Who Is To Condemn?

O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger, or discipline me in your wrath. Psalm 6:1
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Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Romans 8:34
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It's good to know the judge.
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It's even better when the judge knows you.
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I learned this from a friend I met in college who was from a small town in Arizona. She told me about a time that she got a speeding ticket she thought was unwarranted, and wanted to contest. She took her ticket, set a court date, and appeared before the judge (her uncle) to explain how the speed zones had just been changed, and the sign was blocked by a tree.
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Her uncle let her off the hook.
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Now, in the American court system, this isn't how it is supposed to work. Judges are supposed to be impartial, not allowing outside factors (like family relation) to affect their rulings. But, it never hurts when the judge knows you. Even better if the judge loves you.
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The passage from Romans above is a beautiful way to start today.
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I Imagine myself in a courtroom. The prosecution is laying out the worst of the worst.
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But then I look at the one who is seated on the throne. The hands that clasp the gavel bear the wounds from the cross.
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I am struck by the thought that the heavenly "justice system" works very differently from the American one. Forget impartiality. This judge is absolutely partial...to me...to you. The same fire of love that burned through every moment of Christ's life on earth burns up the list of charges against me.
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Today I begin in gratitude that the one who is seated on the throne is also the one who will walk alongside me every moment of today. He knows the best and worst of who I am...and still proclaims "not guilty."
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It's good when the judge knows you. Even better when the judge loves you.
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PRAYER:
O Christ our Intercessor, have mercy on us! You see beyond our selfish and childish ways. With all of our faults and imperfections, you still love us. May we be as forgiving and merciful to others as you are to us. Amen.*
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*Prayer taken from the Moravian Daily Texts

Filling up on Junk Food

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I was a "latch-key" kid when I was in elementary school.
(That's what we called the kids who would walk home, let themselves into their houses, and spend a few hours alone at home until their parents returned.)
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I still remember the freedom that came with that.
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I remember well the day I won a bag of M&Ms in a rope-climbing competition in gym...and it wasn't just the little "personal" bag - it was the big one you would dump into a bowl at a party! That bag of goodness sat in my backpack all day...and all day, I dreamed of how I was going to devour them as soon as I got home. It was perfect...my mom didn't even know I HAD the bag, so I could get away with it. It would be gone by the time she got home, I could bury the empty bag in the bottom of the trash can...I had it all planned out.
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Fast forward a few hours, to when my mother returned home...she found an 8-year-old boy in bed. The rush of sugar gave me a nasty headache, and made me feel like I was about to be sick.
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She had made a wonderful dinner, as she always did...but I didn't eat a bite. I felt terrible...in my body and in my mind...because my plan had backfired, and I had been found out.
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We all know this. Junk food (like M&Ms) tastes sweet at the start, but that sweetness doesn't last. If we fill up on that, there's no room for the nutrition that truly sustains us.
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I am thinking about junk food, nutrition, and what we choose to "fill up on" because of the Scriptures assigned for today:
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The Lord says, “Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good.” Isaiah 55:2
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Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. John 6:27
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I also have a song lyric that came to mind this morning, from a song I played during a sermon just a few weeks ago (so those who were there that morning may remember this...). It is from a song entitled "Life Means So Much" by Chris Rice:
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"Every day is a bank account and time is our currency. So no one's rich, nobody's poor. We get 24 hours each. So how are you going to spend? Will you invest or squander? Try to get ahead or help someone who's under?"
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As the first light dawns on this Thursday, I find myself wondering how often I spend my hours for the things that don't satisfy...for the things that perish. How often do I live in a state of constant busy-ness and have little to show for it? Sure, crossing off one more to-do list item tastes sweet at first, but the sweetness doesn't stick around, because there's always 10 more items on the list.
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How often do I fill my day with things won't last, and miss the moments that endure...like this one...as I sit, contemplating ancient truths, instead of folding the basket of laundry that's sitting right next to me. There will be time for the laundry after this. But if I did the laundry first, I bet I wouldn't have come back to this deep moment.
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Today, like every other day, will present us with hundreds of choices of what will fill our time. May God grant us the wisdom and the peace to choose a few moments of nutrition...a moment for prayer; a break to re-read the passages above; a moment to truly listen to a loved one who simply needs to be heard. May God give us the power to prioritize today.
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PRAYER:
Bread of life and living Water, we feed on your word and the life it reveals. Fill us, complete us, save us! Amen.*
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*Prayer taken from the Moravian Daily Texts

At the core

His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. Daniel 7:14 (NIV)


God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in Christ, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Colossians 1:19–20 (NIV)


Both of these passages are beautiful on their own.


Together, they point to the central, transforming power of Jesus.


The everlasting kingdom...the one that will never be destroyed...THAT is what has entered humanity in Jesus Christ.


All of it. All God's fullness dwelled in Christ. There is no aspect of God's character, no hidden, harsh judge kept separate. The Colossians passage makes these bold and insanely beautiful claims:


You want to know what God looks like? Look at Jesus, and his costly, self-sacrificial gift.
You want to know what God loves like? Look at Jesus, and his irritating tendency to be with the least lovable.
You want to know what God lives like? Look at Jesus, and his determination to ignore the religious rules that got in the way of healing, community, and wholeness.


All of that...has been placed INSIDE the imperfect world we walk.
All of that...is bubbling inside of this world, like the lava that bubbles in the core of the earth.
No matter what happens on the surface, there is immense warmth, fire, and power in the kingdom that lives at the center of who we are as a people.


Today will no doubt be an imperfect day, full of things beyond my control... (and yours)
Today, I will no doubt be an imperfect husband, father, and pastor... (what are your "titles"?)
But today, I have the everlasting kingdom in the breath that fills my lungs and the blood that courses through my imperfect veins. (Take a deep breath...feel your heart beat...it is there too...)


As we walk whatever path is ours today, may we recognize that the difficulties of today...the brokenness, failures, challenges, fear...all of that will pass away...but this Kingdom of Love will never pass away.


PRAYER:
Sovereign God, you have shown us your face through the life of your Son. Through his sacrifice, you have reconciled us from sin and back into your favor. Thank you, Gracious Father, for your marvelous plan of hope and salvation. Amen.*


*Prayer taken from the Moravian Daily Texts

Uncertain

 
The Lord said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14

The words above were spoken to Moses, as he wrestled with how to tell the Israelites it was time to leave Mt. Sinai and strike out on a long journey to the "Promised Land."

This promise comes in the context of a discussion between Moses and God in which Moses is essentially asking, "how will people know we are YOUR people if you don't go with us?" The promise of God's presence is powerful in and of itself, but I am particularly struck by the second part of God's promise, because it answers a need Moses hasn't even articulated.

It's a need we all feel, but rarely speak. We need rest. Physical rest, yes...but mental rest as well. How many times have you been physically still but mentally spinning? How many times have you laid in bed, all the physical comforts taken care of, but unable to be still in your mind? This is a need we all have more often than we admit, I believe.

As we take the first steps into today, I wonder: what's uncertain for us today? Is there something today, or tomorrow, that is beyond your control? Something that has you anxious, worried, or uneasy?

Read the Exodus passage above several more times. Let this promise flow from the ancient story to your story, today. God's presence will surround you today. God will give you rest.

Since, then, we have such a hope, we act with great boldness. 2 Corinthians 3:12

PRAYER:
Father, your word is consistent in proclaiming your abiding presence and faithfulness. We believe this but sometimes we are hesitant, tentative in our actions. On this day, may we feel your hand gently pushing us, moving us to greater confidence in letting our light shine as we serve you and our world. Amen.*

*Prayer taken from the Moravian Daily Texts

I Am An Extremist

 
There are so many words we need to reclaim.


Being "evangelical" doesn't mean I am standing on a street corner with a bullhorn scaring people to faith with the threat of hell; in Greek, it literally means I am about the gospel, or "good news." It means I am called to live as Jesus lived and love as Jesus loved. I do this imperfectly, to be sure, but when Christ shows through me despite my faults, the Kingdom of God has come near, and I am an evangelical christian.


"Religion" at its best is not a system of rules that only serves to perpetuate itself. It is not something to be avoided in favor of generic "spirituality." Ideally, religion is about passing on the deep truths and wisdom from past generations; the ways that lead to the "life that really is life." (1 Timothy 6:19) Christianity as a religion is like a stream from the ancient church; a safe place for us to wade in the water and be connected to the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and our ancestors who passed on the faith to us.


There are many more, but the one that is on my heart this morning is..."zealous."


I don't have positive associations with the phrase "religious zealot." I picture extremists. I picture attacks. I picture the inevitable memorials and lit candles that follow the destruction caused by blind religious zeal.


But the scriptures use this word a lot, and in some surprising ways, so I need to be open to this word today, and ask God to reclaim it for me.


"[It is Christ] who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds." (Titus 2:14)


Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Romans 12:11


Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, "these are extreme times...and the question isn’t whether or not we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will you be extremists for love or for hatred?"


None of us would argue these are extreme times. The question is simply; do we have the courage to be extremists for love? Do we have the courage to be "zealous for good deeds?"


Today, as uncomfortable as the phrase is for me, I am going to ask that God make me an evangelical, religious zealot...who exercises that zeal in love.


May we each find a way to surprise someone around us with an act of love today. Let us be the kind of extremists the world desperately needs.


PRAYER:
Glorious Lord, thank you for opportunities to serve. Renew our strength that we might work energetically and with gladness. May our faithfulness be a testimony to your goodness and grace. Amen.*


*Prayer taken from the Moravian Daily Texts

Lingering by the River

Any parent understands...rules have a lot to do with love.


I don't set boundaries for my children because I am a tyrant...behind each rule is a protection...something that is meant for their health, sanity, learning, or peace.


Anyone who has BEEN a parent, or who has HAD a parent...we get this.


Interesting that when it comes to the "rules" set out in the pages of Scripture, we sometimes forget this.


There are something like 613 commandments in the Old Testament (it depends on how you count)...some of them, like the "big 10," we know well...but many of them are part of what is called the "Purity codes."


These laws, however, were meant for the people's health and safety...and breaking them often had consequences...not because God was punishing the people, but because the negative things that happened were the natural outcomes of their poor choices.


If my children ignore the rules about "no candy right before bed," they will have an upset stomach as they sleep and cavities in their teeth...not because their tyrant father is punishing them, but because that rule is there to protect them from those things.


"If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your well-being like the waves of the sea." 
Isaiah 48:18 (NIV)


As I read this passage, one commandment sticks in my mind...one that we knowingly and regularly break...and we suffer the consequences of breaking it...


...the command to "remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy."


It says something deep and profound about God that one of 10 most important rules given to us is "TAKE TIME FOR REST!"


Yet, of all the commandments, this one feels like the one most often broken or completely ignored.


We know better. We can get one more thing done. Productivity and busy-ness is the ultimate goal.


A few years ago, all the pastors of Slinger (the town where my church is) banded together and wrote a letter to the school district, imploring them to restrict Sunday sports. This was not because we were afraid of losing ground with parents who are forced to choose...ultimately, the case we made is that Sabbath time, time for rest and rejuvenation, is good for the community as a whole. For those families who want to use that Sabbath time to attend our churches, all well and good...but even for those families who don't attend a church...it is good for the community to have some notion of a day of rest.


This is not a popular notion. But I have come to see the absolutely essential nature of it in my own life. Then, I feel like a kid who has grown up a little and realizes, "my parents weren't as stupid as I thought they were."


It turns out, God's "rules" are for my protection...my health, my sanity, my learning...my peace.


I start this day with a moment in scripture...and I can feel God's river of peace trickle through my soul. Will I linger by the water for a time? Or will I rush off, thinking I know better, to get things done?


May we all have the strength to say "no" to something today...in order to have a little time to linger by the river.


PRAYER:
Jesus, you have shown us the example of a suffering servant; yet, we admit to self-absorption. We are embarrassed by our fascination with the superficial and temporal. Guide us, Jesus, beyond our own needs and desires. Teach us that peace and joy come through service in your name and that our truest identities are found in you. Amen.*


*Prayer taken from the Moravian Daily Texts

Debate Prep & Life

 


For a short time when I was in high school, my English class formed a "debate team." We would be given a position (whether it was a position we actually agreed with or not didn't matter), and we would have to do our preparation to be able to defend that position. BUT, our English teacher explained, the BEST debate preparation is actually to know the position of your "opponent" so well that you could argue from their side as well.


"Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others." Philippians 2:4


On the surface, I think we often take verses like this to mean, "don't take care of yourself, take care of others." Deep down, we all know that is too simplistic a reading.


There is real depth here, and I think it has a connection to my English teacher's advice.


Very few of us are engaged in academic debates (as my English class was). We are engaged in real life, where there is conflict, hurt feelings, and disagreement. In those everyday life situations that we all face, I believe the passage above is pointing us in a helpful direction.


It reminds us that relationship is always more important than being "right."


Let me pause and say that again, because it is something I need to hear over and over again...


In the Kingdom of God, relationship is always more important than being "right."


Sure, we might have every RIGHT to feel angry...but just because we have the right to feel a certain way doesn't mean it is helpful for us, or for the community.


The wisdom of the passage above is truly a deeper version of the debate prep advice my English teacher gave me. When I make the effort to understand where the other person is coming from, WHY they could have possibly acted the way they did, it honors the presence of God in them. It allows me to "look to their interests," and to offer them the same grace I would want if I had acted in a way that hurt someone else.


Am I my brother’s keeper? Genesis 4:9


Yes. In the Kingdom of God, yes I am my brother's (and sister's) keeper.


Maybe today is an invitation to humility, for all of us...


May God give us the peace, and the vision, to see the presence of Christ in even those with whom we struggle.


May God grant us the courage to let go of the need to be "right" and the strength to choose to be loving instead.


This is deep. This is hard. This is the work of relationship in the Kingdom of God.


PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, you call us to love our neighbors and to serve them. It is not always easy. Help us focus, Father, on our common ground rather than on the ways in which we are different. Remind us that we all are created in your image and that you made us to live in community. Amen.*


*Prayer taken from the Moravian Daily Texts

Work from rest, or rest from work?

I have to tell you; these morning devotions have changed my life.


Don't get me wrong; as a pastor, much of my life has always been steeped in the words of scripture. I live in these stories as I prepare Bible studies, Discipleship Academy lessons, sermons...


...but the biggest shift that has happened for me is about these few words:


Do we work from rest...or rest from work?


Previously, I started each day with immediate energy and focus...from my first waking moments, I was productive...making lists of what needed to be accomplished that day, then tackling items (often many at once) all day until I finally collapsed into bed at night, completely spent and exhausted. I affectionately (or not so affectionately) referred to these days as my "hamster wheel days" because they always felt like no matter how fast I ran, I wasn't getting anywhere.


Sure, I accomplished a lot on days like that, but it like the focus was endless productivity. Then, when I came home, all I could think about was how I wanted to rest from that frantic work.


Now, ironically, I have more energy...more focus...but it is because I start each day in the realization that today, whatever comes, is not actually about me.


When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who watch over my way. Psalm 142:3 (NIV)


Six months ago, it would have seemed strange to me to start the day with the recognition that when my spirit grows faint, God watches over my way. The time of the day I feel the LEAST faint is first thing in the morning! That's the time of the day I feel MOST ready to tackle the hamster wheel!


Now, it feels like drinking from a deep well to say, from minute one, this day is not about me...and if that's true, then even the times when MY strength/patience/energy run out, God watches over my way. God will provide what's needed for today.


My hope is that this knowledge is pure gift to you as well...that whatever things others expect out of you today (or whatever you expect out of yourself), you start this day with awareness of what is being poured in to you first.


"...and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us." Romans 5:5


Today, let us together work from a place of rest and refreshment, rather than exhaust every resource and collapse tonight in order to rest from work.


PRAYER:
Omnipotent God, why do we wait so long to turn to you? Remind us that you are watching when we suffer physical weakness. You are aware of our spiritual struggles. You see our failures and know our disappointments and our sadness. But when we lean on your strong shoulders, you both console us and equip us to offer that same loving care to others. Amen.*


*Prayer taken from the Moravian Daily Texts

Extravagance

Have you ever read Lincoln's second inaugural address?


It is actually not that easy to read.


Lincoln, and many public speakers of his time, spoke in complex sentence structures. Various phrases, interwoven between each other, form deep and complicated thoughts. When written down, some of their sentences were a paragraph long. For our modern, short attention spans, it makes reading his words more difficult.


This is interesting, given that both Lincoln, and the vast majority of his audience, had what we would consider today as a very basic level of formal education.


But here's why it worked: our brains are trained by what we see and hear every day. And since much of Lincoln's audience was technically illiterate, they were used to taking in most information by listening. Though today we have a higher average level of formal education, the citizens of Lincoln's time were more adept at listening to complex thoughts in speech than we are...because they were surrounded by it, and their brains had been trained to think that way.


I have come to believe that one of the ways OUR brains are being trained every day is actually a significant barrier to hearing the Gospel.


Living in a consumer-driven market, we are surrounded by the message that we DON'T have enough. Sometimes, the commercials for various products come right out and say it; but often, it is simply the underlying assumption behind a market driven by consumption. I don't have enough. My life would be better if I bought that new thing...and soon, that new thing won't be enough either, because something newer and better will come out. The most effective marketing phrase: New and Improved!


On the surface, this seems problematic, but I believe it is deeper than that. Every day, we are saturated with the message that whatever we have, it is not enough. We can always consume more. Feeling satisfied with what we have is simply antithetical to the way our economy thrives.


Simply put:
Our cups are overflowing every single day, yet all we can do sometimes is think this means we need a bigger cup.


You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Psalm 23:5


While Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment of nard, and she broke open the jar and poured the ointment on his head. But some were there who said to one another in anger, “Why was the ointment wasted in this way?” But Jesus said, “Let her alone; why do you trouble her? She has performed a good service for me.” Mark 14:3–4,6


Today, before I am surrounded by any ads to tell me the opposite, I begin in deep gratitude, knowing I have enough. I know I am richly blessed; that God is absolutely extravagant in the gifts poured out on me. It's absurd, actually; like "wasting" ointment on Jesus' head.


But God would tell you this is no waste. God believes I am worth it. You are worth it.


Our cups overflow...Lord, may that grace overflow onto the people we meet today!


We are richly blessed today...Lord, open our eyes to the blessings we don't notice!


We are blessed...to be a blessing. Amen.

An Open Door

Gratitude, I am coming to believe, is an open door for faith...
especially when I am feeling like I am in the dark of worry, stress, or pain...


When I am feeling grateful, I sense God's presence more often.
When I am feeling grateful, I am more likely to wear my faith on my sleeve.
When I am feeling grateful, I am moved to a sense of praise, because I know the blessings in my life are not things I have created myself.


The scriptures for today paint a picture of what it looks like when gratitude and hope overflow into our relationships.


My tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all day long. Psalm 35:28


Anna worshiped with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. Luke 2:37–38


I don't think these passages are urging us to get a bullhorn, stand on a street corner, and tell others what God has done for us.


I think they are nudging us to a way of living in which God is more present in our minds, in our speech, in our actions...


and simply put, I believe this begins with gratitude.


Today, I am grateful for the breath that fills my lungs;
for the 11-year-old I just sent out the door to her early morning middle school bus;
for the 9-year-old still asleep;
for the spouse who has sacrificed, loved, and lived alongside me for 13 years now;
and for the God who has so richly blessed me.


May these thoughts be in my heart and on my tongue all day long!


What are you grateful for today? Maybe beginning there will open the door for your faith as well.


PRAYER:
Blessed Redeemer, shore up our courage so that we can better share our faith. Give us confidence to tell your story. Provide the words to describe your grace. Increase our love as we live in your service. Amen.*


*Prayer taken from the Moravian Daily Texts

Adopted. I am home.

This morning, I am pondering the beauty of both the act, and the language of, adoption.


This is not to ignore the complex feelings surrounding adoption, both for a child and for parents...
but as a pastor, I find the language of adoption to be an incredibly beautiful way to express the fact that God chooses us simply because we are important and valuable enough to choose.


I am so grateful to the families in my various churches who have opened my eyes to the ways our default language often unintentionally marginalizes those who have adoption as part of their family story. It is something to be gentle with on days like Mother's Day; something to be aware of when creating the language on a registration form or liability waiver. These families have helped me to see that for too long, we have let language familiar to birth parents be our default.


But, far from being some "politically correct" game where one is paranoid to offend, I actually think this gift of awareness opens us up to a deeper beauty and truth in the Bible.


Romans 8:15-16 says we have not received a spirit of slavery, but a spirit of adoption...so we can cry out "Abba!" (which is "Daddy" in Aramaic). When we cry out "Daddy!" it is the very Spirit of God in our voices proclaiming we are children of God, and joint heirs with Christ!


The very first verses of Ephesians make it clear that we have been destined for adoption, and have had the riches of God's grace lavished on us!


Isn't that beautiful language?


Destined. Grace lavished on us. Full heirs of the promise.


As Gentiles, we are not the "naturally born children" of Israel. But that doesn't mean we are second class citizens! In the language of the New Testament, adoption is not a marginalized state, second-best and always falling below the preferred state of being naturally born. It is the exact opposite! Adoption is MORE beautiful, because by choosing us, God proclaims we are valuable enough to choose.


All of these thoughts came pouring into my heart this morning because of this verse, assigned for today:


They shall be my people and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness. Zechariah 8:8


Today, revel in the fact that you have been adopted. You have been chosen precisely because you are valuable and beautiful enough to choose. What a thought to start the day.


Thanks be to God, who chooses me even when I don't choose God, and who is faithful to me, even when I don't choose to be faithful in return.

Out of the Will? Never.

Think of a person you love more than words can capture.


This may be a long-time friend, a niece, a child, a spouse...
someone who you will love, regardless of their successes or failures.
Now hold that person in your mind as you read these passages:


I will make an everlasting covenant with them, never to draw back from doing good to them. Jeremiah 32:40


Having been justified by the grace of Jesus Christ, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Titus 3:7


It seems it is hard for us to claim for ourselves the same love we have for others...
hard to imagine that there are those who will love us regardless of our successes or failures...
even though none of us would deny that we can OFFER unconditional love, we often really struggle to fully ACCEPT it from others.


What strikes me in the passages today is the role that God takes in our lives...


It is GOD who makes a covenant with ME...
and I notice this covenant is not nullified by my errors.


It is GOD who draws near to ME...
and I notice this promise is not erased when I draw away.


It is GOD who justifies ME...
and I notice this has nothing to do with my ability to live perfectly.


It is GOD who makes ME an heir...
and I notice it isn't my actions that earn me a place in the will.


How silly it would be for a group of children to gather at school and decide together that even though their parents tell them they are loved, they must not be, because there are household rules they sometimes break.


And yet, I feel like this is what we have done to Christianity in the popular imagination...
we have sprinkled our Protestant Work Ethic on top of the Words of Scripture, and come out with a version of Christianity that says your rule-following earns you a way into heaven.


How do I know this?
Because I have been at many bedsides in final moments, as people express to me regret, and fear, that the mistakes of their lives have ultimately made them unworthy and unlovable.


I also know this because I have felt it...in dark times...in broken moments...


But I go back to the person we were thinking of at the beginning of this devotion...if even I, as a frail human, am able to summon a love that's not dependent on someone's success or failure, how much more does God feel this toward me?


So I begin today resting in the knowledge that none of my accomplishments or failures in the next 24 hours will affect my place in the will; none will change my status as an heir of Love unfailing.


There is a beautiful freedom in this...freedom to live, and love, to the best of my ability to today...
and then after what will surely be an imperfect day, I will fall back into the arms of Love tonight.


Thank you, God, for that beautiful gift.


PRAYER:
Lamb of God, as you conquered sin and death, empower us to reject the temptations and culture of materialism that are rampant in our world. Thank you for your covenant of grace and the ultimate inheritance that awaits us. Amen.*

*Prayer taken from the Moravian Daily Texts.

The More You Know...

"The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know" - Albert Einstein


But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God and the everlasting King. Jeremiah 10:10


It is the King of kings and Lord of lords alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honor and eternal dominion. 1 Timothy 6:15–16


There is a deep truth to the Einstein quote above, and the Bible passages for today...


I see it in the humility that comes with age; as we learn more, we realize how small we are in comparison.


The more we deal with people, the more realize how endlessly complex they are...and that they can't be easily fit into categories
or written off.


The more scientists learn about the tiniest realms (smaller than at atom), the more they realize the limit to human knowledge.


The more astrophysicists learn about the largest realms, the more they realize the absurd grandiosity of the universe...that there might be as many galaxies in the universe as there are snowflakes in a snowstorm.


And the more time in silence I spend, the more I am struck by the absurd grandiosity of God's love.
True. Living. Everlasting. Light. Peace.


I am moved to silence, and a deep enduring peace, knowing that today, I am in the hands of a God whose love for me and for all escapes my ability to know.


Eternal King, we call you both Father and Friend; yet, you are beyond our imaginations in power and grandeur. We recognize you as the source of every blessing in our lives; nonetheless, we sometimes find ourselves saying, “I believe, but help me in my unbelief!” In our uncertainty, lead us to stronger faith. Remove our doubt and comfort us with your almighty hand. Amen.*


*Prayer taken from the Moravian Daily Texts

A Shield Around Us

 


I love the visual image that comes to my mind as I read this morning's texts:


Many are saying to me, “There is no help for you in God.” But you, O Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts up my head. Psalm 3:2–3


A leper came to Jesus begging him, and kneeling he said to him, “If you choose, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, “I do choose. Be made clean!” Mark 1:40–41


The image that comes is of a person kneeling. They are kneeling because they are in pain and in need of help. Their head is bowed under the weight of worry, illness, financial stress...


How often have you felt like that? Bowed down under the weight of something beyond your control? Maybe you feel it today. Maybe someone close to you is feeling it.


Read the Mark passage above again.
Hear the promise.
Jesus is moved.
He does choose to help...every time.
He stretches out his hand.
He touches the untouchable.
He knows the pain we hide from others.


Now read the Psalm again.
The image I have in my mind shifts...
as Jesus lifts up the person's head...
as he becomes a shield around them...


I love that. A shield around them.
A shield around us.


May that image follow us today; as we face both problems we have helped create, and things beyond our control...


May we see the shield around us...
May we hear the promise that Jesus reaches out to us...
May we feel our heads being raised...
May we know the weight is lifted...


Healer, faithful Friend, have mercy upon us! You see us in all of our frailty; you know all of the ways that we are “unclean.” We acknowledge you as the Great Physician of our bodies and our souls. Hear our humble petition: Stretch out your hand and touch us! Amen.*


*Prayer taken from the Moravian Daily Texts

Kept & Watered

I am thinking this morning about the law of "cause and effect."


Nine months ago, there were many "effects" I was experiencing; loss of sleep, anxiety, ringing in my ears...


It turns out, these were all mere symptoms; none of these things were the problem itself...they were the effects. I now know the cause...and this knowledge was the greatest gift behind the sabbatical that was given to me this summer.


The cause was simply that I had exhausted all my resources. Every single one. I had been running with the throttle wide open for so many years, attempting to produce, perform, and prove to everyone (most notably myself) that I was worth something.


I know this is raw...but that's the deep, brutal truth in my life. I was busy "producing," and didn't make time to be rooted in the Source of Life.


I share this deep, personal realization in the hope that you may relate...because I believe my struggle with this is far from unique.


We have all been raised in a culture that values us based on what we produce. At work, many of us have our futures decided by performance reports. At home, many of us struggle to meet the illusive and unrealistic expectations of being "super mom" or "super dad" or "super spouse" or whatever other expectations we think are out there.


Some have grown to a deep enough place in their faith and in their life to realize that this is a farce...that we are valuable, lovable, and "worth it" regardless of how we measure up to others' expectations. But I am still growing into this truth...and I'm willing to bet that most of you reading this are still growing into it as well.


All of these thoughts this morning stem from the scriptures I read in my first waking moments:


I, the Lord, am the vineyard’s keeper; every moment I water it. I guard it night and day so that no one can harm it. Isaiah 27:3


My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. John 15:8


Maybe it's important for us to remember today who guards and keeps the vineyard.
Maybe it's important to remember that we are watered with grace truly every moment.
Maybe, if we aren't feeling particularly "fruitful," that is merely a symptom that we are not rooted in the Source of Life.
Maybe, the most important thing we can "do" today is take this moment to be grounded in the One who values us regardless of what we produce. Ironically, knowing we are valued regardless of our fruitfulness...makes us more fruitful...


And why? Because we are then connected to a Source that's not dependent on us, and never runs out.


So take a moment, and re-read the Isaiah passage. Read it again. Let the truth of these words wash over you. You are guarded. You are watered. No one can harm the "you" at the center...


Knowing this, not just with our heads, but with our hearts...now may the fruits of God's blessings come to us and through us today... Amen.

In the Chaos

In the ancient middle-eastern world, the sea was seen as the place of chaos. It was a place to be feared for its power, and size, and unpredictable nature. Time and time again in the Bible, the sea is used as an image of unrestrained chaos. Sailors and fishermen were those who braved this chaotic world to make a living.


Growing up, I always understood the fact that Jesus called fishermen to be his disciples to mean that Jesus calls the everyday folks to follow him, not just the learned scholars...and while I still believe that is true, this morning I find myself wondering if Jesus called fishermen to be his disciples because these folks were already used to bravely stepping into chaos.




When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. Isaiah 43:2


Jesus woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, “Why are you afraid?” Mark 4:39–40


These scriptures remind me today that whatever chaos swirls around us, we are never alone. In the darkness, there is light. In the hopelessness, there is hope. In the struggle, there is strength. In the fear, there is courage to take another step.


Pause a moment as you read this and simply contemplate; what is happening in my life that is beyond my control? Is there something that feels chaotic, unpredictable, or untamed?


Peace. Be still. Christ is with you in the chaos.


PRAYER:
Ever-present God, there is great comfort in knowing that when life is darkest, you are a light in the darkness with us. We forget that there is no detail of our lives that is too insignificant for you. May we be reminded that you care about all of our struggles; that what matters to us, matters to you. Amen.

Gratitude as fuel

Jesus said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy he has shown you.” Mark 5:19

Think of the last time you felt at peace.

Think of the last time you felt blessed and grateful for your life.

Think of the last time you sensed God's presence with you. (This one is sometimes a bit harder for us, so don't feel bad if this doesn't come right away...try to remember a difficult time that you made it through, or a time when you went from being afraid or anxious to at peace...)

These memories...of peace, blessing, and God's presence...these memories can spark in us a deep sense of gratitude for what God has done in our lives. 

In my experience, the daily rush often keeps me from contemplating how much God has done for me...and then I read passages like the one above and am just not sure where to start applying it to my life. The daily rush of activity, I think, is like a siren song that bids us to believe that it is all about us, and our abilities.

But when I take a moment away from the rush...when I sit and take time to be grateful, I realize again that I am so blessed. I realize again that all of the good things in my life are NOT my fault, as my daily schedule would have me believe. And the sense of gratitude that follows opens up a space in my heart to acknowledge God's actions.

However, I cannot live in these quiet moments forever. As I write this, there is a peaceful silence in my house...but I realize that in 11 minutes, it will be time for my son to get up and get ready for school, and the rush of the day begins.

It turns out, these peaceful moments of contemplation and gratitude center me for my daily life as a husband, father, and pastor. The sense of gratitude and acknowledgment of God's gifts are like fuel meant for my daily journey.

In the passage above, a man has just been healed, and wants to remain with Jesus. The story says that Jesus refuses the man's request to stay, but instead tells him, "go home to your friends...and tell them how much the Lord has done for you..."

Today, may you take time to be still; even 3 minutes...take time to cultivate gratitude. Then, in your words and actions, your life will show a genuine relationship with God. The passage above doesn't mean "be preachy, and drag your friends to church." It means "share with others how grateful you are."

May we all be grounded in gratitude today...

PRAYER:

Precious Savior, your mercy is never-ending. Your blessings never cease. Inspire a deep sense of gratitude in us today, and turn that gratitude into a life centered in you. Amen.

Basking in the Light

By his bruises we are healed. Isaiah 53:5

Christ himself bore our sins in his body on the cross. 1 Peter 2:24




These passages from the Bible are brief, but powerful.


They give voice to one of the deepest truths about Christianity; and one of the truths that is most difficult to understand intellectually; that by entering humanity fully, God saved humanity fully.


By being like us in every way, by carrying brokenness, pain, sin, and shame to the cross, Christ defeated those things as he defeated death itself.


As I sit in silence this morning, I am realizing the limitations of human words. I am tempted to launch into an analogy or a story to make these truths make more sense...but instead, I feel moved to simply sit in silence with this truth: there is no part of me, or you, that is beyond God's love or salvation.


There are no hidden recesses of my soul, or yours, that would undo God's love in Christ; not the things we are comfortable with others knowing; not even the character defects that we expend so much energy hiding from others. Every part of me, and you, was carried to the cross...and so every part of me, and you, bask in the warmth of the Light.


Maybe, that's the visual image I want to walk with today; that of my dog sunning herself on the front steps in our house. May we have the courage today to bask in the warmth of Love, capital L, knowing that all of who we are is carried, redeemed, and infused with God's presence.


PRAYER:
O Christ, you became vulnerable like us when you walked the lonely road to Calvary. Our sins became yours when you were raised upon the tree, and in your death we are redeemed. It is too awesome for us to understand, but may we persevere as we seek a deeper relationship with you. Amen.

Rich in Mercy

My family and I celebrated Labor Day last night by watching the final movie of the Harry Potter series. This summer, we have read our way through the final four books (having read the previous 3 over the last couple of years). Now, our reward is watching the movies!

Last night, we watched "The Deathly Hallows, Part 2." There is a scene in that movie that looked exactly like I had pictured it in my mind when we read the book; the break-in into Gringott's.

For those who have not read the book or seen the movies, this scene finds Harry and his friends breaking into a vault at the wizard bank to find a particular item. The reason it is on my mind this morning is that it looks exactly like you would expect the vault of a super-rich villain to look; piles of coins, and stacks of gold EVERYTHING; cups, rings, jewels, you name it...

The problem for Harry and his friends is that a spell has been placed on these items so that any item that is touched magically starts reproducing itself. In the scene, the room quickly fills with rapidly multiplying gold cups, rings, and other items...the more they touch, the more the room fills. In their frantic and desperate search for one particular item, they end up swallowed in a mountain of gold. The picture on this blog post is from this scene in the movie.

God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. Ephesians 2:4–5

In my heart, I imagine God's mercy is like this. Certainly, God is RICH in mercy to begin with; but then, as we stumble around, that mercy multiplies. In our frantic and desperate search for meaning, peace, joy, and forgiveness...we end up swallowed by the riches of God's love. As a parent, I know the feeling of watching my children make mistakes; sometimes frantic and desperate mistakes...all the while my heart swells with love for them because they don't know any better. How I long to wrap them in my arms as they struggle...and this is just my imperfect human love...nothing when compared with the Love that swallows me as I struggle.

Today, may we be swallowed in the riches of God's mercy...as we stumble, may we sense it multiplying all around us...and may this mountain of mercy give us what we need to show mercy to others as well.

The Space Between the Notes

In music, it is said that the space between the notes is just as important as the notes themselves.

Why? Because a good musician can play precisely, and each note can be heard without blending into the next. This precise skill is what makes a piece of music feel polished and beautiful.

As a culture, we are fairly uncomfortable with silence. In radio or TV production, silence is the worst thing you can do.

Many of us carry that to the way we act in our daily lives. From the first second upon waking, we turn on the TV or radio...and we are surrounded by some kind of noise or distraction until our eyes finally shut in exhaustion.

This summer, I came to appreciate, even crave...silence. Stealing a few peaceful moments at the beginning of each day to read the scripture for the day, and just sit in God's presence.

Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. 1 Kings 19:11–12

May we be still today; trust that God isn't just in our noise, our schedules, and our "doing." God is in our "being" as well; in the moments when we don't know what to say; in the moments we are overwhelmed; in the tears, the joy; everything that defies words...in the silence, God is very near to us.

Prayer:
God, the pace of our lives so often keeps us from being still. Quiet our hearts. Still our restless souls, and help us to rest in your love.

Living in the Present Moment Intensely

Give generously to your needy brother and do so without a grudging heart. Deuteronomy 15:10

If anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward. Matthew 10:42

There is a single word that jumped out at me in these readings this morning: "grudging."

With every passing year, I have become more aware of the poison that grudges are. Like drinking poison and expecting it to hurt someone else, anger, resentment and grudges held...these things only hurt us.

A quick surface reading of the passages for today makes it seem like they are just about being generous to those in need...but I think the deeper call is to live in a generous way. We are called to a generous spirit; to love, to grant good intentions, to let grudges and resentments go...and THEN to respond to those in need in any way (not just those in financial need). 

And the biggest barriers to this generous spirit? Anger, resentment, grudges...and their cousin, self-righteousness. All of these over-focus on the self, ignoring the larger world and community into which God has placed us.

I want to end by sharing with you a quote that came to mean a lot to me this summer on sabbatical. These words are from Brother Roger, the man who started the Taize Community in France. Taize now stands as a place of peace and reconciliation in a world in which both are desperately needed. Reading his words, you'll get a sense of the Spirit that permeates that community...and flows to us as well.

"Jesus the Christ does not invite you to be preoccupied with yourself. But to a humble repentance of heart. What does that mean? It means that movement of trust whereby you cast your faults on Him. And there you are, released, even liberated, ready to live in the present moment intensely, never discouraged because always forgiven." - Brother Roger

May we be released, liberated, and ready to live in the present moment intensely today.

Prayer:

O Lord, give us compassion for the poor and powerless. Warm our cold hearts to reflect in them your love for all people. Teach us humility and forgive our feelings of self-importance. Remind us that all we have—even our next breath—comes from you. Amen.

Mine!

"Mine" is a word parents hear a lot.

A toy. A special treat. A quarter found on the ground. "Mine!"

While parents work hard to decrease the number of times children use this word, teaching them to share instead, I also find myself pondering with the scriptures this morning the beautiful aspects of this word...

...because when something is "mine," I claim it, I care for it, I am dedicated to it.

When it comes to MY child, MY spouse, MY parents...there isn't anything I wouldn't do to protect, to support, to defend.

The scriptures for today...

The Lord made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Psalm 100:3

Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people. 1 Peter 2:10

This morning, I am simply trying to rest in the knowledge that I belong to Someone. The God who spoke light into darkness speaks this word over me: "Mine." And there isn't anything God wouldn't do to protect, to support, to defend. 

May the peace that passes all understanding be with you as you read this...you have been claimed.