of evangelism slowing in North America?

Acts 8:26-35

 “So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ He replied, ‘How can I, unless someone guides me?’ And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him.” vss. 30-31

There has been a Jewish presence in Ethiopia for thousands of years, and some of them regularly traveled to Jerusalem to worship at the temple. Luke here recounts how an official of Queen Candace had made such a trip by chariot, and on his return to Ethiopia had been joined by the apostle, Philip. When Philip asks if he understands the scripture that he had been reading out loud (as was the custom), the Ethiopian asks for guidance. Philip is glad to oblige and uses the passage to introduce Jesus into the conversation. This was a common tactic among early Christians. They had no scripture of their own, but it was easy for them to find passages in the prophets, particularly Isaiah, that they believed pointed to the life and mission of Jesus. Philip presented a compelling argument and the Ethiopian fell in love with the good news. Sometimes that’s how it works with chance encounters. It could be on an airline flight or in a bar. Guided by the Spirit we begin a conversation that soon turns to spiritual matters, and we are given an opportunity to testify to the good news. As a result of hearing the message of grace, it’s even possible for lives to change. Philip’s witness brought Christianity to Ethiopia!

Thought for the Day: What opportunities have I had for random testimony?