Genesis 1:3-5

Genesis 1:3-5
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

 The light was the first thing that God made.  Those of us who have stumbled in the darkness appreciate this -- just last night I was tripping over the kids' toys in the living room darkness, wishing I had light to guide the way.
  The light is first, and it is separated from the darkness.  God makes the light to guide us, but there is still darkness.  It reminds me of the story of the girl who got a flashlight for her birthday and then said, excitedly, to her parents, "Let's go find some dark!"  We are charged to let the light shine in the darkness, to remember that light beats back the dark, that hope and joy and peace are proclaimed whenever the light of love and grace shines in the dark.
  May our lives be used to let the light shine in us and through us, that our hope in Jesus Christ may never diminish and may be shared with others.

Genesis 1:1-2

Genesis 1:1-2
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

   In the beginning, God was.
  How's that for stability?  Before there was anything, there was God, still sovereign.  When there was nothing but watery chaos, God was.
  We worship a God who is so grand, so majestic, so eternal, and this God invites us into his eternal realm.  It is beyond what we can think and grasp, but as someone once said, "If we could fit God into our minds, he would not be worthy of our worship."
  God is more than we can imagine, and it was he who reached out and moved over the water, stirring things to life.  God has always been about new beginnings, in creation as well as in you and me.
  Thanks be to God for the Genesis of new life.

Hebrews 13:20-25

Hebrews 13:20-25
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

  Jesus Christ is our Shepherd, the one who cares for the sheep, who sacrifices for the sheep, who freely gives of his own life so that the sheep may thrive.  Jesus talks about the difference between a shepherd and a hired hand -- when the going gets tough, the hired hand gets going.  He flees to save himself, while the true Shepherd commits himself to the sheep because he loves them.  He will risk all to save them.
  You are a sheep.  It means we are vulnerable to outside threat and disease.  We can get confused, scared and lonely.  We worry about what lurks beyond and what lurks within.  We know we are not invincible, and we know our own weaknesses (often to the point that we fixate on them.)  But we also are stronger together, and we are charged to live in community, caring for one another and watching out for each other.  We have gifts to share.
  Through it all, the shepherd is near.  You may sometimes wonder if he has run off, but He assures us that he never will, that he will abide with us, lingering near, watching over us, leading us to still waters and green pastures.  The life that is truly life is found in him, so may we follow where he leads, accepting his correction, and thriving under his care.
 

Hebrews 13:15-19

Hebrews 13:15-19
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

 The cross is a simple device -- two boards, one vertical and one horizontal.  Where they intersect, our Savior offered himself for the hope of humanity.
  Our lives, too, should be lived at the intersection of the vertical and the horizontal.  On the vertical, we orient ourselves to God, offering ourselves over and over again as a living sacrifice, pouring out praise and gratitude to God for all that God has done.  Also, we focus on the horizontal, paying attention to the world around us, looking for ways to love and serve one another.
  Without both, we lose something regarding the life of faith.  We aren't balanced, and just as God calls us to himself, he equips us and sends us back out into the world, to love and to serve, to joyfully spread the Good News of Jesus Christ, who restores our hope by ascending the cross and showing us how to live, how to die, how to rise.

Hebrews 13:7-14

Hebrews 13:7-14
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 

  Faith in Christ is unlike anything else in this world.  We can try and duplicate it through other means, but ultimately only faith in Christ can lead us through death into eternal life.  However, following Christ can be difficult, challenging, and it can lead us to discouragement in this life, because we lose track of the ultimate goal and may not always understand exactly what God is doing.  So we turn to easier things to try and duplicate the experience.
  May we remind one another to be strong, to endure, to be faithful to the end.  God is always with us, and he will never abandon us.  Nothing else can offer the true and abundant life of God.  Even when faith demands sacrifice, when it demands us to be humble and put others first, when it demands that we suffer, may we recall the goal of our faith.  May we remember what God did for us, and may we be encouraged to know that God wins in the end, and we share in the victory!

Hebrews 13:1-6

Hebrews 13:1-6
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

 I think this list could keep us all busy for quite some time.  The charge of being concerned about one another, instead of getting wrapped up in the self, is difficult enough, and then we move on to welcoming strangers into our home.  (This is the passage used by the guy who showed up at the church looking for money who told me he might be an angel in disguise.  Very deep disguise, if so, but certainly possible...)  Do we practice hospitality with graciousness?
  Oh, and once you have transformed the way you treat others, make sure that your marriage is strong.
  Once that is mastered, then work on your relationship with money -- have gratitude and contentment with what you have.  You have no need to be anxious and worried.  God will be with you, and so let go of the needless anxiety that is produced that causes us to seek more money to provide for ourselves in case God doesn't show up.
  God be with us as we face the challenges Scripture poses to us.  The faithful life is challenging, but it is ever so worth it, because it is the abundant, eternal life that gives back far more than it demands, even though it demands all we are.

Hebrews 12:22-29

Hebrews 12:22-29
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 

 This is the goal:  Heaven.  It's a place of perfect light, of joy and peace and wonder, and it is filled with the presence of God.  It is what we seek, what our hearts long for, what keeps us moving forward in the long, dark valleys of life.  It is the promise given by a God who does not break his promises.  It is the place of ultimate healing.
  The One who calls us to Heaven also speaks to us, calling us into a certain way of life.  We are expected to obey, and offered forgiveness when we do not, but we cannot take God for granted, expecting his grace to run as a background program while we worship false gods and give our hearts to other idols.  We are called back to God, to seek him with all our hearts, to offer him ourselves as a living sacrifice, that we may use our lives as practice for Heaven.
  So may the joy of heaven be our hope, and may we have the courage to live a life that is defined by the grace, mercy and peace of God.

Hebrews 12:14-21

Hebrews 12:14-21
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

 Everyone drives a little differently.  Some people drive slowly and conservatively, while others drive more quickly.  Some people pay no attention to what they're doing, while others pay so much attention to their phone that the cars around them are an afterthought.  There are some basic rules we all try and observe, but our interpretation is a bit different.
  In the Christian life, we're all tackling the details differently.  Some of us are more withdrawn from the world around us, while others engage a bit more, believing they can be a good influence.
  What the preacher in Hebrews is trying to tell us is that there are some ambiguous parts of faith because of the nature of believing in something we cannot touch or see.  We're trying to grasp the ineffable, and God doesn't fit in our minds.  (If we could easily explain or grasp God, would he be worthy of our worship?) It's a challenge, but we emerge into each new day with the chance to seek God and to live a life that pursues God, trusting in the ultimate goodness of God and believing that the highest and best use of our life is for his glory, not our own.

Hebrews 12:7-13

Hebrews 12:7-13
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

  The preacher in Hebrews nails it when he says that it is never fun to be corrected.  I see the look on Caleb's face as I correct him, and I'm sure I made the same one when I was young (and I probably still make it now!).  Children often get sad and pout, upset that they have been caught and disliking the negativity.  Adults can do this, too, but we often hide it a bit better.
  But we correct our children in the hopes that they will grow into good adults, and when we are corrected, it is because we have erred and need to be set straight.  God does the same, longing for us to grow in a good direction, redirecting us (or pruning us!) when we have gone astray.  It is for our good, this temporary pain, that we may grow toward the light rather than end up diverted away towards an illusion.  It's never fun to be corrected, but let us mature in spirit so that we recognize the gift that correction is, for only in understanding our mistakes can we see the grace that offers forgiveness and new life.

Hebrews 12:1-6

Hebrews 12:1-6
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

  I once was set to run a 3 mile race, and before it, I was encouraging a friend.  We were reminding each other that we could endure anything for 25 minutes, so whatever fatigue and exhaustion came along, we would push through it until the finish line.
  Well, once the race started, that plan fell apart pretty quickly.  About five minutes in, I was exhausted and wasn't sure I'd make it through the next two minutes, let alone two more miles.  I thought setting my mind properly at the beginning would help me endure whatever was to come.
  Along the way, we need encouragement second by second.  We may not be fully prepared for what is to come, so we need to lean on God at all times, certain that our own strength is not enough.  We take each day, each hour, each moment as it comes, facing it with humility and conviction, confidant that we will not be overwhelmed.  God will carry us through, day by day, moment by moment, and we shall triumphantly endure to the end.

Hebrews 11:32-40

Hebrews 11:32-40
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

  On a few occasions, soccer games have been played in front of empty stadiums because the fans, often due to riots or other fan unrest, have not been deemed able to watch a game without being violently chaotic or offensive.  While the game was shown on TV, it was not appreciated by a live audience.
  Or think of the poems of Emily Dickinson, undiscovered until after her death.  Her work did not enhance the lives of others until much later.  Imagine the world without her work -- we would be poorer.
  So many things in this world are done before others.  It matters that there is an audience, for the act or the art enriches the lives of the audience.
  So too do the lives of the faithful saints of the church.  They live with integrity, facing danger with courage, and serve as an inspiration to us.  They remind us of the importance of faith and offer us models for how to live out faithful lives with quiet integrity, even when the rest of the world doesn't appreciate it.  They teach us how to let our lives shine before others, that our faith may be an example to others, that God may work through us to reach others.
  Living on our own, removed from community, runs the risk of depriving another of an example.  As a good friend of mine once said, 'you may be the answer to someone else's prayer'.

Hebrews 11:29-31

Hebrews 11:29-31
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 

  Stepping out in faith can seem like a crazy thing to do.
  Imagine being one of the Israelites, walking through the sea with a wall of water on each side, wondering if it would hold or the world would come crashing down on you.
  Imagine wandering around Jericho, following instructions to the letter but wondering what the point was, curious as to whether this plan could actually defeat a town.
  Imagine Rahab, hiding in fear, wondering if these foreign soldiers would keep their promises or not.
  So often, we doubt.  Doubt is not unhealthy, but it can lead us to fear, which paralyzes us.  Because we can't see the long term outcome, we stay in a more comfortable place, a place that is known, versus wandering into the unknown.  Our faith calls us forward, but we like to stay in the certainty of our surroundings.
  Faith means following a God who calls us into the wild unknown and promises to always be with us.  It doesn't grant certainty, but it does promises abundant life.

Hebrews 11:23-28

Hebrews 11:23-28
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

  It's amazing what is accomplished through faith.  Through his own strength, Moses would not have achieved all he did, which means that the people of Israel would have suffered for a lack of leadership.  But because Moses was willing to let God use him, and Moses trusted that God would lead him through the situation that seemed much bigger than him, God worked through Moses' life and led the people out of slavery into freedom.
  Now, we may not be the next Moses, but we have a role to play, and it's not just about us.  God works in and through us to effect others, and our willingness to trust God could help someone understand the goodness, love and mercy of God, and they might find the path, through Christ, that leads from slavery into freedom, from darkness into light, from death into life.

Hebrews 11:17-22

Hebrews 11:17-22
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

  When the challenges come, how do we respond?
  I can't make sense of what God asked Abraham to do.  I understand that it was something God himself was willing to do, sacrificing his only Son on the cross, but it is still an unimaginable burden that I cannot fathom.
  But we all face challenges that press down on us, that force us to dig into our reserves.  When we do, how do we face them?
  Do we opt for despair, recognizing that we do not have the resources to deal with whatever torments us?
  Or do we turn to God, recognizing that he alone is the source of our strength and our life, and that only through him will we triumph over adversity and discover the abundant life that truly is life?  Will we recognize adversity as momentary and understand faith as the path that leads through the valley?  Will we lean heavily into God, trusting that he knows and understands our path and will lead us through this, that the light may continue to shine, even in the darkness?

Hebrews 11:13-16

Hebrews 11:13-16
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

  When driving somewhere, where do you focus your vision -- on the road ahead, or what you left behind?
  We look forward to what God has in store for us.  We look forward to the future that is unfolding before us.  Think of driving to the Rocky Mountains -- they unfold before your windshield far before you reach there, but they keep your vision focused on them.
  In the same way, it is important for us to keep our eyes fixed on the promises of God -- they draw us closer, reminding us of the reasons we remain faithful, even as we hit potholes and find other obstacles on the road of life.  Even if the car breaks down or runs into the ditch, the promises of God remain, ever fixed before us, true because they are of God and depend on him, not us.  God is good, and God is faithful, and even death is not enough to derail his promises.

Hebrews 11:1-12

Hebrews 11:1-12
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

 The Hebrews Hall of Fame!  This section of Hebrews reminds us of the great figures of faith that have come before us, and we point to there faith as examples of figures who were willing to boldly serve God even in times of uncertainty and chaos.  Often in the present day, we get so caught up in what is going on right now that we cannot see God at work.  The gift of Scripture is that we are able to look back and see how people have served God in other times, and we also see how God keeps his promises, how God is always faithful, how God works in the lives of his people.  Our vision is expanded beyond the present day, and we can understand that sometimes God works a little more slowly or a bit differently than we might expect or desire, but just because God is working differently, God is still at work, in your life and mine, calling us to live a life of faithfulness.

Hebrews 10:35-39

Hebrews 10:35-39
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

 In the time of the book of Hebrews, there was a real movement of people who had converted to Christianity but were then leaving the faith for one reason or another.  One reason is that persecution was real -- and often deadly.  People were deciding that Christianity wasn't worth their lives, and while they heard talk of the promises, they weren't seeing enough benefit to put their lives on the line, so they chose an easier route, one that might not cost them their lives.  Others had different reasons -- I'm sure some joined because it was new, but after a while, the newness wore off and they moved on to something more exciting.
  It's not easy to be a Christian.  We've been waiting a long time to see the fulfillment of God's ultimate promises, and we only discover the truth of them on the other side of death.  In the meantime, we are called to be obedient, to be loving, to be faithful, to have hope.  It's not easy to hold onto all these things while we're busy questioning whether this faith is really grounded in reality, and the tumult it can cause inside us offers the temptation to set down our faith and find something easier.
  But Jesus Christ rose from the dead, and he has promised that all who endure shall follow him.  This fact trumps all, and so while we are encouraged to ask questions, we are also strengthened to press on, to live together and wrestle with tough questions, but to remain faithful, believing that even in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary at times, the Gospel is true and that the love of God shall trump all, and in Christ we shall triumph over despair and hope.  This is the promise to all who endure.

Hebrews 10:26-34

Hebrews 10:26-34
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

 The behavior of the early church always amazes me.  They weren't perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but they had astounding courage, especially under persecution.  They had their vision so firmly fixed on Christ and his beloved church that they were able to endure seemingly impossible situations, including violent ones, with grace that proclaimed a greater truth than the world we can see.  They reacted with kindness towards their tormentors and did not cling to worldly goods, trusting in the reality of a life beyond this one, believing that the greatness of what is to come so surpassed the present that it was willing to sacrifice and strive for.
  I wonder if we allow our lives to be so caught up in the vision of what Christ intends for the church that we would be able to live with such passion and conviction.  Perhaps the time between the early church and the present has dulled our edge, or maybe the comfort in which we live saps some of our drive.  The more time we spend amazed at the promises of God, the more likely it is that we will find compelling reasons to pursue our relationship with him above all else, allowing our passion for the things of this world to take a backseat.  May we let our minds focus on Christ and his great love for us.

Hebrews 10:19-25

Hebrews 10:19-25
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

 This year, there was the sentiment that there would be many security threats against the festivities in Times Square on New Year's Eve.  Then I remembered that we tend to think that most years, for threats are always looming beyond the door.
  In turbulent times, we must hold on tightly to the hope that we have claimed, for our hope in Christ is the most certain anchor we can have.  He has demonstrated his commitment to us by dying on the cross, and he has demonstrated his power over death by rising from the grave, all out of love for us.  What more could we ask for?  Such actions should enliven the hope within us, that it animates us to love and encourage one another in times of weakness and sorrow, that our hope should not depart from us but nestle within, deep in the soul, guiding our hopes and dreams, our thoughts and words, so that life itself is transformed by the reality of the Holy Spirit reminding us of God's great love for you.

Hebrews 10:8-18

Hebrews 10:8-18
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

  At church today, the preacher made a great point -- God urges us to remember all the times God has been faithful, but then God promises to forget our own sins.  It's not fair, and it works drastically in our favor.  God is always faithful, always loving, always kind, and his grace overflows, so that due to the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, we are made new in his love.
  As this new year begins, may we bathe in the grace of Christ, being renewed each day by the Holy Spirit.  May we not attempt to earn our way to God, hoping to appease God through our efforts.  May we instead receive what God so freely gives and let gratitude transform us, letting God renew us and going out into the world as a grateful people, washed in love.