George Love, Pastor of Hebron Presbyterian Church, continues sharing his thoughts on the Daily Lectionary Series of Bible readings. You will find his most recent comments at the top, with earlier ones below. See earlier ones in previous months by following this link.
We have also added daily links to Presbyterian Church (USA) website where you will find the Scripture readings for that day. We hope you will find this a helpful way to join us in seeking God's message for our daily lives.
May 31
First Reading:
Job 38:1-11, 42:1-6
Psalm: Psalm 103
Second Reading:
Revelation 19:4-16
Gospel: John 1:29-34
"…I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me that I did not know." - Job 42:3
"Then I saw heaven opened and there was a white horse! Its rider is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and wages war." - Revelation 19:11
How shall we speak of God?
The Bible does it all the time. We likely do it fairly often. We grow accustomed to talking about God, which is a good thing, but perhaps our familiarity causes us to lose a bit of perspective on the one of whom we are speaking. Jesus offers us a wonderful way to speak about God because, in his humanity we find a language we can understand and to which we can relate. Again, that is a good thing, and a central benefit of the Incarnation. But God is also…God. Vast, in some ways unknowable - beyond our bandwidth to comprehend.
The Job and Revelation passages for today, both serve as reminders of the challenge of speaking of God. Chapter 42 of Job is something of a summation of all that has gone before in the Job story. In it Job speaks in humility to God, saying simply "I have uttered what I did not understand." He has made assumptions and drawn conclusions about God and God's activity based on the limited perspective of his view of the world. Here he simply confesses that there is no way in which he can imagine the scope of God's vision.
Revelation offers an attempt at a description of the praise going on in heaven. If you spend any time reading Revelation you know the challenge of following the symbolism and the visions of the book. The writer's language is limited by the capacity of our language. It is inspiring in places and foreboding in others. It is an attempt to speak of things - things that Job learned are beyond our understanding - in some way that we can, well…understand them.
These passages are helpful to us in reminding us that at the center of our faith is God. God who came to us out of love, and saves us out of grace. God who chooses to be known to us, and who through Christ, through the Spirit, and through creation invites us to a greater knowing and deeper relationship, but who ultimately is still beyond any ability of ours to contain or explain.
May 30
First Reading: Proverbs 25:15-28
Psalm: Psalm 56
Second Reading: 1 Timothy 6:6-21
Gospel: Matthew 13:36-43
"If your enemies are hungry, give them bread to eat, and if they are thirsty, give them water to drink, for you will heap coals of fire on their heads and the Lord will reward you." - Proverbs 25:21-22
Something to keep ever before us when we read New Testament scripture is how very much the people in those scriptures and writing those scriptures were shaped by the Hebrew Bible, what Christians call the Old Testament. Paul is a prime example. Paul offers many direct quotations of Old Testament scripture and additionally many allusions. He was familiar with the Hebrew Bible. Those listening to him were in many instances familiar with the Hebrew Bible. If someone quoted the preamble to the United States constitution to you without citing their source, there is a good chance you would know what was happening. That's how it would have been for Paul and his audience.
We can miss this connective tissue at times. Typically we can still understand what Paul is doing and we can benefit from reading these passages independent of knowing their source. But knowing what Paul is doing can at times deepen our understanding, and, at the very least, remind us of how deeply embedded Paul was in the Jewish faith. The short passage above from Proverbs is one such place where Paul incorporates ancient wisdom into his teaching. Listen for Romans 12:20-21…
"Instead, 'if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink, for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
What Paul does here is very similar to what preachers do on a regular basis, bringing an ancient text forward to inform a contemporary teaching. It is also a great reminder to all of us to continue to read the Bible. All of it. The more we read, the more we will be able to reference it in ways that are practical, helpful, and life-giving; and the more we will see it showing up in all aspects of our lives.
May 29
First Reading:
Proverbs 23:19 - 24:2
Psalm: Psalm 130
Second Reading:
1 Timothy 5:17-25
Gospel: Matthew 13:31-35
"So also good works are conspicuous, they cannot remain hidden." - 1 Timothy 5:25
Paul is offering Timothy practical advice for his own conduct and for conduct within the faith community. The past few days we've had readings from the Old Testament book of Proverbs, and while these instructions from Paul are different, they have some similarities in that much of it is practical, common sense advice. Don't convict a person on the basis of one accusation, for instance. Instead, make sure there are two or three witnesses.
There is an ongoing dialogue in Christian theology between faith and works. The Reformed tradition of which I am a part as a Presbyterian, makes it clear that we are saved by God's grace and not by our works. As a result of this it seems that whenever we talk about good works, we are very careful to also add in that they are a response to God, not something which can save us on their own.
I appreciate Paul's instruction here about good works. He doesn't suggest that they will save Timothy. What he does suggest is that they can be an important part of his witness. Not because Timothy should point them out and brag about them, but because good works done for the right reason will be a blessing and people will experience that and see that. "Good works…cannot remain hidden." So in our following Jesus, let us aim to do good and trust that in it we point beyond ourselves to the One who we are following.
May 28
First Reading:
Proverbs 21:30-22:6
Psalm: Psalm 36
Second Reading:
1 Timothy 4:1-16
Gospel: Matthew 13:24-30
"So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well." - Matthew 13:26
This is the story of a person who plants good seed, only to have an enemy come and plant weeds in the same space where the good seed has been sown. The planter is given a choice about trying to remove the weeds, but decides that the wheat and the weeds are too intertwined. To pull the weeds is likely to damage the wheat. Instead, he'll wait, let them grow, and sort it out in the end.
There are a variety of ways to think about this story. One is to consider that the field could be understood to represent our lives. We aim to sow good seed. Make good choices. Maintain good relationships. Act in ways that we believe are consistent with God's will. Strive to strengthen and deepen our faith. However, alongside our positive efforts, weeds creep in. We are impatient in our relationships. We make choices based on self-interest. Our attention drifts from following Jesus, and we struggle to find our way.
It all happens in the context of our day to day life. It's all so closely tied together that it's really not possible to pull one away from the other. We cannot separate the wheat and the weeds in our lived experience. We are faithful and yet, at times, we fall short. But we push forward, embracing God's grace and forgiveness and aiming for the day when we will bundle and discard the weeds and celebrate the wheat that God has cultivated in and through us.
May 27
First Reading: Proverbs 17:1-20
Psalm: Psalm 15
Second Reading: 1 Timothy 3:1-16
Gospel : Matthew 12:43-50
"Indeed, all those who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." - 1 Timothy 3:12
"Then it goes and brings along seven others spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and live there…." - Matthew 12:49
The Bible talks plainly and regularly about the existence of evil. Paul warns Timothy that aiming to follow Jesus will be difficult, because persecution will be part of the experience. Jesus tells this story in our Matthew passage about a house with an evil spirit. The spirit is banished and the house given a good cleaning top to bottom. Once put in order, the original evil spirit returns, and for good measure brings along seven of his friends.
These passages are intended to prepare Timothy, the disciples, and us for life as we will find it over the long haul. Life is beautiful, a wonderful gift of God. In this beautiful life we have the opportunity to hear and accept Jesus' invitation to follow him. But this beautiful life is not without choices. Part of the beauty, the freedom God grants us, lies in our ability to make poor decisions. I am no believer in a cartoonish devil with a pitchfork, but I do believe there is a force that works against our choosing the good. An almost daily temptation to, in ways large and small, move away from the path that Jesus is calling us to travel.
As in the story of the house that gets a good cleaning, we can believe we have everything sorted and straightened and now we are on the way to smooth sailing in faith. Jesus' story teaches that each day brings new choices, new decisions, and, yes, new temptations, and that sometimes they travel in packs.
The point is not that the life of faith is a constant struggle and it is the struggle that defines it. We are taught that following Jesus brings a life more abundant, a joyful life. I believe that is true. What Jesus, and then his apostle Paul, remind us is that the joy of the abundant life comes through obedience, dedication and perseverance, even when pain, suffering, and temptation show up in our lives.
May 26
First Reading:
Proverbs 15:16-33
Psalm: Psalm 123
Second Reading:
1 Timothy 1:18-2:15
Gospel: Matthew 12:33-42
"The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility goes before honor." - Proverbs 15:33
The book of Proverbs can be both quick reading and slow reading. It can be quick as its short pithy statements can make an obvious sense. You read one and you are on to the next. It can be like standing on the beach at the ocean and watching the waves roll in - they all leave an impression, but it can be hard to pick out a particular one from the group because it's a big ocean. They can be slow if we pause and let each one work on us. Imagine a recording with many instruments and voices and then imagine it all stripped away except for the voice of one glorious soprano. Suddenly, lifted out of the group, her voice is tremendous, exceptional all on its own.
Let's take the go-slow approach with Proverbs 15:33, the final verse of this chapter of Proverbs. It's a bit of a matryoshka, one of those Russian nesting egg dolls in its structure. On the outside sits the fear of the Lord. Open that up and we find wisdom. Open up wisdom and nestled there we find the gift of humility. One last step, and we reach the kernel of honor.
There is a lot to consider here. Each step - the fear of the Lord, wisdom, humility, honor - are fertile ground for meditation. Beyond that there is the way they interact; one does not go straight to honor, it is a process, and honor is accessed only on the other side of humility. I find that when I come to Proverbs I must slow myself down. The sayings can be deceptively simple and are in some instances more intricate than they first appear. There is treasure in these waves crashing on the beach.
May 25
First Reading: Proverbs 10:1-12
Psalm: Psalm 135
Second Reading: 1 Timothy 1:1-17
Gospel: Matthew 12:22-32
"The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance: that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners - of whom I am the foremost." - 1 Timothy 1:15
Okay. Paul was likely not the world's foremost sinner. He probably knew that. But he's making a point and it's a great one. Our comprehension of the power of sin is most fully realized when we recognize and acknowledge our own sin first. Our recognition of the universal nature of sin rings hollow if we don't include ourselves in the universe. One of the barriers for the religious leadership of Jesus' day to understanding his message was their failure to imagine how his message of love, grace and forgiveness was good news for everyone - including them.
The point is also not for us to lay claim to the title of world's foremost sinner. It partially is to remind us that we don't need to go looking for the world's foremost sinner - we have our own missing of the mark to deal with, and that is the best place to start. When we acknowledge our own sinfulness, we enhance our capacity to know of our need for Christ's forgiveness, and to experience Christ's grace.
This is Jesus' mission. To rescue us from missing the mark, and to restore us to right relationship with God. When we accept and receive that amazing grace, we become joyful and we want to share it freely with others. We share not because we see how awful they are, but because we know who we were without Jesus and the difference his love has meant to us.
May 24
First Reading:
Deuteronomy 16:9-12
Psalm: Psalm 29
Second Reading: Acts 4:18-33
Gospel: John 4:19-26
"…for we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard." - Acts 4:20
Today was Pentecost Sunday. We read the account of that first day of Pentecost when the promise of the Holy Spirit was realized for the disciples. It is always thrilling to read the second chapter of Acts. To think about the rushing wind, the tongues of fire, the Holy Spirit filling them as people began to hear and understand languages other than their own. How do you move on from such a day?
Our Acts passage today is a concrete example of how the disciples moved on. They kept relentlessly at the joyful task of sharing their faith. It, in fact, remained a joyful task even when it meant getting arrested and beaten. Nothing could diminish their enthusiasm. The folks in charge just want them to stop and order them to not speak in public anymore. "We cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard." That's their answer.
Our Worship Team at Hebron gifted each person in worship this morning with a little pin with a dove on it, symbolizing the Holy Spirit. It's a lovely gift to remember the day and its importance, and it's the slightest push to try to start speaking about what we have seen and heard. If we wear our pin, perhaps someone will ask what it means or why we are wearing it. And the door is opened and the opportunity is there to share the story of God's gift of the Holy Spirit, truly a gift that has kept on giving. We may not feel that we have the courage or boldness of Peter and John in the Acts 4 passage. But remember, up until just a short time before that passage, they didn't know they had it either. That's what the Spirit did for them. And can do for us.
May 23
First Reading:
Ezekiel 36:22-27
Psalm: Psalm 23
Second Reading:
Ephesians 6:1-24
Gospel: Matthew 9:18-26
"'My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.'" - Matthew 9:18
"'If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well.'" - Matthew 9:21
"And they laughed at him." - Matthew 9:24
A man seeks out Jesus. His daughter has died. He has heard the stories of Jesus, or maybe has seen him preach and heal. He is in desperate need. A woman has designs on touching the hem of Jesus' garment. She believes it will be enough to heal her when nothing else has helped in twelve years. Her need is great. Jesus arrives at the home of the man in order to help his daughter. He tells the mourners to stop grieving, that in fact she is alive. And they dismiss his words by laughing at him. They are sad, but they have no urgency about the situation, what has happened has happened. They don't feel a need.
Clearly the difference in the responses to Jesus in this passage from Matthew is how acutely the need of the individual is felt. Those who are covered under the weight of their need are most prepared to believe that Jesus can touch their lives with a deed of power that will change difficult circumstances for the better. Those who are less invested are more prepared to accept the events of daily life as irreversible and do not see miracles on the horizon.
I am hopeful that I would find myself all in with the belief that Jesus can do anything, but I know there are times when I may not have laughed, but I likely have looked at a situation and decided it was hopeless. My faith should push me towards hope, towards trust, towards a belief that all things are possible in Christ. We are blessed in this passage with the example of the father and the woman seeking healing, who, in their need, experience a boundless expansive faith that can move mountains.
May 22
First Reading:
Jeremiah 31:27-34
Psalm: Psalm 49
Second Reading:
Ephesians 5:1-32
Gospel: Matthew 9:9-17
"'Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?'" - Matthew 9:11
The practices of Jesus confounded the Pharisees. So much of the life of the Pharisees was so shaped by obedience to a particular interpretation of the law that they are repeatedly frustrated in their attempts to understand how Jesus could be so comfortable playing fast and loose with their rules of life perplexed them to no end. I think for some it was just a matter of catching Jesus in violations, but I believe for some the question was a puzzle with no answer. How could you willingly choose to eat with tax collectors and sinners? It's such an easily avoidable mistake. The willful choice to do something they so surely would not do was beyond their capacity to grasp.
Jesus hears them ask the question of his followers and answers himself. I wonder how the disciples would have answered. I wonder if they understood what Jesus was doing in full or in part. I wonder if some of them were as unsure of what Jesus was doing, and had the same question as the Pharisees. My guess is they understood to a point and as they followed Jesus day after day, his intent came more into view for them.
I also wonder if the tax collectors and all of the other folks Jesus ate with ever asked why Jesus bothered with the Pharisees. "Why do you give those stuff shirts the time of day?" they might have asked. For Jesus the fundamental principle always seems to be caring for the person in front of him. Jesus has no organizing rule that demands anyone be left on the outside looking in. Jesus loved the tax collectors and whoever filled the group identified as sinners. Jesus loved the Pharisees. Jesus, in an act that is likely confusing to someone, loves us. Everyone of us. The light begins to go on when we can give up asking how Jesus could love some particular person or group, and instead be thrilled with the mind boggling truth that the Son of God loves us.
May 21
First Reading:
Zechariah 4:1-14
Psalm: Psalm 47
Second Reading:
Ephesians 4:17-32
Gospel: Matthew 9:1-8
"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you." - Ephesians 4:32
Sometimes the Bible is pretty straightforward. No expert analysis needed. Be kind. Be tenderhearted. Forgive. That's the assignment. We almost wish someone would complicate it a bit. Be kind, but…not all the time, right? Like, what are the exceptions? And tenderhearted? But know when to say when, right? And forgive? There has to be some qualification there - forgive, after the other person says they are sorry or something along those lines.
These asks are all on us. In our relationships, these things are what are being asked of us. Here's the thing. Paul wasn't writing this to a person. He was writing this to a community. So, yes, you and I have personal responsibility to do these things, to interact with others demonstrating these characteristics, but the ask is being made of the community when they are being made in the context of the church. When one person begins to do these things as a rule of life, things begin to change. When a community begins to be guided by these things, transformation happens.
I love the church I serve. I love the way the people of our church are kind to each other, tenderhearted, and forgiving. I love the way they value one another. We are not perfect at it, of course, but you can feel the presence of these values, and you can tell they are present because of a great desire to follow Jesus. We know what Jesus has done for us, and we are moved by a desire to share that love. Sometimes the Bible is pretty straightforward. We have our assignment.
May 20
First Reading: Isaiah 4:2-6
Psalm: Psalm 99
Second Reading:
Ephesians 4:1-16
Gospel: Matthew 8:28-34
"…walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called." - Ephesians 4:1
So many times, maybe all the time, there is more than one way to hear something. Even in this small phrase - "walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called" - an exhortation of Paul to the church in Ephesus. First, Paul wrote this a long time ago to the people of the church of Ephesus. Paul was writing to specific people, people who were not us, yet we firmly believe that in this instance and many others, Paul's writing has great value both for its original audience and for us. Here we believe Paul offers instruction on how to live as a follower of Jesus Christ. The church in Ephesus was trying to figure that out and so are we, individual followers of Jesus today, and churches, like ours at Hebron.
One way to hear this is as a demand at which we will either succeed or fail. We could hear God demanding us to walk in a manner worthy of our calling…or else. On the other hand we can hear it, and I should be clear, I do hear it, as the call to embrace a gift and live into a joyful privilege. I don't hear a veiled threat, no promise of an "or else." Instead I hear God longing for us to fully experience life as it is intended to be lived. As our Creator meant the creation to be from the very start.
It's not a pipe dream. God saw our struggle and sent Christ and the gap has been bridged that existed between God's will and our capacity. We don't have to find the light in order to walk in it. We simply need to accept the gift of life and with gratitude live in that light and life. God has called us to walk in the new life that has been freely offered. This moment, every moment is an opportunity to take steps worthy of our calling.
May 19
First Reading:
1 Samuel 16:1-13
Psalm: Psalm146
Second Reading:
Ephesians 3:14-21
Gospel: Matthew 8:18-27
"Praise the Lord, O my soul! I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God all my life long." - Psalm 146:2
I spent the morning with my father-in-law. He was having an out-patient surgical procedure and all went well. While we were in the waiting room there were a couple of children who checked in, as well as adults across a wide spectrum of ages. In my waiting time I read the lectionary for today and was struck once again by how context matters. And by context I don't mean the context of the passage - I mean the context where the reading is taking place.
A couple of lines jumped out of Psalm 146:2. Words about praising "the Lord as long as I live" and praising "God my whole life long." Normally when I read those words I just think about being consistent in praising God. In the context of a waiting room with people of all ages seeing the doctors it gave some depth to the idea of the various things we encounter across our lifetimes. We praise on the ordinary days and we praise on the days when we are having medical procedures or are present for the medical procedures of family members. In other words, as long as we live and our whole lives long, covers a lot of ground, some of it brushing up against the unknown and moments that bring a bit of anxiety.
Still we praise.
It occurred to me that not far from where we were today, on the same street, around thirty years ago, it was my wife and I who were the parents of a youngster getting tubes, and how at that time it would have been hard to imagine a day would come when that event would have receded to a place of distant memory. Life is full. Many things happen that are all consuming in the moment, but then give way to more years, more experiences and other all consuming things as the cycle repeats. Across it all, God is faithful.
And we praise.
As long as we live.
Our whole life long.
May 18
First Reading: Joshua 1:1-9
Psalm: Psalm 124
Second Reading:
Ephesians 3:1-13
Gospel: Matthew 8:5-17
"Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." - Joshua 1:9
"'Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed.'" - Matthew 8:8
On the scale of strong and courageous to frightened and dismayed, I suspect I spend more time on the frightened and dismayed end of things. Dismay is simply easier than courage. Things can turn out better than my dismay seems to promise, but if I lean dismay I'll be disappointed less. Courageous requires a willingness to risk in ways that could be more than a little disappointing.
In the Joshua passage, Joshua who has been assisting Moses, is promoted to leadership at the time of Moses' death. God's counsel? Be strong and courageous. Specifically, be strong and courageous because God will be walking with Joshua every step of the way. I am your strength - that's God's promise. It's a wonderful promise, wide and broad enough to meet every situation that will come a leader's way.
The Roman centurion in Matthew 8 demonstrates a faith in Jesus that is both brave and courageous. Just say the word he tells Jesus, and all will be well. Jesus is moved by the faith of this Roman soldier. "In no one in Israel have I found such faith," he comments. (v.10) Putting it that way should perk up our ears. It's as if he were here today and saying, "In no one, in my church, have I found such faith." That is to say that in no one in the place you would most expect to find it has such faith been found. Let us pray for strength and courage and a faith built on complete trust in our Lord.
May 17
First Reading: Exodus 3:1-12
Psalm: Psalm 93
Second Reading:
Hebrews 12:18-29
Gospel: Luke 10:17-24
"Then Moses said, 'I must turn aside and look at this great sight…." - Exodus 3:3
"Blessed are the eyes that see what you see." - Luke 10:23
There is a Christian store called Go Fish on St. Simon's Island which I like to visit because they always seem to have a t-shirt that I need. Okay, probably not need. They usually have one that jumps off the wall at me and I wind up wanting. It's been my experience that a t-shirt with a thoughtful message can wind up generating some interesting conversations. I was recently there and was immediately drawn to a shirt I'd not seen before. In small letters across the front it says, "Everything Is A Burning Bush." On the back is a colorful picture of a stylized burning bush with the caption "Exodus 3."
What I love is the succinct reminder of a basic belief of mine that God is constantly with us, a companion to us in all things at all times. God's presence may manifest to us at any moment if our eyes are open and we are ready to see what God is doing. God's activity may come into view right now, with no fanfare and no announcement. Everything holds the possibility of being a burning bush.
A piece to always notice in the Exodus 3 story is that God does not speak to Moses from the bush that is burning, but not consumed, until Moses "turns aside" and takes note of what he is seeing. Moses could have just kept walking. He probably had things to do, places to be, stuff on his mind. But none of that got in the way. He saw the bush and decided to have a look. Next thing he knows, the God of his ancestors is sending him to seek an audience with the Pharaoh and to see to the freedom of the Hebrew people. He may or may not have been sure if he was glad he stopped. But, he did stop, and in stopping he encountered God, and he found his life's purpose.
Jesus tells his friends, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see." Jesus isn't commending them for making amazing things happen. He's blessing them for having the eyes to see the amazing things that are happening. May we too be blessed with eyes that see the burning bushes and the activity of our risen Lord all around us.
May 16
First Reading: Numbers 11:16-29
Psalm: Psalm 92
Second Reading:
Ephesians 2:11-22
Gospel: Matthew 7:28-8:4
"The Lord said to Moses, 'Is the Lord's power limited? Now you shall see whether my word will come true for you or not.'" - Numbers 11:23
One of the constant challenges of a life of faith is learning to trust the promises of God even when they seem beyond our ability to think of how they could be true. In this instance, God promises Moses that the people, who have been complaining about the lack of meat, are going to have so much meat day after day that they will grow weary of eating meat. Moses' response is basically, "Are you sure? Meat isn't really growing on trees around here." The dynamic here is similar to the event of Jesus feeding the five thousand. The disciples just aren't sure how Jesus is going to pull it off, because they know how many five thousand is and they have a pretty good idea how much food is on hand. In the Numbers story, Moses knows how many people are traveling in the wilderness, and also has a pretty good idea of how much meat is on hand.
The part where they struggle and where most of us would struggle is getting past what we know to be true. Specifically the limitations we know to be true. It is forever eluding us that God is not bound up in our limitations. Rather than being dismayed by limitations, we could be learning to anticipate God's ability to do whatever God promises.
God asks Moses a straightforward question, "Is the Lord's power limited?" God likely has the same question for us when we imagine all the reasons that God cannot do this or that. Or when we imagine that we cannot do the thing that we feel God is calling us to do. We intellectually know the answer to the question, "Is the Lord's power limited?" No. Absolutely not. The challenge is to take the head knowledge and make it heart knowledge. God's power is not limited - not yesterday, not today, not ever.
May 15
First Reading: 1 Samuel 2:1-10
Psalm: Psalm 49
Second Reading:
Ephesians 2:1-10
Gospel: Matthew 7:22-27
"For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works…." - Ephesians 2:10
In Ephesians 2:9 Paul writes what is true - our good works will not save us. They can't. Only God, in God's infinite grace and mercy, can do that. There are so many ways to state this point, but it all comes back to our salvation being a gift of God that we could not have even thought to ask for - it is God who makes us aware of our need, and God who supplies our need.
The next verse, 2:10, becomes all the more important in case we get confused in our understanding of 2:9. God has saved us, again, all God's initiative, so that we can be who God created us to be. Who God created us to be is people who do good works. People who love other people. People who want to be helpful, kind, and loving in our relationships day in and day out in order to point beyond ourselves to our Creator.
We don't do good works in hopes that God will save us; we do good works because God has loved us so fully that our hearts are bursting to respond and to share the joy of the love that we have received. God's grace is not transactional. God will not withdraw God's love from us. But how strange would it be to feel the embrace of the One who created everything, and not feel a great desire to act in ways that share God's love as much and as often as we are able?
May 14
First Reading: Daniel 7:9-14
Psalm: Psalm 68
Second Reading: Hebrews 2:5-18
Gospel: Matthew 28:16-20
"Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation." - Psalm 68:19
There are some days that I am less aware of the Lord bearing me up. Some days nothing crashes and burns. Some days no crisis presents itself. Some days the sun shines, the skies are blue, and all seems well. Some days I am very aware that the Lord is bearing me up. Some days I don't think I would get from morning to evening without God walking with me and sustaining me. Days when the storms of life roll in and demand to be noticed. Days when I am surely not bearing myself up; it has to be God.
I read a sentence this morning that will stay with me. A favorite author, Tish Harrison Warren, has a new book, What Grows In Weary Lands, about living our faith when we feel that we are languishing; when we are in times of what she says the Desert Mothers and Fathers of the early church would call aridity. We will not have to wonder what it is to go through times that feel dry spiritually, she writes, "The desert comes for us all."
It's true. Over the course of a lifetime, perhaps over the course of a month, a week, even a day, we may move from a place of peace and assurance to the desert. The balance of life can be so tenuous, all so very fragile. On the joyful days of celebration and on the days when the desert comes for us, the Lord is each day bearing us up. Thanks be to God.
May 13
First Reading: Leviticus 26:27-42
Psalm: Psalm 118
Second Reading:
Ephesians 1:1-10
Gospel: Matthew 22:41-46
"O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever." - Psalm 118:1
"For the land shall be deserted by them and enjoy its Sabbath years by lying desolate without them, while they shall make amends for their iniquity, because they dared to spurn my ordinances, and they abhorred my statutes." - Leviticus 26:43
At first reading, the passages from Leviticus and Psalms may seem to be completely estranged from one another. The Leviticus passage is language from the covenant made between God and the people. This particular stretch lays out the harsh results to be anticipated if the people are not faithful to the covenant. Psalm 118 on the other hand is a pretty unrelenting burst of thanksgiving and sunshine from the Psalmist. Several of the verses of this Psalm have been memorialized on posters, bookmarks and mugs because they are so inspiring and upbeat. I have seen no mugs built around Leviticus 26:44 (picture storm clouds, waves dashing the rocks and language about us making amends for our iniquities because we've abhorred God's statutes - enjoy your coffee).
A second look, and perhaps we can begin to see how these very different passages work together for good. It has been made clear to the people that Sabbath is important. Their weekly Sabbath observance and the Sabbath that the land requires. Leviticus warns, this is what will happen if the call to give the land a Sabbath is ignored. The people will be led away, the land will be desolate and will thereby have its Sabbath. There is accountability here - God means what God says. Digging deeper I don't believe God is being punitive here as much as simply describing the reality of the creation - if Sabbath is not observed, things will not go well.
The thanksgiving then comes because God is truthful, dependable, reliable, and we, God's children, are given the gift of being accountable before God. Listen, says God, here is how my creation works and here is how you shall live in it to the best effect. What God does not promise is that if we ignore the instructions, things will still go well for us. If I do not charge the batteries on my cell phone it eventually will not work. God is sharing the intricacies of what will work as we live our daily lives in God's world. The Lord indeed is good. Let us be thankful for that steadfast love and the ways in which it endures today and forever.
May 12
First Reading: Leviticus 26:1-20
Psalm: Psalm 66
Second Reading: 1 Timothy 2:1-6
Gospel: Matthew 13:18-23
"You shall make for yourself no idols and erect no carved images or pillars, and you shall not place figured stones in your land, to worship at them, for I am the Lord your God. You shall keep the Sabbath and revere my sanctuary: I am the Lord." - Leviticus 26:1-2
In the first few months of the year as many of our Old Testament readings have been from the early books of the Torah, I've been paying attention to the number of prohibitions against idols and reminders of Sabbath observance. Both subjects come up regularly. It is one of those circumstances in scripture where the amount of repetition leads me to believe these are points the Bible is really aiming to keep in front of us.
Growing up in church I developed a very simplistic idea of what constituted an idol. For me it was always kind of summed up in the golden calf story. The people made a golden calf when Moses was gone on the holy mountain and decided it would be their God. Back then it was easy for me to shake my head at the people and wonder what they could be thinking about - you can't just make an object God. Of course, I was wrong. We can absolutely make all kinds of things into gods. It is true we can't vest them with the actual power of God, but we can act as though they have it and give allegiance to them, which is really the problem. That is, the problem was never God not having power; the problem was always the foolishness of worshipping something that is not God.
Sabbath follows right on the heels of the commandment about idols in v.2. That tracks. Sabbath is a day of rest, which could be understood as a day to reset, renew, and take inventory of where we are in our journey. If we are building up a bit of idolatry in our daily lives, it can happen at a creep, and we may not notice. Keeping Sabbath gives us a pause, a deep breath, and a place to be certain that we are solidly oriented around following God.
May 11
First Reading: Leviticus 25:35-55
Psalm: Psalm 124
Second Reading:
Colossians 1:9-14
Gospel : Matthew 13:1-16
"That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea." - Matthew 13:1
Jesus goes out and sits beside the Sea of Galilee and immediately a crowd forms around him and he teaches them utilizing an amazing parable about a sower and some seed. In it a sower sows seed on several types of ground with varying results. After the story Jesus says, "If you have ears, hear!" (v.9) I suppose that the parable was precisely why the crowd showed up at the sight of Jesus by the sea. They knew if they watched and listened they were likely to see or hear something memorable.
I wonder if Jesus went out there fully knowing that a crowd would show up. He was certainly ready to meet the moment. There is a part of me that wonders though if Jesus went out and sat by the sea simply because he wanted to go out and sit by the sea. In the same way that he sometimes heads to quiet places outside of town or up on a mountain; maybe the sea was the draw for him that afternoon. Hearing the hum of life in the village, perhaps the visual of fishermen on the water, a pleasant breeze rippling the surface of the water.
Perhaps, in addition to an excellent parable, what this passage does is provide a glimpse of the humanity of Jesus. The day had already been active for Jesus. In that moment, we can identify with the need to step outside and sit by the water and rest for a moment. The image of Jesus here makes me think of the Psalm 23 - "he leads me beside still waters, he restores my soul." (23:2) While the Sea of Galilee is technically not still water - the Jordan flows in at one end and out at the other - it can be calm and peaceful. Maybe Jesus enjoyed a quiet, reflective, even prayerful moment before continuing his day.
May 10
First Reading: Leviticus 25:1-17
Psalm: Psalm 150
Second Reading: James 1:1-18
Gospel: Luke 12:13-21
"Be on your guard against all kinds of greed, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions." - Luke 12:15
The goal of life is not acquisition and consumption. Leviticus 25 teaches us that it's a wise thing to give the earth a rest every so often. It's a gift from God that will provide much of what we need, but it is not to be abused. Jesus teaches in Luke 12 that life does not consist in abundance of possession. So, to review, God's word is not endorsing pushing for more until there is not more to be pushed for, and does not teach that the person with the most stuff is the winner.
A lot of the messaging we run into in the world we live, work, and play in, runs counter to these biblical teachings. Gordon Gekko put it succinctly in the movie Wall Street when he said, "Greed is good." That's something of a creedal statement that has a fair number of supporters. It sounds nothing like Jesus.
The great thing is we don't have to wonder where Jesus stood on the issue of greed. He wants us to be on guard against it. If it gains a foothold it can take over our lives. It threatens to push us to believe that our lives are measured in abundance of possessions. If we head down that path what we discover is that there is never enough. There is always a next thing. Jesus' invitation is to live a life rich in relationship, service, worship, and fidelity to our God. This way lies true fulfillment and life abundant.
May 9
First Reading:
Leviticus 23:23-44
Psalm: Psalm 114
Second Reading:
2 Thessalonians 3:1-18
Gospel : Matthew 7:13-21
"Brothers and sisters, do not be weary of doing what is right." - 2 Thessalonians 3:13
"For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it." - Matthew 7:14
God has a will for how life should be lived. Faith asks things of us that are at times difficult. Following Jesus is not without challenges. None of these things are surprises. The Old Testament is full of stories of people who struggle to do what God asks of them. The New Testament is the same, with the people closest to Jesus, the twelve disciples, being prime examples. Being a disciple came with a lot of work.
We should not expect it to be different today. Seeking God, following Jesus, aiming for holiness… it all requires much from us. There is a beloved devotional written by Oswald Chambers in 1927 with the title "My Utmost For His Highest." Chamber's title does a great job of conveying how faith asks things of us. Our utmost is a lofty goal in terms of effort. Paul wants the people of the Thessalonian church to give their utmost and to not grow weary of doing it. Jesus acknowledges in his teaching that the gate is narrow and the road is hard.
The upside is that the life that awaits us when we give our utmost for God is a life filled with meaning and purpose. The abundant life Christ promises is not an easy life, but it is a joyful and fulfilling life. Take heart when things are difficult. Participate in a community of faith and find encouragement in sharing the journey. Keep following Jesus, and don't grow weary of doing what is right.
May 8
First Reading:
Leviticus 23:1-22
Psalm: Psalm 138
Second Reading:
2 Thessalonians 2:1-17
Gospel: Matthew 7:1-12
"Do not judge, so that you may not be judged." - Matthew 7:1
I recently met with a nutritionist to help me to understand what the best choices for me to make in terms of diet as a type 2 diabetic. I've read some things and read some more things, but it was very helpful to speak with a person who not only told me concepts, but also told me specific things and even showed me pictures of particular products that she eats and that she recommended. My big takeaway from the meeting was how much I had underestimated the problem of carbs. I knew they were a problem, I just hadn't completely realized the full nature of the problem. In the intervening three to four weeks, I've seen a steady improvement which I hope to make a solid foundation moving forward.
A potential stumbling block is that I never really fully embraced how many wonderful foods are chock full of carbs. Ignoring them will not help. Avoiding them is the only thing that will help. Not all of them, but many more than I had been doing up until now. I think judgment is seductive in the way that carbs are seductive. We know judging others isn't our best look, but there is something that can be so satisfying about it. So we don't really pay close attention to how much judging we are doing, until we take an honest inventory of our thoughts, words, and actions and then it can be a little bit alarming.
The nutritionist didn't mention anything about the days when overshooting the days allowance of carbs wouldn't bother my sugar. She just said, "Here's where you should be." Jesus says, "Do not judge." He does not follow that up with a long list of exceptions where judging is just fine. He simply says don't do it. The choice is ultimately in our hands; but Jesus has been clear. If we are seeing a speck in a neighbor's eye, we should probably be on the lookout for the log in ours. That log's gonna be a problem.
May 7
First Reading:
Leviticus 19:26-37
Psalm: Psalm 113
Second Reading:
2 Thessalonians 1:1-12
Gospel: Matthew 6:25-34
"And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to your span of life?" - Matthew 6:27
"So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today." - Matthew 6:34
Breaking news: worrying more will not extend your life. This is a thing we likely don't have to be told. In truth, if we had to guess if excess worrying has an impact on our health, we'd probably lean towards it's a bad one. No consultation with a doctor has included the advice, "I'd like you to introduce a bit more anxiety into your daily schedule." We certainly know the truth about worry, and yet we go right on doing it.
Jesus spends a lengthy portion of the Sermon on the Mount counseling us to let go of worry. Jesus had seen the way anxiety about the future impacted his friends, his family, his followers; basically everyone with whom he interacted. Humans then and humans now are linked by the ability to think about the future and then worry about how many ways it can go wrong.
Jesus points to God's attention to detail in caring for flowers and birds, offering the encouragement that, if anything, God has that level of care and more for us. Jesus is assuring us that in following him, we are stepping daily into a future that includes God. God who loves and cares for us and desires abundant life for us. Our days should not be spent worrying about what can go wrong, but with eyes wide open for what God is doing and how God's provision is ever present. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and worry will be less and less a fixture of our lives.
May 6
First Reading:
Leviticus 19:1-18
Psalm: Psalm 9
Second Reading:
1 Thessalonians 5:12-28
Gospel: Matthew 6:19-24
"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." - 1 Thessalonians 5:18
One of the consistent questions I've been asked over the years is what is meant by pray without ceasing. How is that possible? I guess I see how that one gets picked out and lifted up. Praying is a thing we think of as having a beginning and an ending and as such to do it without ceasing seems impractical, if not impossible. It's worth noting that the admonition to pray without ceasing comes after the request to rejoice always.
If praying without ceasing is going to be hard, how much more challenging is it going to be to rejoice always? Rejoicing…I can do that. Rejoicing without ceasing… I'm not sure my days all look like that. My days, and I think the days of most people, are something of a mixed bag. There are days when I'm happy to have the day finished and to have survived it. That feels a far cry from rejoicing.
Perhaps part of what Paul is saying is to be always on the lookout for that which is worthy of rejoicing. And the more we look the more we will find, till maybe we arrive at the point where we find so much good stuff that even on the hard days we are continuing to rejoice. Rejoice always? I have work to do here. But it's a great challenge and I do believe it's possible that in God's amazing world it's a destination we can reach.
May 5
First Reading:
Leviticus 16:20-34
Psalm: Psalm 116
Second Reading:
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Gospel: Matthew 6:7-15
"Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing." - 1 Thessalonians 5:11
An important reason that journeying together is so important is that it offers us the opportunity to pick each other up. When others are feeling discouraged, we can offer words of encouragement. When we are feeling down, one of our companions can say the words to us that make the difference between despair and hope.
The overall effect of this society of mutual encouragement is to create a culture that knows that every person is valuable and no one should be abandoned. Paul is both congratulating the Thessalonian Christians on their gift of encouragement, and, at the same time, exercising his ability to offer encouragement to them. When we begin to emulate this behavior we find that the more that we exercise our ability to encourage, the more we want to continue to do it.
People respond well to those who notice them and express belief in them. There are times when a word of encouragement helps us to imagine that we can do something we had previously dismissed as not in our skill set. There is plenty in life that seems intent on depleting our confidence; what a blessing it is to be a part of a community that speaks words of hope and encouragement into our lives.
May 4
First Reading
Leviticus 16:1-19
Psalm Psalm 97
Second Reading
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Gospel Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18
"The Lord is king! Let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad!" - Psalm 97:1
I read these passages this morning in the North Carolina mountains. I thought, when we get to our destination this evening, I will write about one of the New Testament writings. Then we arrived at Jekyll Island, Georgia and around 10:00 p.m. under a starry sky we walked down the street, climbed the stairs and were confronted with the vast darkness of the Atlantic Ocean at high tide. When I got back to my keyboard, my mind found itself going back to Psalm 97. Wasn't there something there about the beach?
Well, not exactly. There is, though, that first verse, about rejoicing and the coastlands being glad. I think standing and looking at and listening to the Atlantic puts me on the coastland. All of which is yet another reminder that scripture holds so very many things. And what we find there is dependent not only on what is waiting for us there, but also on what ears we bring to the text. Everything from our actual physical, geographic location, to what experiences we have had in the past few days, to random events from years ago; any and all may find their way into the conversation with the text today.
I learned that a high school classmate died today after a four year struggle with cancer. I bring the ocean to the Psalms. I bring my friend to 1 Thessalonians. I pray for her husband today and in the weeks ahead, and grab hold of the words that say we do not need to "grieve as others do who have no hope." (4:13). And then further on the promise that "we will be with the Lord forever." (4:18). It was a good day to encounter Psalm 97 and 1 Thessalonians 4.
As we come to the Bible we always come as ourselves, with all of the joy and sorrow and celebration and concern of our days along for the ride. What do you bring to the text today?
May 3
First Reading:
Leviticus 8:1-13, 30-36
Psalm: Psalm 93
Second Reading:
Hebrews 12:1-14
Gospel: Luke 4:16-30
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us…." - Hebrews 12:1
I am motivated and inspired and comforted and in awe of the great cloud of witnesses by whom I am surrounded. I'm grateful for this language from Hebrews - the great cloud of witnesses - used to describe the people of faith who have gone before us and made this present moment possible.
The suggestion in today's passage is that we use the gifts of those who have gone before and passed the faith on from generation to generation as inspiration. Inspiration to lay aside those things that weigh us down. Sin may cling closely to us, and what a great description of sin that is, like a spider web that you walk into and now you can't get it off of you, but the great crowd of witnesses is rooting for us and that tilts the scales our way.
If you have been around a congregation for a while you likely can name people who populate your personal great crowd of witnesses. If you are new to faith, or considering faith, know that when you take that step, you will begin to know precisely who these people are and how they help us move forward. Running the race with perseverance can be an immense challenge. Running the race with the backing of folks who want nothing more than for us to run it faithfully and well is a great blessing of life following Jesus.
May 2
First Reading: Exodus 40:18-38
Psalm: Psalm 92
Second Reading:
1 Thessalonians 4:1-12
Gospel: Matthew 5:38-48
"…if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile." - Matthew 5:41
Jesus hits some really challenging teaching in the gospel reading today. We are counseled when we are treated badly to not respond in kind. In fact, we are to respond with the opposite. In the verse above perhaps the most important word is "forces." Jesus imagines a scenario where we are forced to do something by someone else. His teaching is basically to do the thing we are forced to do and then more. Rather than go a mile, we will voluntarily go the second mile.
What I hear Jesus saying here is not to be pushovers to people who behave poorly towards us. Instead, I believe he is saying, when you do more than you have been pushed to do, you take away the other person's ability to force you to do anything. If I am being made to do something that I do not want to do, the whole circumstance changes if, instead, I do something I'm more than happy to do and, in fact, will gladly do even more.
Again, the idea is not to spend a great deal of time doing the will of people who do not have our best interest at heart. Rather, we are demonstrating a different possibility to that person. The possibility of what life can be like if we in fact do have the best interest of each person as our guide. "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you," (v.44) is not an instruction to be a doormat to mean-spirited people. In changing our predictable response, our goal is to begin to change both ourselves and the other person at our core.
May 1
First Reading: Exodus 34:18-35
Psalm: Psalm 96
Second Reading:
1 Thessalonians 3:1-13
Gospel Reading: Matthew 5:27-37
"The best of the fruits of your ground you shall bring to the house of the Lord your God." - Exodus 34:26
I cannot imagine what life was like for Moses for those forty years in the wilderness. Really, I cannot imagine what life was like for any of the Hebrew people during those forty years. When they get mad because they are hungry or thirsty, from our distance we wonder how they can forget how faithful God had been with them all along. This conveniently doesn't begin to consider how we might feel and act in their position.
Another thing to note, if you look at a map and see where Egypt is and where the promised land was, you will notice immediately it doesn't take forty years to get from point A to point B. You could do it in months. They did not. They did it in a few months plus 39 years and a few more months. They did it that way because that is the way God instructed Moses to lead them. It seems God felt they needed forty years.
Part of what they are doing in all of that time is learning to be a people who follow God. Learning the rhythms of daily life, the weekly occurrence of Sabbath, the gift of manna and how to receive it, and so much more. They learn what it is to receive God's commandments, to break them - literally, and to get a second chance and receive them again.
Here they learn that whatever blessings come their way, whatever the fruits of their labor and talents, the first of those fruits go to God. In this way they learned, probably imperfectly as we do, that God is the source of all that they have and that it is right and good to return to God, in gratitude, what is God's. This orientation of resources towards God continues to be a basic tenet of a life of faith. How are we bringing the first and best of the fruits of our labor to God?