Psalm 23
English Standard Version (ESV)
Does anyone else out there know the valley of the shadow of death right now?
I love Christianity because of how real it is. It's not just about the good times -- but it addresses the realities of the valleys as well. It doesn't avoid the messy reality of life -- we often end up in this valley, and our faith is built ahead of time to prepare us for it. We know God is with us in the valley, because we can look to the cross and see that God has been in that very valley -- God knows the landscape there, and God will be with us as we walk through -- we don't stay there! We go through, not afraid because God is with us. Christianity doesn't say that you've got to figure it out or that you need the solutions because God is waiting on you to straighten things out. No, Christianity is about God with you in the midst of the realities of struggle and quarantine and brokenness.
God is with you. Here and now, no matter what.
Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Monday, March 30, 2020
Psalm 23:3
Psalm 23
English Standard Version (ESV)
Do you ever scrape yourself and not realize it until a few minutes later, when you suddenly notice that you're bleeding? Every once in a while I'll be working on something and suddenly notice blood from a cut on my finger or arm -- and I realize that I didn't know when I cut myself.
I think our souls are like that -- we're rushing from place to place, from event to event, that we don't even notice how drained we are. Every now and again we collapse from fatigue, but we've become so accustomed to running close to empty that we're barely aware of how weary we are.
Fortunately, we have a Savior who looks out for us, who knows our every need, who loves us so completely that we are restored before we can even think of the words to ask. We have a God who comes to us, who heals and restores and redeems us, offering us grace upon grace before we can form the words or even realize how wounded we are.
Our salvation doesn't start with us -- it starts with what God has done, and it is given to us as a gift. May we, the wounded and restored, receive what God has to give with grateful hearts.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Do you ever scrape yourself and not realize it until a few minutes later, when you suddenly notice that you're bleeding? Every once in a while I'll be working on something and suddenly notice blood from a cut on my finger or arm -- and I realize that I didn't know when I cut myself.
I think our souls are like that -- we're rushing from place to place, from event to event, that we don't even notice how drained we are. Every now and again we collapse from fatigue, but we've become so accustomed to running close to empty that we're barely aware of how weary we are.
Fortunately, we have a Savior who looks out for us, who knows our every need, who loves us so completely that we are restored before we can even think of the words to ask. We have a God who comes to us, who heals and restores and redeems us, offering us grace upon grace before we can form the words or even realize how wounded we are.
Our salvation doesn't start with us -- it starts with what God has done, and it is given to us as a gift. May we, the wounded and restored, receive what God has to give with grateful hearts.
Sunday, March 29, 2020
Sermon on John 11 for March 29, 2020
John 11:1-4
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Death of Lazarus
11 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
Friday, March 27, 2020
Psalm 23:2
Psalm 23
English Standard Version (ESV)
Have you ever tried to convince a weary toddler to go to sleep? They will insist they are not tired, right up until the point where they collapse from fatigue. A year ago, Caleb and I were out late at a Boy Scout event and he told me over and over that he would be awake all the way home, but he was out cold by the time we made it to the freeway.
It's funny (and occasionally frustrating) when I watch my kids do this, but I do the same thing. I insist that I can push myself harder, that I can squeeze one more thing in, that I don't need rest. We push and push and push, despite our lives, our souls, crying out for rest. God makes us lie down -- sometimes, we end up with rest even when we didn't want it, because we need it. God leads us beside still waters, that our souls may calm down, that we may rest, that we may recognize that the world doesn't depend on us holding everything together.
Some years ago, I was reading a book about sleep. Someone was having a hard time determining why exactly the body needs to sleep, and the best reason he could come up with was because we get tired.
We need rest. God's sabbath rest is part of the creation story, and it's written into the Ten Commandments. Make some time to rest, that God may lead you to still waters.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Have you ever tried to convince a weary toddler to go to sleep? They will insist they are not tired, right up until the point where they collapse from fatigue. A year ago, Caleb and I were out late at a Boy Scout event and he told me over and over that he would be awake all the way home, but he was out cold by the time we made it to the freeway.
It's funny (and occasionally frustrating) when I watch my kids do this, but I do the same thing. I insist that I can push myself harder, that I can squeeze one more thing in, that I don't need rest. We push and push and push, despite our lives, our souls, crying out for rest. God makes us lie down -- sometimes, we end up with rest even when we didn't want it, because we need it. God leads us beside still waters, that our souls may calm down, that we may rest, that we may recognize that the world doesn't depend on us holding everything together.
Some years ago, I was reading a book about sleep. Someone was having a hard time determining why exactly the body needs to sleep, and the best reason he could come up with was because we get tired.
We need rest. God's sabbath rest is part of the creation story, and it's written into the Ten Commandments. Make some time to rest, that God may lead you to still waters.
Thursday, March 26, 2020
Psalm 23:1
Psalm 23
English Standard Version (ESV)
On day 4 (or is it 40? How did Noah manage in that ark for so long?) of shelter-in-place, I can think of a number of things I want. To spend time with friends, to go to the grocery store and not worry, to attend a baseball game. In another week, I'll want a bigger house, I'm sure!
I sometimes rush past this verse, anxious to get to the still waters or the part where my cup overflows. But think for a second -- what would it be like to want for nothing? To want for nothing is to be completely at peace, to have every single need and want fulfilled. In today's world, we all long for health, for ourselves and our neighbors and our sisters and brothers around the world. Before this, we longed for peace, for security, for joy. Now we long for their to be enough ventilators and for a vaccine, and we long for rest for the medical professionals and delivery drivers and others who feel the full burden of this awful virus.
The fullness of the Lord satisfies our every desire. Living with Christ as shepherd, we are so filled, so sated, that we want for nothing. We aren't looking around at what others have, and we aren't looking inward and feeling dissatisfied. We want for nothing. We are at peace.
That's my prayer for each of you. The full peace of God, filling every gap in your life to the point that you want for nothing, that your soul is at rest, and that we live and breathe the peace of God, spreading that to every corner of the world, that our joy may be complete.
English Standard Version (ESV)
On day 4 (or is it 40? How did Noah manage in that ark for so long?) of shelter-in-place, I can think of a number of things I want. To spend time with friends, to go to the grocery store and not worry, to attend a baseball game. In another week, I'll want a bigger house, I'm sure!
I sometimes rush past this verse, anxious to get to the still waters or the part where my cup overflows. But think for a second -- what would it be like to want for nothing? To want for nothing is to be completely at peace, to have every single need and want fulfilled. In today's world, we all long for health, for ourselves and our neighbors and our sisters and brothers around the world. Before this, we longed for peace, for security, for joy. Now we long for their to be enough ventilators and for a vaccine, and we long for rest for the medical professionals and delivery drivers and others who feel the full burden of this awful virus.
The fullness of the Lord satisfies our every desire. Living with Christ as shepherd, we are so filled, so sated, that we want for nothing. We aren't looking around at what others have, and we aren't looking inward and feeling dissatisfied. We want for nothing. We are at peace.
That's my prayer for each of you. The full peace of God, filling every gap in your life to the point that you want for nothing, that your soul is at rest, and that we live and breathe the peace of God, spreading that to every corner of the world, that our joy may be complete.
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
James 5:13-20
James 5:13-20
English Standard Version (ESV)
When I lived in Chattanooga, I remember standing on my front porch and watching raging storms pass by, thankfully far enough north that they weren't a threat to our house. These storms had ravaged the lives of others, though. They were mighty in power, and I felt very, very small in the face of them.
It's not terribly different than today. The storm of this virus is sweeping around the world. Even if I'm safe, I know that thousands are directly effected, and countless more, indirectly effected.
We escape the wrath of some storms. Others fall directly upon us. At some point in our lives, we're caught up in the chaos of a storm.
In the conclusion of the epistle, James is teaching us to how to live in every season of life. There is a time to pray in the storms of life. In the joys of life, we sing praises. When we are sick, we ask those in the church to gather around us and pray, for we may not have the strength to pray on our own. When we have specific sins troubling us, let us confess. When we do not, may we have the humility to hear the confessions of others.
Prayer is a wonderful thing, and there are prayers for every season of life. May the prayers we utter here in the midst of this storm be balanced by prayers we offer in the midst of the joys of life. Let us pray, in all times and seasons, on every day and in every way, that God hears the joys and concerns in the depths of our hearts consistently.
English Standard Version (ESV)
When I lived in Chattanooga, I remember standing on my front porch and watching raging storms pass by, thankfully far enough north that they weren't a threat to our house. These storms had ravaged the lives of others, though. They were mighty in power, and I felt very, very small in the face of them.
It's not terribly different than today. The storm of this virus is sweeping around the world. Even if I'm safe, I know that thousands are directly effected, and countless more, indirectly effected.
We escape the wrath of some storms. Others fall directly upon us. At some point in our lives, we're caught up in the chaos of a storm.
In the conclusion of the epistle, James is teaching us to how to live in every season of life. There is a time to pray in the storms of life. In the joys of life, we sing praises. When we are sick, we ask those in the church to gather around us and pray, for we may not have the strength to pray on our own. When we have specific sins troubling us, let us confess. When we do not, may we have the humility to hear the confessions of others.
Prayer is a wonderful thing, and there are prayers for every season of life. May the prayers we utter here in the midst of this storm be balanced by prayers we offer in the midst of the joys of life. Let us pray, in all times and seasons, on every day and in every way, that God hears the joys and concerns in the depths of our hearts consistently.
Tuesday, March 24, 2020
James 5:7-12
James 5:7-12
English Standard Version (ESV)
Many of us are far removed from the agrarian lifestyle. My dad started life on the family farm in Kansas, and I've been there a few times, but I can't say that my cubicle life bears any resemblance to farming. Farming takes a different mindset, a different discipline. To farm, you take seed, a valuable yet small commodity, bury it in the ground, and trust.
Farming is a lifestyle of waiting. It's active waiting, but it's still waiting. One waits for the seed to sprout, and then for the sprout to grow and for crops to mature. It's waiting for the harvest, all the while monitoring the threats, nourishing the plants, focusing on the soil, on all aspects that impact the life of the plant.
The same is true of our faith. It depends on the work of God, and yet we aren't to passively wait. We actively receive, actively grow and live and nourish. We wait upon God, and yet we are called to live as disciples, figuring out the faithful life as it grows within us, leading us forward. Often the path is clear. Other times, it's less clear, and we're waiting for light, for guidance.
All the while, we trust. We trust in God who raised Jesus from the dead, who promises us the same, that when we are planted in the soil, we, too, will grow into something new.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Many of us are far removed from the agrarian lifestyle. My dad started life on the family farm in Kansas, and I've been there a few times, but I can't say that my cubicle life bears any resemblance to farming. Farming takes a different mindset, a different discipline. To farm, you take seed, a valuable yet small commodity, bury it in the ground, and trust.
Farming is a lifestyle of waiting. It's active waiting, but it's still waiting. One waits for the seed to sprout, and then for the sprout to grow and for crops to mature. It's waiting for the harvest, all the while monitoring the threats, nourishing the plants, focusing on the soil, on all aspects that impact the life of the plant.
The same is true of our faith. It depends on the work of God, and yet we aren't to passively wait. We actively receive, actively grow and live and nourish. We wait upon God, and yet we are called to live as disciples, figuring out the faithful life as it grows within us, leading us forward. Often the path is clear. Other times, it's less clear, and we're waiting for light, for guidance.
All the while, we trust. We trust in God who raised Jesus from the dead, who promises us the same, that when we are planted in the soil, we, too, will grow into something new.
Monday, March 23, 2020
James 5:1-6
James 5:1-6
English Standard Version (ESV)
James has harsh words for those who have placed their trust alone in the gospel of wealth. Wealth can be very affirming in this life -- it provides security and access, and gives the allusion of control. James warns those who are rich not to place their ultimate trust, for if anyone pursues wealth and ignores the needs of humanity around them, then they've focused on the wrong goal. James calls out those who have grown wealthy by illegally profiting off their workers, as the Lord always hears the cry of the oppressed.
It's easy to read this and point fingers, especially where we see outsized corporate profits and underpaid employees. And we do need to hold entities responsible for taking care of their employees. What's also easy to do is to miss the chance to examine ourselves.
Wealth is a strange thing. No matter how much money you have, there's almost always someone who has more than you. I can say this safely because I'm fairly certain Jeff Bezos isn't a regular reader. If he is, Hi Jeff! So you can always use these verses to think about how those wealthier than you should do their part and spread their wealth around.
But what's the key for us, no matter how much or little money we have, is to read this and ask ourselves how much we trust in wealth. You don't have to be rich to make wealth an idol. Every single person on earth is in danger of placing their trust in wealth, aiming for it with all their hearts, and missing the Gospel message. Someone wise once said that money simply reveals who we are -- it's a loudspeaker, in a way, announcing what's in our hearts. If our hearts are focused on serving others and proclaiming mercy, more money is likely to enable us to do the same thing on a broader scale. If our hearts are conflicted and seek money as a security blanket, more money is likely to be a stumbling block to true generosity and trusting in Christ alone.
So may God reveal to us how our hearts truly view money, and may we have the wisdom to see it as a tool, nothing more, through which to proclaim the Kingdom of God.
English Standard Version (ESV)
James has harsh words for those who have placed their trust alone in the gospel of wealth. Wealth can be very affirming in this life -- it provides security and access, and gives the allusion of control. James warns those who are rich not to place their ultimate trust, for if anyone pursues wealth and ignores the needs of humanity around them, then they've focused on the wrong goal. James calls out those who have grown wealthy by illegally profiting off their workers, as the Lord always hears the cry of the oppressed.
It's easy to read this and point fingers, especially where we see outsized corporate profits and underpaid employees. And we do need to hold entities responsible for taking care of their employees. What's also easy to do is to miss the chance to examine ourselves.
Wealth is a strange thing. No matter how much money you have, there's almost always someone who has more than you. I can say this safely because I'm fairly certain Jeff Bezos isn't a regular reader. If he is, Hi Jeff! So you can always use these verses to think about how those wealthier than you should do their part and spread their wealth around.
But what's the key for us, no matter how much or little money we have, is to read this and ask ourselves how much we trust in wealth. You don't have to be rich to make wealth an idol. Every single person on earth is in danger of placing their trust in wealth, aiming for it with all their hearts, and missing the Gospel message. Someone wise once said that money simply reveals who we are -- it's a loudspeaker, in a way, announcing what's in our hearts. If our hearts are focused on serving others and proclaiming mercy, more money is likely to enable us to do the same thing on a broader scale. If our hearts are conflicted and seek money as a security blanket, more money is likely to be a stumbling block to true generosity and trusting in Christ alone.
So may God reveal to us how our hearts truly view money, and may we have the wisdom to see it as a tool, nothing more, through which to proclaim the Kingdom of God.
Thursday, March 19, 2020
James 4:13-17
James 4:13-17
English Standard Version (ESV)
How true this feels right now! It wasn't that long ago that life felt relatively normal. I made plans for the future with little fears that they wouldn't be fulfilled. I had a half empty freezer and wasn't the least bit concerned about it. My kids came home from school with the expectation that they'd go back the next day. Life was normal. And then...
Life is full of lessons we'd rather not learn, or lessons we'd prefer to learn in different ways than we actually learn them. I have a rather long list of lessons that were painful, either physically or emotionally. I suspect you do as well. Life teaches us, one way or another.
If our plans become idols, they can be dangerous. If you invest every ounce of your emotional energy into a plan, whether it's for a job or retirement or a relationship, you're likely to end up disappointed. If your plans had to change, would you be crushed? Being disappointed is fine -- that's normal. As someone with plane tickets to Europe right now, I'm disappointed. But James is warning us that if we think we have control over the future to the point that changing our plans would lead us to despair, to devastation, then we've forgotten who the true Lord is.
In life and in death, we belong to God. Every day is a gift. Every relationship is a gift. Every breath is a gift. When we start to think that they belong to us, that we're in ultimate control, that we determine our own fate, then we're forgetting that it is God who is in charge. We're forgetting that we receive gifts from God. We can't take them.
Life is reminding us how fragile we are, how out of control we are. This actual virus is tiny, and yet so many plans, so many lives, have been broken by it. In these times, may we remember whose we are -- we are in such better hands than our own, for in God's hands, we know we have a permanent foundation, who will not be moved. God tells us that God knows the plans for us, plans to prosper us. In the Kingdom of God, we will see these plans come to fruition, and the result will be so much greater than we can ask or imagine.
So breathe in. Breathe out. Let go of your need to be in control, and trust in the one who ultimately is in control.
English Standard Version (ESV)
How true this feels right now! It wasn't that long ago that life felt relatively normal. I made plans for the future with little fears that they wouldn't be fulfilled. I had a half empty freezer and wasn't the least bit concerned about it. My kids came home from school with the expectation that they'd go back the next day. Life was normal. And then...
Life is full of lessons we'd rather not learn, or lessons we'd prefer to learn in different ways than we actually learn them. I have a rather long list of lessons that were painful, either physically or emotionally. I suspect you do as well. Life teaches us, one way or another.
If our plans become idols, they can be dangerous. If you invest every ounce of your emotional energy into a plan, whether it's for a job or retirement or a relationship, you're likely to end up disappointed. If your plans had to change, would you be crushed? Being disappointed is fine -- that's normal. As someone with plane tickets to Europe right now, I'm disappointed. But James is warning us that if we think we have control over the future to the point that changing our plans would lead us to despair, to devastation, then we've forgotten who the true Lord is.
In life and in death, we belong to God. Every day is a gift. Every relationship is a gift. Every breath is a gift. When we start to think that they belong to us, that we're in ultimate control, that we determine our own fate, then we're forgetting that it is God who is in charge. We're forgetting that we receive gifts from God. We can't take them.
Life is reminding us how fragile we are, how out of control we are. This actual virus is tiny, and yet so many plans, so many lives, have been broken by it. In these times, may we remember whose we are -- we are in such better hands than our own, for in God's hands, we know we have a permanent foundation, who will not be moved. God tells us that God knows the plans for us, plans to prosper us. In the Kingdom of God, we will see these plans come to fruition, and the result will be so much greater than we can ask or imagine.
So breathe in. Breathe out. Let go of your need to be in control, and trust in the one who ultimately is in control.
Wednesday, March 18, 2020
James 3:13-18
James 3:13-18
English Standard Version (ESV)
Anyone who has watched the political process unfold over the last decade in the United States would not rank meekness and gentleness very high among the traits that are likely to get one elected to political office in these times. It seems as though our culture has decided to reward the bold and brash with our attention, which obviously encourages the next candidate to be even more bold and more brash. James talks about jealousy and selfish ambition, traits that are certainly not new to our time and place, and it's easy for cultures to drift closer to those than to peace and gentleness.
So how do we resist? We start with our own actions, taking a long look at our behavior and examining to see if we're practicing mercy. Then we move to see who we reward with our attention. In our distracted age, we forget that our attention is a limited resource, and it's highly valuable. Your time is limited -- so think about how valuable it is to give 100% of your attention towards any one person or thing.
Let those who opt for jealousy and selfish ambition drift into the background, and look for those who show their works in the meekness of wisdom.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Anyone who has watched the political process unfold over the last decade in the United States would not rank meekness and gentleness very high among the traits that are likely to get one elected to political office in these times. It seems as though our culture has decided to reward the bold and brash with our attention, which obviously encourages the next candidate to be even more bold and more brash. James talks about jealousy and selfish ambition, traits that are certainly not new to our time and place, and it's easy for cultures to drift closer to those than to peace and gentleness.
So how do we resist? We start with our own actions, taking a long look at our behavior and examining to see if we're practicing mercy. Then we move to see who we reward with our attention. In our distracted age, we forget that our attention is a limited resource, and it's highly valuable. Your time is limited -- so think about how valuable it is to give 100% of your attention towards any one person or thing.
Let those who opt for jealousy and selfish ambition drift into the background, and look for those who show their works in the meekness of wisdom.
James 4:1-12
James 4:1-12
English Standard Version (ESV)
Cleanse your hands, friends! We all knew that advice was from God, right? Alas, Scripture doesn't give us guidance on proper hand washing (I rely on the CDC for that), but at least we can be reminding one another that God is calling us to wash those hands!
I don't want to dwell on what's going on in the world right now. It's everywhere, and it's hard. It's like wading through a thick fog that only grows denser by the day, and then today it started raining, as though the environment needed to remind me of how things are.
In this passage, James is warning us not to take sin too lightly. Some in those days were laughing at sin, but sin is not something to laugh about. Jesus Christ shows us how seriously to take sin by ascending the cross to pay the price of sin.
But in so doing, we have good news of great joy --the great price has been paid. We who could not afford to pay have a Savior who stepped in and paid for us, and so we are freed of the burden. When you think of your next few days, whether you are stuck at home or perhaps distracted at work, thinking of all of the world's burdens, remember that the price has been paid, and that the ultimate penalty for sin has been lifted. Because Christ was humbled, we will be exalted.
So if you have more free time than you did last month, how can you use that to draw near to God? Are there ways you can invest time in submitting to God now? While we can lament the suffering in the world, both in distant lands and nearby houses, we can do so with hearts uplifted in prayer, trusting the God who willingly takes on the world's burden so that we might be freed from ultimate suffering.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Cleanse your hands, friends! We all knew that advice was from God, right? Alas, Scripture doesn't give us guidance on proper hand washing (I rely on the CDC for that), but at least we can be reminding one another that God is calling us to wash those hands!
I don't want to dwell on what's going on in the world right now. It's everywhere, and it's hard. It's like wading through a thick fog that only grows denser by the day, and then today it started raining, as though the environment needed to remind me of how things are.
In this passage, James is warning us not to take sin too lightly. Some in those days were laughing at sin, but sin is not something to laugh about. Jesus Christ shows us how seriously to take sin by ascending the cross to pay the price of sin.
But in so doing, we have good news of great joy --the great price has been paid. We who could not afford to pay have a Savior who stepped in and paid for us, and so we are freed of the burden. When you think of your next few days, whether you are stuck at home or perhaps distracted at work, thinking of all of the world's burdens, remember that the price has been paid, and that the ultimate penalty for sin has been lifted. Because Christ was humbled, we will be exalted.
So if you have more free time than you did last month, how can you use that to draw near to God? Are there ways you can invest time in submitting to God now? While we can lament the suffering in the world, both in distant lands and nearby houses, we can do so with hearts uplifted in prayer, trusting the God who willingly takes on the world's burden so that we might be freed from ultimate suffering.
Tuesday, March 17, 2020
James 3:1-12
James 3:1-12
English Standard Version (ESV)
From a young age, we're taught to be kind to one another, and rightly so, because our words can leave legacies. I'm willing to bet that most of us can remember specific things that were said about us when we were children, be they good or bad. For some, we carry memories of mean or rude things said to us for decades -- how much would you have preferred to just have been kicked than to constantly replay something said to you as a child?
The flip side of this is that your words have tremendous power to influence for good as well. A kind word, spoken in love or grace, can stay with someone. For some reason, the kind words have a harder time cutting through the noise, but speak them, friends, for the world is in dire need of more kindness. Especially now, as we are surrounded by such continuous dire news -- speak kindness, over and over again. Remind your friends that they are gifts, and tell your family that you love them. Be kind, be gracious, and may we transform this dark time into a period of hope.
And never forget the words that God has spoken over you. You have been claimed in the waters of baptism and sealed as Christ's own forever. A word of grace has defined your eternity, so hold your head high, you child of the king, and know that you have been spoken to in love by the One who lives and reigns in power.
English Standard Version (ESV)
From a young age, we're taught to be kind to one another, and rightly so, because our words can leave legacies. I'm willing to bet that most of us can remember specific things that were said about us when we were children, be they good or bad. For some, we carry memories of mean or rude things said to us for decades -- how much would you have preferred to just have been kicked than to constantly replay something said to you as a child?
The flip side of this is that your words have tremendous power to influence for good as well. A kind word, spoken in love or grace, can stay with someone. For some reason, the kind words have a harder time cutting through the noise, but speak them, friends, for the world is in dire need of more kindness. Especially now, as we are surrounded by such continuous dire news -- speak kindness, over and over again. Remind your friends that they are gifts, and tell your family that you love them. Be kind, be gracious, and may we transform this dark time into a period of hope.
And never forget the words that God has spoken over you. You have been claimed in the waters of baptism and sealed as Christ's own forever. A word of grace has defined your eternity, so hold your head high, you child of the king, and know that you have been spoken to in love by the One who lives and reigns in power.
Monday, March 16, 2020
James 2:18-26
James 2:18-26
English Standard Version (ESV)
So coronavirus is a thing, and it's intimidating. It's transforming the way Americans live our lives, as schools and zoos and businesses close their doors for the foreseeable future. Bars and restaurants have closed, as have libraries. I don't know that I ever thought I would see this -- I never even considered it. I went out today to get a haircut and felt like I was risking my life. Strange times in which we live... If you really believe in the virus, you wash your hands, right? Having respect for the danger means you pay attention to the warnings of our officials. You don't have to buy into the fear and panic that is sweeping the country, but you can still be mindful and alter your routines to keep yourself healthy. By doing so, you demonstrate that you believe the virus is real and has power.
James is putting forth the argument that our faith in God reveals itself through our actions. It's not that our actions justify us, or that we can earn God's love through our actions. Rather, by acting in ways that are consistent with what we say our beliefs are, we're demonstrating that what we say we believe is actually what we believe. Our lives show what we believe, they demonstrate our trust in God. When God called Abraham, Abraham went, showing how deeply he trusted God.
So may we live out our faith in God, revealing our trust in God through our actions. In the midst of these chaotic times, by choosing not to panic, we reveal that our ultimate trust is in God. We live and we die in the Lord, and in death, we live, because in our baptisms, we are baptized into Christ's death and resurrection.
English Standard Version (ESV)
So coronavirus is a thing, and it's intimidating. It's transforming the way Americans live our lives, as schools and zoos and businesses close their doors for the foreseeable future. Bars and restaurants have closed, as have libraries. I don't know that I ever thought I would see this -- I never even considered it. I went out today to get a haircut and felt like I was risking my life. Strange times in which we live... If you really believe in the virus, you wash your hands, right? Having respect for the danger means you pay attention to the warnings of our officials. You don't have to buy into the fear and panic that is sweeping the country, but you can still be mindful and alter your routines to keep yourself healthy. By doing so, you demonstrate that you believe the virus is real and has power.
James is putting forth the argument that our faith in God reveals itself through our actions. It's not that our actions justify us, or that we can earn God's love through our actions. Rather, by acting in ways that are consistent with what we say our beliefs are, we're demonstrating that what we say we believe is actually what we believe. Our lives show what we believe, they demonstrate our trust in God. When God called Abraham, Abraham went, showing how deeply he trusted God.
So may we live out our faith in God, revealing our trust in God through our actions. In the midst of these chaotic times, by choosing not to panic, we reveal that our ultimate trust is in God. We live and we die in the Lord, and in death, we live, because in our baptisms, we are baptized into Christ's death and resurrection.
Friday, March 13, 2020
James 2:14-17
James 2:14-17
English Standard Version (ESV)
If you're curious as to what Martin Luther has to say about coronavirus, Christianity Today has your answer. In summary, if you have the obligation and capability to help, you should serve your neighbor, no matter their health condition. If you would not be abandoning anyone, there is freedom to withdraw. In either case, there are two things that are true.
The first is that we have a responsibility to be good stewards of our bodies and our physical health -- one of the ways we honor God is by taking care of our bodies, in times of pandemic and in regular times.
The second is that this decision does not alter our salvation -- we arrive at the decision we feel is most faithful to God, led by Scripture and prayer. People will make different decisions, but as long as we do so with humility and grace, we should not be severing our relationships with one another in the process, and since nothing can separate us from the love of God, this disease need not isolate us from God and one another.
What James is saying in this letter is related -- our faith shows itself in our works. In times like this, when chaos seems to leap from house to house and uncertainty is knocking on every door, our faith should guide our actions and our response. While sin has altered the world and given rise to sickness and death, the ultimate victory belongs to Christ, and we know that because he is victorious, we, too, will conquer. We can have hope in the face of threats, and we can serve in times of danger, because as the church, we know that our ultimate security comes not in health or wealth, but in God, and in God alone.
So may we invest our energies not in nervous panic but in holding tightly those threads that bind us together. May we reach out to neighbors and those who are isolated, reminding one another that we are not alone, that we're all walking each other home, and that our hope is a steady and faithful rock no matter how turbulent the watery chaos may be.
English Standard Version (ESV)
If you're curious as to what Martin Luther has to say about coronavirus, Christianity Today has your answer. In summary, if you have the obligation and capability to help, you should serve your neighbor, no matter their health condition. If you would not be abandoning anyone, there is freedom to withdraw. In either case, there are two things that are true.
The first is that we have a responsibility to be good stewards of our bodies and our physical health -- one of the ways we honor God is by taking care of our bodies, in times of pandemic and in regular times.
The second is that this decision does not alter our salvation -- we arrive at the decision we feel is most faithful to God, led by Scripture and prayer. People will make different decisions, but as long as we do so with humility and grace, we should not be severing our relationships with one another in the process, and since nothing can separate us from the love of God, this disease need not isolate us from God and one another.
What James is saying in this letter is related -- our faith shows itself in our works. In times like this, when chaos seems to leap from house to house and uncertainty is knocking on every door, our faith should guide our actions and our response. While sin has altered the world and given rise to sickness and death, the ultimate victory belongs to Christ, and we know that because he is victorious, we, too, will conquer. We can have hope in the face of threats, and we can serve in times of danger, because as the church, we know that our ultimate security comes not in health or wealth, but in God, and in God alone.
So may we invest our energies not in nervous panic but in holding tightly those threads that bind us together. May we reach out to neighbors and those who are isolated, reminding one another that we are not alone, that we're all walking each other home, and that our hope is a steady and faithful rock no matter how turbulent the watery chaos may be.
Thursday, March 12, 2020
James 2:8-13
James 2:8-13
English Standard Version (ESV)
If you're trying to keep a diet, is it a total failure if you have a cheat meal? Or a cheat day? Not really -- you can try again the next day. That's the great thing about new year's resolutions -- you can always pick up next year.
When it comes to sin, one single sin separates us from God. Failing the law at a single point makes us guilty of all of it -- and we deserve condemnation. We deserve condemnation under the entire law -- can you imagine the full weight of the law falling upon you?
It doesn't, because that's why Christ has come. He has come so that we do not suffer the consequences of the Law. We live, because someone else took the blame. We cannot keep the law, but our imperfections do not doom us -- there is life, and abundant life, because someone else paid the price, in full, for free.
What a gift. What a marvelous gift. Our entire life is not enough to express gratitude. You have eternal life, for free, because you are infinitely loved.
English Standard Version (ESV)
If you're trying to keep a diet, is it a total failure if you have a cheat meal? Or a cheat day? Not really -- you can try again the next day. That's the great thing about new year's resolutions -- you can always pick up next year.
When it comes to sin, one single sin separates us from God. Failing the law at a single point makes us guilty of all of it -- and we deserve condemnation. We deserve condemnation under the entire law -- can you imagine the full weight of the law falling upon you?
It doesn't, because that's why Christ has come. He has come so that we do not suffer the consequences of the Law. We live, because someone else took the blame. We cannot keep the law, but our imperfections do not doom us -- there is life, and abundant life, because someone else paid the price, in full, for free.
What a gift. What a marvelous gift. Our entire life is not enough to express gratitude. You have eternal life, for free, because you are infinitely loved.
Wednesday, March 11, 2020
James 2:1-7
James 2:1-7
English Standard Version (ESV)
Money is so powerful. I heard somewhere that money doesn't change us, it just reveals who we are. I like that. Money enables the generous to do incredible acts of generosity, to show love in amazing ways, and it enables the greedy to amass great amounts of wealth and shun the needy. Our checkbooks can reveal our priorities in a way that a survey never will.
We also rank people based on money. Whether we intend to or not, it's often an easy reflex. We'll instinctively react positively towards someone who appears wealthy, while perhaps pulling back from someone who does not. It was true in the first century, and it's still true today -- money makes a lot of rules.
True wealth, however, is continuously redefined in Scripture. If you want to be rich, amassing a great deal of money won't do it. If you surround yourself with people who are rich towards God, some may have great amounts of money, while others may have none. If you seek honor, it may lead to and through money, or it may not. God's Kingdom does not define wealth based on dollars and cents, and if you measure yourself by how much money you have, you'll always come up short.
I'll never forget the anecdote I heard once of a philosopher who, as he was dying, offered half his wealth for another thirty minutes of life. Money can purchase so much, and yet it can buy so little. May we use our money as a resource to show what we truly value, and may we seek the wealth offered freely by God to all, wealth of love and grace that is given to us, revealed in the generosity of Christ upon the cross.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Money is so powerful. I heard somewhere that money doesn't change us, it just reveals who we are. I like that. Money enables the generous to do incredible acts of generosity, to show love in amazing ways, and it enables the greedy to amass great amounts of wealth and shun the needy. Our checkbooks can reveal our priorities in a way that a survey never will.
We also rank people based on money. Whether we intend to or not, it's often an easy reflex. We'll instinctively react positively towards someone who appears wealthy, while perhaps pulling back from someone who does not. It was true in the first century, and it's still true today -- money makes a lot of rules.
True wealth, however, is continuously redefined in Scripture. If you want to be rich, amassing a great deal of money won't do it. If you surround yourself with people who are rich towards God, some may have great amounts of money, while others may have none. If you seek honor, it may lead to and through money, or it may not. God's Kingdom does not define wealth based on dollars and cents, and if you measure yourself by how much money you have, you'll always come up short.
I'll never forget the anecdote I heard once of a philosopher who, as he was dying, offered half his wealth for another thirty minutes of life. Money can purchase so much, and yet it can buy so little. May we use our money as a resource to show what we truly value, and may we seek the wealth offered freely by God to all, wealth of love and grace that is given to us, revealed in the generosity of Christ upon the cross.
Tuesday, March 10, 2020
James 1:19-27
James 1:19-27
English Standard Version (ESV)
There's so, so much packed into these words. Are you quicker to hear or to speak? Does your anger rise too quickly? Does the word that you hear call you to action? Are in you control of your tongue? Do you remember the orphans and widows?
As Christians, there are so many verses that guide us in our daily lives. It's easy to be overwhelmed -- you can feel like there's a thousand things to remember and so many ways to mess it up. Remember that Christianity is a long game -- it's on an eternal scale. We're all growing into the Kingdom of God. Scripture gives us glimpses of what life will be like when we're on the other side of earthly life. When we strive for the these things, we're practicing for eternity. When we live into the words of Scripture, we're being shaped and molded. It's not meant to inspire guilt, but rather to lead us forward, to let our hunger for the eternal teach us how to serve and love one another.
English Standard Version (ESV)
There's so, so much packed into these words. Are you quicker to hear or to speak? Does your anger rise too quickly? Does the word that you hear call you to action? Are in you control of your tongue? Do you remember the orphans and widows?
As Christians, there are so many verses that guide us in our daily lives. It's easy to be overwhelmed -- you can feel like there's a thousand things to remember and so many ways to mess it up. Remember that Christianity is a long game -- it's on an eternal scale. We're all growing into the Kingdom of God. Scripture gives us glimpses of what life will be like when we're on the other side of earthly life. When we strive for the these things, we're practicing for eternity. When we live into the words of Scripture, we're being shaped and molded. It's not meant to inspire guilt, but rather to lead us forward, to let our hunger for the eternal teach us how to serve and love one another.
Monday, March 9, 2020
James 1:9-18
James 1:9-18
English Standard Version (ESV)
The lilies and iris are starting to poke through the mulch in the front of the house. Little shoots of green, hopefully stretching towards the sky, promising beauty ahead. Each one brings excitement, for I know that when the burst forth in color the front of the house will be enriched by their beauty.
Here, James is reminding us that sin and death take the same journey. They start as desires, innocently tempting us, asking for just a little time and attention, seeming like they have no harm at all. What's one little desire?
But desire grows, right? The only word our appetite knows is more, and so desire grows and grows, eventually giving birth to sin, and then sin grows and grows, leading to death.
What harm is one little desire? It leads to great harm, and so may we be ever vigilant, aware of how sin begins as small desires. May we find people we trust to whom we can confess our sins and our desires. In doing so, we help one another tune our hearts to look for the gifts from above.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The lilies and iris are starting to poke through the mulch in the front of the house. Little shoots of green, hopefully stretching towards the sky, promising beauty ahead. Each one brings excitement, for I know that when the burst forth in color the front of the house will be enriched by their beauty.
Here, James is reminding us that sin and death take the same journey. They start as desires, innocently tempting us, asking for just a little time and attention, seeming like they have no harm at all. What's one little desire?
But desire grows, right? The only word our appetite knows is more, and so desire grows and grows, eventually giving birth to sin, and then sin grows and grows, leading to death.
What harm is one little desire? It leads to great harm, and so may we be ever vigilant, aware of how sin begins as small desires. May we find people we trust to whom we can confess our sins and our desires. In doing so, we help one another tune our hearts to look for the gifts from above.
Friday, March 6, 2020
James 1:1-8
James 1:1-8
English Standard Version (ESV)
If you measure your life by happiness, it'll plummet in challenging times, because you won't have any external signs that things are going well.
If you measure it by joy, however, that's something deeper that can sustain you in trials, because joy is something too deep to be disrupted by waves on the surface. Joy that results from a knowledge of the presence and grace of God can co-exist with suffering, because there is nothing contradictory. We can experience joy and happiness, and we can experience joy and sorrow, because that joy dwells at a level that cannot be taken from us, because nothing in the world or beyond the world can separate us from the love of God fully revealed in Jesus Christ.
English Standard Version (ESV)
If you measure your life by happiness, it'll plummet in challenging times, because you won't have any external signs that things are going well.
If you measure it by joy, however, that's something deeper that can sustain you in trials, because joy is something too deep to be disrupted by waves on the surface. Joy that results from a knowledge of the presence and grace of God can co-exist with suffering, because there is nothing contradictory. We can experience joy and happiness, and we can experience joy and sorrow, because that joy dwells at a level that cannot be taken from us, because nothing in the world or beyond the world can separate us from the love of God fully revealed in Jesus Christ.
Thursday, March 5, 2020
Colossians 4:7-18
Colossians 4:7-18
English Standard Version (ESV)
Wouldn't it be great to know that someone was always struggling on your behalf in their prayers? How much of a benefit would that be? We pray for each other rather lightly often, but think about what we're doing when we pray:
The God who existed before the universe was formed, who exists outside of time and space, who created with a Word, who is so holy that God cannot bear the presence of sin, and yet is so loving that God willingly sacrificed God's Son, Jesus Christ, so that humanity could be freely redeemed from sin -- that God is hearing your name lifted up with purpose. That God, who already knows your joys, sorrows, hopes, and shame, is hearing someone intentionally speak your name before God.
Pretty awesome, isn't it? When we stop to think, the reality of prayer should bowl us over and send us singing joyful songs to one another.
So may we pray for one another, struggling on behalf of one another, that we might life each other up before God Almighty, who freely descends to earth to dwell with us and lead us through the presence of the Holy Spirit.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Wouldn't it be great to know that someone was always struggling on your behalf in their prayers? How much of a benefit would that be? We pray for each other rather lightly often, but think about what we're doing when we pray:
The God who existed before the universe was formed, who exists outside of time and space, who created with a Word, who is so holy that God cannot bear the presence of sin, and yet is so loving that God willingly sacrificed God's Son, Jesus Christ, so that humanity could be freely redeemed from sin -- that God is hearing your name lifted up with purpose. That God, who already knows your joys, sorrows, hopes, and shame, is hearing someone intentionally speak your name before God.
Pretty awesome, isn't it? When we stop to think, the reality of prayer should bowl us over and send us singing joyful songs to one another.
So may we pray for one another, struggling on behalf of one another, that we might life each other up before God Almighty, who freely descends to earth to dwell with us and lead us through the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Tuesday, March 3, 2020
Colossians 4:1-6
Colossians 4:1-6
English Standard Version (ESV)
What do you feel when you hear the encouragement to continue in prayer? Are you grateful for the encouragement, or do you feel guilty, because you don't feel like you're praying as you ought, and you need to start in prayer, rather than continuing in prayer?
Don't operate from a position of guilt. Sin is at work in each of us, pulling us away from how we are called to live. Rather look forward in hope, trusting in the Holy Spirit to build you into the person God is calling you to build, trusting in the Savior who bled and died to redeem you from sin before you even took a breath on this planet.
And while continuing in prayer, remember to pray for others, praying not for their best life now, but rather that God may open doors for the mystery of Christ to be proclaimed and made clear to those around Christians. May each of us endeavor to serve God by praying for the world, that those of us in the church would be bold enough to proclaim the Good News of the Gospel to the world, doing so graciously, that others may come to know the amazing grace and mercy of God.
English Standard Version (ESV)
What do you feel when you hear the encouragement to continue in prayer? Are you grateful for the encouragement, or do you feel guilty, because you don't feel like you're praying as you ought, and you need to start in prayer, rather than continuing in prayer?
Don't operate from a position of guilt. Sin is at work in each of us, pulling us away from how we are called to live. Rather look forward in hope, trusting in the Holy Spirit to build you into the person God is calling you to build, trusting in the Savior who bled and died to redeem you from sin before you even took a breath on this planet.
And while continuing in prayer, remember to pray for others, praying not for their best life now, but rather that God may open doors for the mystery of Christ to be proclaimed and made clear to those around Christians. May each of us endeavor to serve God by praying for the world, that those of us in the church would be bold enough to proclaim the Good News of the Gospel to the world, doing so graciously, that others may come to know the amazing grace and mercy of God.
Colossians 3:18-25
Colossians 3:18-25
English Standard Version (ESV)
What's tempting, because we're sinful, is to look at verses like this as giant opportunities to get our way. As a married man, verse 18 could be a giant flashing neon sign offering me the opportunity to have Rachel always do what I want. Perhaps Paul is signing her up for a lifetime of endless debates about the merits and foolishness of bunting with a man on first and no one out in a close baseball game or, even worse, doing the dishes every night.
We twist Scripture whenever we take one verse out of context and don't read it in light of everything God is doing in the entire witness of Scripture. God has been moving and revealing and working and selflessly saving for thousands of years -- to pull one verse out of context is like picking a single sentence out of War and Peace and pretending you can capture the entire breadth of the book with it. Some may get closer than others, but it takes patience to understand the entire work.
So if any verse in Scripture leads to the temptation to abuse it, or leads to something that doesn't look like selfless love that lifts up another and points to sacrificial living in the hopes of embracing a person as the handcrafted, beloved, and redeemed child of God that each of us is, then we should probably keep reading before rushing into action, for there is likely more to be revealed.
English Standard Version (ESV)
What's tempting, because we're sinful, is to look at verses like this as giant opportunities to get our way. As a married man, verse 18 could be a giant flashing neon sign offering me the opportunity to have Rachel always do what I want. Perhaps Paul is signing her up for a lifetime of endless debates about the merits and foolishness of bunting with a man on first and no one out in a close baseball game or, even worse, doing the dishes every night.
We twist Scripture whenever we take one verse out of context and don't read it in light of everything God is doing in the entire witness of Scripture. God has been moving and revealing and working and selflessly saving for thousands of years -- to pull one verse out of context is like picking a single sentence out of War and Peace and pretending you can capture the entire breadth of the book with it. Some may get closer than others, but it takes patience to understand the entire work.
So if any verse in Scripture leads to the temptation to abuse it, or leads to something that doesn't look like selfless love that lifts up another and points to sacrificial living in the hopes of embracing a person as the handcrafted, beloved, and redeemed child of God that each of us is, then we should probably keep reading before rushing into action, for there is likely more to be revealed.
Monday, March 2, 2020
Colossians 3:12-17
Colossians 3:12-17
English Standard Version (ESV)
For better and for worse, kids aren't very good at hiding what they're feeling. They wear their emotions on their sleeves, and when they're joyful, it's a wonder to behold. When they're not... it's still a sight to behold......
We talk with them a lot about how to apologize. They can say the words, but these often don't mean anything when their hearts aren't in it. Their words can be dripping with frustration or anger even though they are saying what they're supposed to be saying.
Adults aren't always perfect at this either. We can typically hide it better than a six year old, but we sometimes forget to 'put on love', as Paul tells us. We'll bear with one another and work on patience, but doing so in love is a whole other challenge, one we're often not ready for.
But we strive to do these things in love, letting the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, that whatever we do may be done in the name of Christ, pointing beyond ourselves, putting our selfishness to death, and glorying in the resurrection of Jesus Christ that defines the way forward.
English Standard Version (ESV)
For better and for worse, kids aren't very good at hiding what they're feeling. They wear their emotions on their sleeves, and when they're joyful, it's a wonder to behold. When they're not... it's still a sight to behold......
We talk with them a lot about how to apologize. They can say the words, but these often don't mean anything when their hearts aren't in it. Their words can be dripping with frustration or anger even though they are saying what they're supposed to be saying.
Adults aren't always perfect at this either. We can typically hide it better than a six year old, but we sometimes forget to 'put on love', as Paul tells us. We'll bear with one another and work on patience, but doing so in love is a whole other challenge, one we're often not ready for.
But we strive to do these things in love, letting the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, that whatever we do may be done in the name of Christ, pointing beyond ourselves, putting our selfishness to death, and glorying in the resurrection of Jesus Christ that defines the way forward.
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