What We Need Is Here

God did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Romans 8:32

My wife and I love the TV Show "Friends." While we were in High School and college, it was all the rage. Weekly, we would tune in to see Joey's latest bone-headed move, Phoebe's next strange song, and Ross' next relationship faux-pas. (If you have no idea what I am talking about all the episodes are Netflix. If you start binge-watching now, you can zone out and it will carry you until the election is over!)

The episode that's in my mind this morning finds Joey, the struggling B-rate actor, starring in a commercial for the "Milk Master 2000," a "revolutionary" new product that makes opening milk cartons easier. It's hilarious because it takes the typical pattern of a commercial to the extreme.

It begins with the cheezy host naming the problem: "Folks, this ever happen to you? You go to the refrigerator to get a nice glass of milk, but these darn cartons are so flingin' flangin' hard to open!" Joey fumbles with a carton, finally tearing it down the side and spilling milk everywhere. Exasperated, he says, "Ugh! There's got to be a better way!"

Not only does this make me laugh, it is on my mind this morning because that phrase, "there's got to be a better way!" sums up our consumer-driven economy. The entire system is dependent on us believing one very important thing; that our lives are incomplete, or could somehow be better, if we just had that thing (whatever it is). "There's got to be a better way!" becomes a life mantra for the seasoned consumer.

This works great as an economic foundation. However, it is spiritually poisonous.

Daily, we are shaped as consumers by the ads that surround us. Daily, we are reminded that we DO NOT have enough. And yet, believing that God will provide us with what is truly necessary is a foundation of spiritual health. Being content with what we have is a foundation of emotional health. Constantly believing that there must be something better than this life I have is like building your house on shifting sand.

As I start this day, it is so good for me to read the passage above. God, who loved us deep and fierce enough to show up and take on even the worst parts of being human...won't that same God give us everything else? Everything we truly need? Everything that is necessary for contentment, health, and wholeness?

Yes. God has given me all I need; in the breath that fills my lungs; in the shelter that keeps me from the Fall's advancing cold; in the people who surround me today; in the bread and wine of forgiveness; in the Word of challenge and comfort; what I need is already here.

Today, may that phrase counteract your internal consumer. When you feel yourself dissatisfied with your life, inherently thinking "there got to be a better way," may you be filled with the sense that what you truly need is already here.

PRAYER:
God, help me walk through this day with gratitude. Sensitize me to the blessings I take for granted. Fill me with a sense of your presence and love. Give me the courage to change what needs to be changed, assured you are with me every step of the way. Amen.

Every Emotion

 Psalm 150  Praise for God’s Surpassing Greatness

1Praise the Lord!

Praise God in his sanctuary;

   praise him in his mighty firmament!

2Praise him for his mighty deeds;

   praise him according to his surpassing greatness!

3Praise him with trumpet sound;

   praise him with lute and harp!

4Praise him with tambourine and dance;

   praise him with strings and pipe!

5Praise him with clanging cymbals;

   praise him with loud clashing cymbals!

6Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord!

When I meet with folks who are dealing with emotions that overwhelm them, I often tell them to look in the Psalms. There, one can find every human emotion imaginable. There are psalms in which the writer is expressing frustration and anger at God; there are psalms in which the writer is expressing gut-wrenching anguish and pain; AND, there are psalms in which the writer is expressing his/her questions about God’s presence in their life. I find comfort in the fact that anything I experience has a place, and that God is big enough and gracious enough to care about every part of my humanity.

Today’s reading is Psalm 150; the final psalm. After 149 others that express every human emotion imaginable, the book of psalms ends with pure, unadulterated praise. It’s praise for a God who wraps every human experience in his love – it’s praise for a God who refuses to leave us on our own.

Thanks be to God!

Prayer:

God of surpassing greatness, we give thanks to you for being big enough and gracious enough to wrap all of our human experiences in your love. Amen.

Evil May Not Be What You Think

Do not devise evil in your hearts against one another. Zechariah 7:10

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable. 1 Corinthians 12:21–22

When you hear the word "evil," what do you think of?

A supernatural force opposing good? The darkness in us that shows itself in our lesser moments? The guy with the pitchfork down below? What images or thoughts come to your mind when you see the word "evil?"

The Old Testament prophet Zechariah is warning all of his hearers (us included) against stoking this flame in our own hearts. When we sit and stew on how angry we are at someone else, we are feeding the flames that could consume them, and us.

In the New Testament, Paul uses a different analogy. Paul is the master of analogies, by the way...they are so good, they have endured for 2000 years, and still I cannot think of a better way to explain how we are called to be the people of God together than...a body.

At first you might wonder why these two passages are paired together, but I believe reading them together points our minds and our hearts toward an aspect of evil that we often ignore...

Evil is seeing the "other" as dispensable.

I got a first-hand account of this from a young man I met a number of years ago who identified as a "Satanist." Now, it's important to take a second to draw the distinction; he was not a "Satan worshipper." He did not believe in ANY supernatural force, evil included. He didn't believe in a red guy with a pitchfork. He believed in himself above all else. LaVeyan Satanism (started by Anton LaVey, the shock-jock of the 1960's) is humanism, taken to the extreme.

Here's a core principle of LaVeyan Satanism, directly from their website: "We Satanists are thus our own 'Gods,' and as beneficent 'deities' we can offer love to those who deserve it and deliver our wrath (within reasonable limits) upon those who seek to cause us—or that which we cherish—harm."

This young man I met believed this very much; that as long as the other person deserved love, he would offer it. But if they wronged him, he was done with them. There is no concept of forgiveness in this world view. The other person, whoever it is, is useful to me if they can help me achieve my goals and deserve my care...but absolutely disposable and in fact must be destroyed if they stand between me and my will's desires.

This. Is. Evil. And a less severe, less perceptible version of it surrounds us in this culture. We are not all followers of LaVeyan Satanism, but we are all modern, individualist American consumers...and there are some troubling parallels. We are often judgmental of, or afraid of the "other" rather than seeing them as absolutely indispensable.

Who is to decide who in my life "deserves" love and who does not? It had better not be ME having to decide that...I am a fallible human with my own biases and memories of past hurts.

Today, may we reject this form of evil that surrounds us. Take a moment and hold in your mind a  person who irritates you...a person who frustrates you...a person to whom you would LIKE to say, "I have no need of you." Now, let the truth settle in that that person deserves love too...and maybe you aren't the one who can give it right now, depending on the depth of the past hurt...but they deserve it, and they are an essential part of the world, and your life. Maybe, just maybe...they are indispensable for YOU because accepting that they are worthy of love will soften your judgments and soften your heart.

PRAYER:
God, soften our hearts today toward those we dislike. Give us the grace to forgive them and love them...and when we cannot, love them for us for a while...and teach us to follow your example. Amen.

On What Do You Bet Your Life?

Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23

Walter Bouman, a giant in the Lutheran church's history, used to ask his students, "what would you bet your life on?"

Dr. Bouman was part of the "Seminary in Exile" or "Seminex" movement. This was a group of seminary professors and students who formed their own seminary after many professors had been investigated for teaching "false doctrine." It was an incredibly trying time, as these professors and students left not only their seminary, but eventually their denomination. The Seminex movement would eventually lead into the AELC, the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches, which in 1988 united with two other church bodies to form the ELCA (of which St. Luke is a part). The picture with this devotion is from one of the rallies that the Seminex students and professors held. Read more about the Seminex movement here if you are interested.

The reason I give the brief history is that Dr. Bouman's question to us as his students had many stories behind it; stories of times when many of the other things on which his life rested were removed. Denominational identity. Source of income. Support systems. There were many times in his life, as in all of our lives, when the proverbial "rug" had been pulled out from underneath him, and his question became fresh and new again; "on what do I bet my life?"

We all face these times. In fact, one of the things that unite us as people is that things are always changing. Sometimes, those changes are positive, as troubling circumstances pass. But sometimes, those changes feel like loss, as things on which our identity used to be based pass away.

Someday, my own health changes will mean I can no longer play racquetball, something I deeply enjoy now. Will I have the grace to accept these changes? Someday, I will be the oldest generation in my family. Will I have the trust to lean on a source of Love larger than my parents? Someday, I will lay down the identity of "pastor" and retire. Will I still be grounded in God's infinite love for me and know that regardless of the titles I bear, "child of God" is the one that never leaves?

Today, the scripture above is nudging me to ask the question, "what do we bet our lives on?" What consumes our time and energy? What forms the basis for our identity? Is it sports? Those are great while they last, but they will pass. Is it career? That can be fulfilling while it lasts, but that will pass. Is it the relationships in our lives? Those truly come to define us, but can also change at any point.

Today, may we have the deep peace that comes from God alone; that no matter what changes, God moves through the changes to bring new life. Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering. Why? Because he who has promised is faithful. Indeed, he who has promised is the thing on which I bet my life.

PRAYER:
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, the wisdom to know the difference, and the trust that you hold me through it all. Amen.

Seeing Beyond Today

See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them. Isaiah 42:9

It's hard for us to imagine.

The people Isaiah is speaking to in the passage above had formerly been slaves in Egypt, but God acted to free them. God led them through the wilderness, gave them laws to govern their common life (the 10 Commandments) and finally brought them to the "Promised Land."

There, they lived for centuries in relative stability. So much of their identity was wrapped up with this "Promised Land" that they occupied. God had indeed chosen them to be a light to the nations, and the homeland given to them was a sign of that blessing and call.

Then, the unthinkable happened. The kingdom of Babylon defeated them...and it wasn't just a military victory...it was total and complete devastation. They ransacked the temple, destroying it and taking all of Israel's national treasures. They captured a large percentage of the people and forced them to walk back to Babylon to live in exile. The people were slaves in a foreign land once more.

The conclusion would have been simple: God has abandoned us. All hope is lost.

And yet, God sent prophets such as Isaiah to remind the people who this God is; not just the God of Israel, but the God of the whole earth. In a few powerful sentences, Isaiah reminds the people that God's purposes cannot be thwarted by mere human powers like the Babylonian Empire. No, God has set the Israelites aside to be "a light to the nations."

Isaiah conquers despair through reminding the people of the sovereignty, and goodness, of God.

Today, that same reminder comes to us. God is sovereign. No challenges we currently face can hold a candle to the purpose God has for us. No mere political turmoil, partisan rancor, or institutional decline can thwart God's movement in the world...

We, too, have been sent to be a light to the nations; to be courageous in current trials because of the hope we have in the new things that will spring forth. Indeed, whatever we face personally or as a community, God's proclamation through Isaiah cuts across the generations: there is hope because God is busy redeeming the whole world, and nothing will stop that dawn from breaking upon us.

May we walk today, facing every challenge, grateful for every blessing, and certain that God's love continues to spring forth...to us, and through us to others.

PRAYER:
God, grant us today the blessed assurance of your love beyond the challenges we face. Give us the courage we need, and the hope that comes from knowing you. Amen.

He is Our Peace

I will both lie down and sleep in peace; for you alone, O Lord, make me lie down in safety. Psalm 4:8

He is our peace. Ephesians 2:14

Think of the last time you experienced what you would call a deep sense of peace.

For some of us, maybe that moment was holding a sleeping child; or maybe it was relaxing in a favorite armchair after everyone else has gone to bed. Maybe for you, it is a memory of a beautiful scene in nature, or an early morning cup of coffee as dawn breaks.

I believe we all get these fleeting moments of peace; moments when time seems to stop, even just for a second; and we feel like it is all going to be OK. Sometimes, we can linger in those moments and enjoy them. Sometimes, they are so fleeting we wish we could hang on to them.

Wherever you are as you read this, pause a moment.

Take a deep breath...in through your nose, out slowly through your mouth. Do this a couple of times.

There is something beautiful about the fact that this kind of deep breathing is the easiest way to find even a brief moment of peace; as we breathe deep, our bodies slow down for a second, as the rush of new, plentiful oxygen floods our system.

As we've discussed many times before, the Hebrew word for spirit, "ruah" (pronounced "ROO-ah") is the same word translated as Spirit, and wind, and breath.

Today, take moments to breathe deep. These are moments you are breathing deep of the Spirit; moments you are breathing deep of the peace that God brings. This peace is always available to us, and over time we can train our bodies and our minds to be more attentive to it.

Today, Christ is your peace. Breath deep. Whatever it is, it will be OK. The sun will rise tomorrow. The people who love you will still love you. The God who watches over you will guard you. Peace be with you.

PRAYER:
We are grateful for your peace which surpasses all understanding. Peace of Christ, comfort us amidst the storms of life; intercede on our behalf, grant us wisdom, and lead us in all your truth. Alleluia to the Source of peace. Amen.*

*Prayer taken from the Moravian Daily Texts

You or Y'All?

The Lord says, “I will look with favor upon you and make you fruitful and multiply you; and I will maintain my covenant with you.” Leviticus 26:9

You are God’s field, God’s building. 1 Corinthians 3:9

The seminary professor who taught me Biblical Greek used to say "all translators are liars."

By this he simply meant that the old cliche is actually true...any time you take something from one language and cultural context and move it to another, some things are "lost in translation."

One of the biggest, and most important issues this raises for us as modern Christians is around one word: YOU.

In English, we only have one word...YOU...and it can mean you, individually...or you, a group. It works when we are talking to each other face to face, because we can tell which one is meant; but this is a real problem in writing.

This might sound like a small difference, but it profoundly affects the way we read the Bible. If I read the two passages above, it is easy to think they are speaking directly to me...Matthew Short, the individual. I could focus on how God promises to look with favor upon me (that feels nice!) and make me fruitful. I could write a book, as many have, about how God will multiply me and bless me if I just follow the words of the Bible. Then, I could turn to the 1 Corinthians reading and think about how God makes me a field for feeding others, or how God makes me a building in which the Spirit will live (that's also a nice thought...)

But, here's where Texas English can save us. Since spending a year in Ft. Worth, TX on internship, I have had a new word in my vocabulary: "Y'all." It means YOU, plural...all of you. This is the closest English parallel we have to how the word "YOU" is used in both ancient Hebrew (Old Testament) and Koine Greek (New Testament).

And I'll give you one guess which version of "you" is in the original writings of the two passages above.

Yep, you guessed it. Y'all.

It turns out the Lord isn't promising to look with favor on me, but on us. It turns out God isn't promising to make me fruitful, or to multiply me or my desires. God is saying "I will maintain my covenant with "y'all". I am not God's field for feeding others, we are; and it is not my heart that God uses as a building, it is the heart of the community.

Still you might be thinking this feels like a small distinction to make. Isn't the basic meaning about the same? No. It's a big difference, and a profound way that we, as followers of Christ, are called to be counter-cultural rebels.

We live in an insanely individualized world. Our economy is driven by our identity as individual consumers who seek fulfillment of individual desires. Our wealth relative to the rest of the world affords us options and choices that previous generations and previous cultures could have only dreamed of. I can control the temperature in my house and in my car to the accuracy of a single degree to meet my personal preferences (this morning, I'm turning the heat up!). Everything I am surrounded by every single day whispers to me: "the best thing you can do is anything that makes YOU happy." Like my kids having too many sweets before dinner, this tastes good at first, but it will eventually make us sick.

Doubt what I am saying? Look at the state of this election season and the quality of our public discourse. We are sick with hyper-individualism. We have forgotten how to discuss the public good, instead opting for hyper-partisanship that looks remarkably similar to savage tribalism.

The antidote for this is one word: "Y'all."

God calls us to be a community of disciples together. Do we disagree about some things? Absolutely. But we disagree agreeably because we recognize our calling to be the blessed community of faith as the highest calling of our lives. We recognize that God makes us a field together, and that it is only together we can produce mercy and justice for a world that needs both. We recognize that God makes us a building together, and that is where God chooses to dwell. Not just in my heart, but in the heart of the community that gathers around Water, Wheat, Wine, and Words.

Ironically, this doesn't mean we downplay the importance of the individual. Just the opposite. YOU, the individual reading this, have an incredibly important part to play in this cultural antidote given by God. The community is incomplete without you. God makes us a field together. We're missing some of the crops without you, and the world is starving! God makes us a building together. We're missing some of the bricks without you, and the world needs shelter from the partisan storm. Don't sleep in on Sunday morning. Don't miss that day of service. Don't ignore the calling you have in your baptism to be part of the great "Y'all" that God will use to bring healing, hope, and grace to a world that desperately needs all three.

All Fall Silent

Silence is rare for most of us.
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First, there's the noise we don't choose. The noise of phone calls, traffic, advertisements, crowds.
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If we are honest, this actually accounts for a small amount of the noise in our lives.
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Most of it is noise we DO choose. The T.V. on in the background. Music on while we drive. We could silence our cell phones but we don't. Many people now fall asleep to the T.V. We surround ourselves with noise.
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I think we do this because we are afraid of what we'll find in the silence.
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It's the same reason many of us are so "busy." I have come to believe that "busy" is a modern illness most of us are trapped in.
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Be silent before the Lord God! For the day of the Lord is at hand. Zephaniah 1:7
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Silence is so good for us. First, it helps us hear things we don't usually hear in the cacophony of blended sound. This time of year, the blessed sound of leaves rustling is easily covered up by noise of my own choosing.
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Second, beyond merely hearing, it helps us listen. There is a deep beauty - the very image of God - in those around us. If we are silent long enough to really listen to them, we get glimpses of it.
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Third, silence helps us quiet busy-ness of our minds. It helps us realize that all of the things that we think define who we are (job, family, other people's expectations) can all fade away...and then we are still there...still who God created us to be...not defined by others, but defined by God.
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Zephaniah's words above may sound harsh, like a parent silencing a disobedient child. Instead, this morning, I hear them as an invitation to the deep. Like the silence I experienced the first time I stood at the edge of the Grand Canyon, or the holiness of the first moments we held our daughter as she slept on her first night of life, this isn't a silence forced on us...it is a silence of awe and reverence.
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Today, may you be bold enough to take some moments of silence...to quiet the other things that claim to define you, and to rest in your identity as beloved.
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PRAYER:
Let us take off our shoes in the presence of your holiness. Let us sit in silence and listen to your voice. Let us bask in your glory as we are being refilled to be your loving hands and feet until you return. Amen!*
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*Prayer taken from the Moravian Daily Texts

Natural Instincts

For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life. Ephesians 2:10
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In philosophy, there has long been a debate; are we born "noble savages" whose inherent goodness is polluted by society, as the 18th century Swiss philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau asserted? Or are we really just more evolved animals whose inherent selfishness must be tamed by society, as the 17th century English philosopher Thomas Hobbes thought?
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The "Lutheran" answer is....YES. We are simultaneously inherent saints who know how to care for others and at the same time selfish sinners who are always looking out for ourselves.
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We are created in the image of God. The "saintly" parts of us are an (imperfect) reflection of divine characteristics. And earlier this year, there were a couple of interesting scientific studies published that suggest we might be more "hard-wired" for altruism that previously thought.
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The studies found that when certain portions of the brain were muted...the portions responsible for thinking before acting...people were more altruistic, kind, and generous.
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Think of the inherent aversion we all have to the sound of children crying. From a merely biological standpoint, the sound itself can cause a mother's body to respond in milk production. There is something in each one of us...the scriptures would call it the "image of God"...that leads us to care for others.
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Today, my prayer is that God move in my heart and in yours to open our eyes to the needs of those around us. Maybe one of your coworkers or neighbors could use a listening ear. Maybe a distant family member would be touched by a phone call or a letter out of the blue.
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Maybe, as the scripture above suggests, this is actually who we have been created to be. It's in our bones. It's in our DNA. Today, may it be in our minds, in our words, and in our actions.
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PRAYER:
God, stir us to gratitude this day. Stir us to love. Help us to be who you have created us to be; fully human, and reflecting your care for all. Amen.

Witnesses

In a courtroom, witnesses have one job: to tell what they have seen, or heard, or (in the case of an "expert witness") what they know to be true.
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Questions come. First, from the side who called them there. Then, from the other side comes a cross-examination. Witnesses don't need to be nervous if they are simply honest, and share what they know to be true.
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You are my witnesses, says the Lord. Isaiah 43:10
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We do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord. 2 Corinthians 4:5
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I love the idea that we are God's witnesses. And just like in a courtroom, our testimony isn't about ourselves. Our only job is to share what we have seen, or heard, or know to be true.
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So let me ask you a few questions as we begin today:
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What have YOU seen? Have you seen everyday miracles? Have you seen the birth of a child...or the strength of a veteran? Have you seen a friend find hope in the midst of difficulty...or a stunning sight in nature that reminded you of the beauty of God?
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What have YOU heard? Have you heard the words "I love you" when you needed them most? Have you heard the first birds of spring as life pushes through the deep cold of winter? Have you heard the voices of angels through the mouths of children who call you by name?
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What do you know to be true? Do you know that love conquers death because you have held a loved one's hand as they died? Do you know that no matter what today holds, the sun will rise tomorrow on a fresh start? Do you know that "nothing can separate us from the love of God" (Romans 8)?
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Today, may we be witnesses to the beauty, the faithfulness, and the love of a God who walks with us every step. Today, may our eyes be opened to see, our ears be opened to hear, and our minds be opened to know that life is good...God is good...and may we be filled with gratitude for all we witness today.
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And may we remember: We aren't called to be the judge. We are simply called to be a witness.
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PRAYER:
Let your light in us shine before all people, so that they may see our good works and glorify you, the living God. You are worthy of all praise. Out of love, you gave your life for us. We will proclaim you to the world. Amen.*
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*Prayer taken from the Moravian Daily Texts

It is Coming Anyway

 His greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. Micah 5:4 (NIV)
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Your kingdom come. Matthew 6:10
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By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us (Luke 1:78)
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As I read the passages above this morning, one word jumped out at me.
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WILL.
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As in, God's greatness WILL reach to the ends of the earth. It isn't just that we pray it does, hope it does, trust that maybe someday, God's love will conquer the brokenness of the world if we are lucky, and if we work hard enough to do our part.
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No, it will happen. With our without us.
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God's Kingdom will come. The question is simply, are we preparing ourselves to be a part of it?
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The same is true for this Monday morning. The pre-dawn light is already peeking through the trees as I write this. The light WILL come. With every passing second, the dawn becomes brighter. Monday is going to happen, with or without me.
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The question is; am I preparing to be a part of it?
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Sure, I could sit in my pajamas, stay inside, maybe go back to bed soon...I could simply choose not to be a part of Monday (a tempting thought)...but Monday's going to happen...
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I think I'll get dressed. Wake up my son and have breakfast with him. I think I'll pack up my things and dive into the full and important day of ministry ahead, because God has beautiful things in store for me and for others today, and I simply don't want to miss them.
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This is why our church serves in the community. This is why we believe we are called to be with those in need; not because we think by OUR actions we are MAKING the Kingdom come. By our actions, we are choosing to be a part of the Kingdom that's already coming.
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Our challenge is to stay actively engaged, and to invite others to be a part of the "dawn from on high" that is breaking upon the world.
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I think these words are challenging all of us this morning to get dressed, pack up our things, and actively participate in the Kingdom that's coming. If you have fallen out of the habits of worship, or prayer...make the choice to return...there are beautiful things in store in the Kingdom, and you do not want to miss them. If you have a habit of regular presence in worship, and you notice someone you know who has simply fallen out of the habit of coming, call them. Ask if there is something you can keep in your prayers for their family. Invite them to return to worship. Invite them to step into the Kingdom that's coming already anyway.
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Can't write more. Monday's coming. Time to get ready. God has blessed this day, and will bless me through my participation in it.

Leaking

My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and dug out cisterns for themselves, cracked cisterns that can hold no water. Jeremiah 2:13
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The woman said to him, “Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water?” John 4:11
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The Word of God is truly living and active. It is stunning to me how, after years of studying the Bible as a pastor, I can still come across passages and think "I just don't ever remembering hearing this before!" That is the case with the Jeremiah reading above.
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What a crystal clear description of what we do when we try to justify ourselves...when our identity is built on what WE accomplish, what WE amass in terms of wealth or possessions, or what WE have curated as our identity (online or otherwise).
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The message as I begin today becomes very similar to yesterday's readings. Yesterday, the image in the Bible was shifting sand vs. the solid rock foundation of God's love for me. Today, it is the image of being desperately thirsty, and then turning down a perfectly good cup of water to hold onto a leaky cup instead. That choice seems ridiculous for a thirsty person.
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Likewise, it is ridiculous for us to base our self-worth or identity on anything we accomplish or achieve, because everything will fade with time.
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Today my prayer for us is that we begin like empty cups...ready to be filled.
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I want to leave you with the lyrics from a favorite Peter Mayer song of mine, called "O Sun." May this, and the words from scripture above, be our prayer as we start this day...and may God fill us to overflowing, so we may fill others with grace and mercy.
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"O Sun" by Peter Mayer
You are the sun
I am the dew
Gifted with life for a moment or two
That I for my time
May sparkle and shine
O Sun, come fill me with you
O Sun, come fill me with you

You are the wind
I am the sail
You are my strength and without you I fail
Breathe but a sigh
And I’ll open wide
O Wind, come fill me with you
O Wind, come fill me with you

You are the wine
I am the cup
I can yield nothing till I am filled up
Hold me upright
And pour forth your life
O Wine, come fill me with you
O Wine, come fill me with you

O Wine, come fill me
O Wind, come fill me
O Sun, come fill me
With you

Amen.

Wasted Energy

When I was a Boy Scout growing up, every year we would hike the Grand Canyon.
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This is one of the benefits of being a Boy Scout in Arizona.
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The first two years, we hiked the "Bright Angel" trail (one of the best known and most trafficked trails at the Grand Canyon).
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After that, we hiked in through the Havasupai entrace; a longer path that takes you past three stunning systems of waterfalls.
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The big difference between the two was that the Havasupai hike was about a mile longer, and much of it was not on solid path, but walking on fine sand. For that reason, all those of us who considered ourselves "experienced" hikers were surprised the first year when we were so much more tired than we had been hiking the Bright Angel trail.
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It turns out hiking on sand is much harder, because so much of your energy is wasted on each step as the ground shifts beneath your feet.
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This image came to my mind this morning when I read one of the assigned passages, and the words of a famous hymn immediately came to mind:
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Even though there may be so-called gods—for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. 1 Corinthians 8:5–6
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My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
No merit of my own I claim
but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ the solid rock I stand,
all other ground is sinking sand.
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It turns out we waste a lot of energy trusting in things that turn out to be "shifting sand."
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In the end, my ultimate hope is not in my abilities...should I live long enough, those abilities will slowly fade. (Something my daughter learns today, as she goes in for surgery on her elbow, thus ending her time in gymnastics).
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In the end, my ultimate hope is not in my account balances...eventually, those balances will be zero.
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In the end, my hope is built on nothing less than Love (capital L); a Love that will never fail.
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May we begin and end this day resting in that Love that will never let us go. Then, whatever happens today...whatever sands shift beneath our feet, we will still find bedrock for the journey.

Yes, You.

I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. Ezekiel 34:11
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As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me.” Mark 1:16–17
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Every young Jewish man studied the Torah (the first 5 books of the Bible). Some were good enough and went on to apprentice under a rabbi. Some didn't make the cut and returned to their family business doing things like...fishing.
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So often, we put the disciples (and other Biblical characters) up on a pedestal; as though they possessed some character of faith we could never possess; as though they are more characters in a story than real, flawed people who lived as we do.
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But this is a mistake.
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Simon (who we will later call Peter) and his brother Andrew were regular, everyday guys. They were part of the crowd that didn't make the cut to continue studying under a rabbi. They weren't stunning scholars. As we learn later, they are often very slow to understand the point of Jesus and his ministry.
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But Jesus sought them out...came on their turf...found them in the midst of their everyday lives, and called them to follow him as no other rabbi would dare to do. From the manger in a backwater town, to assembling followers considered "not good enough" by others, to breathing his last next to common criminals, Jesus' life and ministry brought God's love down to earth in a way that we simply cannot escape.
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So often, we put pastors (and other church workers) up on a pedestal; as though they possess some personal characteristics that make them better suited to being a Christian full-time; as though they are something we could never be.
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This is a mistake.
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The problem with putting others on a pedestal is that in a strange way, it lets us off the hook. It incorrectly insinuates that they are capable of something we are not. But this is to actually ignore the image of God placed within each heart.
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Today, as you go about your daily "grind," pause for a moment and recognize; it is exactly who you are at this moment that Jesus calls to follow; it is exactly where you are at this moment that is your context for ministry. As an imperfect follower of Jesus, you are uniquely suited to live out God's love for imperfect people in the situations you are in today; situations that I, as your pastor, am not in.
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Today, you are the pastor. Today, you are the one following Jesus into all the imperfect places his love dares to go.
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Thank you, my brothers and sisters in Christ, for allowing Christ to search for, and care for the world through your voice, your actions, your everyday life. Make no mistake; you are his disciples; and this rabbi will continue to call you to follow him using everything you already are.

Your Memoir

I will recount the gracious deeds of the Lord, the praiseworthy acts of the Lord, because of all that the Lord has done for us. Isaiah 63:7
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Indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. 1 Peter 2:3
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I believe we could all write a book.
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Each one of us has literally thousands of stories, memories, experiences...and I believe they are every bit as interesting and rich as those who end up famous and write memoirs toward the end of their life.
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Regardless of your age, you could write a memoir right now that would trace the path you have taken to this moment. At some points along that path, no doubt, there have been significant challenges. However, you have obviously overcome those challenges and made it to this moment...wherever you are as you read this. Your winding path led you here.
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If you were to tell that story in its entirety, there would be more moments that you could recount in which things could have gone differently; could have taken a worse turn...and yet, by strength, determination, and God's grace, you have made it to NOW.
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We don't often think to tell these stories, but when we do, it can spark profound gratitude in us.
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So take a moment and begin that memoir now...
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Can you think of a few moments when things worked out in your favor? A few times in which things could have gone much worse, but you were blessed to find the path you are on?
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Listing these moments is the beginning of what the Isaiah passage calls "recounting the gracious deeds of the Lord." Indeed, as the writer of First Peter says, you have tasted that the Lord is good.
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Today, may we remember the moments God provided a path forward when there seemed no path. May we be moved to gratitude as we recall the grace shown to us in the past; and may we be moved to courage facing what comes, knowing this memoir's not over. Maybe the unexpected grace you experience today will be a memory for you in years to come.

Light in the Darkness

"For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light— for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true." - Ephesians 5:8-9
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As I write this, the first light of dawn is breaking through the evening darkness.
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Detail and beauty, obscured by the darkness overnight, it exposed by the growing light. Five minutes ago, I couldn't see the individual leaves on the tree outside my window. Now, as the dawn comes, I can see each one.
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As this day begins, I am struck by the thought that God not only pours light on us, but calls us to reflect that light in our daily lives. Like the moon I can still see high above, my only job today is to illuminate the darkness by Christ's reflected light; that we might see the detail and beauty in nature, and in each other.
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Like many of us, I watched the Presidential debate last night. I feel the need to move beyond the darkness of partisanship and useless division into the light that helps us to see each other as fellow children of God and co-workers in the Kingdom. There is much work to do healing human division, and it is clear our politicians are not going to lead that work. That is Kingdom work. That's is God's work. That is now our work, church.
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Today, as we go about our daily business, may our words and actions shine Christ's light on the detail and the beauty around us.
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May I be so bold as to suggest a Kingdom experiment today? Take a moment and think of someone with whom you disagree. Maybe it is one of the two people who were on that stage last night; or maybe it is someone in your family, your circle of friends, or your neighborhood. Maybe it is someone with whom you have a strained relationship.
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Stop reading this devotion for just a moment until a name comes to your mind...
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Do you have a name in mind?
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The Kingdom experiment is this: Pray for them three times today...and don't just pray that God will change their heart so they see things your way. Pray for THEM. For their health. For their sanity. For their family. For a sense of peace to fill their lives. Pray for their wellbeing. And then pray that Christ's light help you to see the detail and beauty in them you don't currently see.
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Three times today. Pause what you are doing, and pray for that person by name.
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May those prayers, our actions, and our words...reflect Christ's light today to a world that desperately needs it.
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PRAYER:
Good and Righteous God, lead us to walk, talk, and be within your righteous goodness. Let your light so shine in and through us as a testimony to who you are; the true and living God! Amen.*
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*Prayer taken from the Moravian Daily Texts

Do We Love to Tell the Story?

After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. Judges 2:10 (NIV)
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Simeon prayed: “My eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” Luke 2:30–32
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When Mary and Joseph bring the infant Jesus to the temple to offer sacrifices according to custom, Simeon scoops up the baby in his arms and knows he is holding the future hope of the world. This one will be a light to the nations...and glory for Israel. Simeon loudly proclaims for all to hear.
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In the Judges reading above, we get a glimpse of what it looks like when there aren't people like Simeon around. An entire generation grows up who neither know the Lord nor what he has done for the sake of the world.
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I find myself wondering today...about how we pass on this story to our children.
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The first step is being immersed in the story ourselves. Do we take a few minutes daily to be in the Word, as these daily devotions have challenged me to do? Do we worship regularly...not because we "get something out of it," but because God is worthy of praise? Do we tell our children about how God freed the slaves in Egypt, and still stands for freedom and grace?
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If we don't do these things, it is time to start. I was just told by a parent in our congregation the other day how every single one of her daughter's friends at school...every single one...considers themselves an "atheist." This student is the only one in her circle of friends who acknowledges a source of Love bigger than themselves. And I can guarantee you many of those "atheist" friends are from homes in which the parents would identify themselves as "Christian," but likely don't talk about it with their children, or spend time as a family in worship, prayer, or conversation about deep things.
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I don't think this is a problem because I fear for the institution of the church. I think this is a problem because that mindset will not serve those students well in their adult lives. When storms come, and they will...these students need to know there is a greater Reality holding them...that they are not alone.
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I know Lutherans tend to be "shy" about their faith. I know we don't want to be lumped in with "those Christians" who stand on street corners with their bullhorns telling others they are going to burn in hell. But I also know that if we don't speak up and share why we think God's grace matters, our children will "neither know the Lord nor what he has done for us."
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Let me suggest a simple way to begin. Before anything else, answer for yourself, "why do I think God's grace in Jesus makes a difference in my life or in the world?" Spend some time with that question. Don't be embarrassed if the answer isn't immediately obvious - reach out to myself or someone else you trust to think through it with you. But before we can become like Simeon and tell others about the hope that is in us, we have to clearly identify it for ourselves.
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I'm going to leave you with the first verse of the famous hymn...may God grant us the courage to tell the story...
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I love to tell the story...of unseen things above.
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Of Jesus and his glory...of Jesus, and his love.
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I love to tell the story...because I know it's true.
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It satisfies my longings...as nothing else could do.
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I love to tell the story...it will be my theme in glory.
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To tell the old, old story...of Jesus and his love.

Freedom's Edge

The Star-Spangled Banner reminds us we are the "land of the free and the home of the brave."
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We give thanks for those who have fought for our freedom.
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But the question on my heart this morning is: how often do we abuse the freedoms we have?
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In the early church, this was an active question. One of the core tenets of this new sect of Judaism (what we now call "Christianity") was that, through Christ's law of love, we are freed from the demands of the law of Moses.
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No longer do we need to only eat certain, Kosher foods. No longer do we need to circumcise our boys as a sign of being those set apart. We are free from the demands of "the law" because salvation doesn't come from following the rules. It comes from admitting we will never be good enough to "earn" God's love, so we have to accept it as a free gift of grace. Salvation is God's gift, not our payment for good deeds.
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So, in the early church, there were those who took this to mean, "since it is not our behavior that earns our salvation, we can do whatever we want!" Some in the Corinthian church had written to Paul saying "all things are lawful for us." Here is his response:
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“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are beneficial. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. 1 Corinthians 6:12
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As modern citizens of the world's longest-standing free democracy, there is incredible depth in this for us. Paul is pointing out that if we identify the satisfying of our personal desires as the ultimate good, our freedom actually dominates us. We become slaves to our whims, our wants, and our urges.
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In his letter to the Galatians, Paul explains the Gospel version of "freedom:"
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"For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’" (Galatians 5:13-14).
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According to Paul, my freedom ends where your needs begin. When Jesus is asked "what's the greatest commandment, he responds that "all the law and the prophets" hang on loving God and loving neighbor. Paul helps us see what this means for us as modern, free Christians swimming in a consumer culture; it means that the ultimate good is not satisfying my own desires, but insuring my neighbor's wholeness.
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As this day dawns, I find myself wondering what "freedoms" I am actually called to limit today in order to love and care for others. Is my exercise of my "rights" hurting others?
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May God give us the humility to see today...the edge of our freedom. And may God give us the strength to say no when satisfying our own desires actually makes us a slave.

Do Not Be Afraid

I can't write on the assigned texts for today.
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I can't walk today pretending that the most important thing that happened last night was a vice-presidential debate. I am frustrated that the headlines about the debate top the headlines about Hurricane Matthew.
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This morning, my heart breaks for my brothers and sisters in Haiti and Cuba.
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Haiti is still attempting to recover from the disastrous earthquake that hit there in 2010. 200,000 people died in that earthquake. To put that in perspective, 1,836 people died in Hurricane Katrina.
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As I face these numbers, and the human reality behind them, I simply fall silent. There are times it is clear we need divine peace. This is one of them.
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19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear...Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. (John 20:19-22)
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There was plenty for the disciples to fear when Jesus spoke these words. Jesus had been crucified, and the disciples were locked in out of fear that those who killed Jesus would be coming for them.
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Jesus speaks peace, not as a naive "band-aid," but as a very real promise of his presence in a very real situation of fear. The statement of "peace" is very quickly followed by the gift of the Holy Spirit, the presence of God never farther away than our breath.
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Likewise, there is much to fear, not only in Cuba and Haiti, but also in the coastal areas of the United States. We heard last night that Jessica's aunt and uncle who visited over sabbatical, may have to evacuate today. By the time it fades, Hurricane Matthew will have affected the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.
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But into THAT, Christ speaks "peace." Into THAT, Christ breathes Spirit.
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Like a parent comforting a child, Christ doesn't promise to fix it. Christ promises to never leave, through the gift of the Spirit.
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Today, may we unite in prayer for the people of Cuba, Haiti, and the coastal U.S.
Tomorrow, and in the weeks and months that follow, may we trust Christ's peace enough to be willing to be a part of it. May we dedicate ourselves...not to fixing it...that's beyond our control...may we dedicate ourselves to carrying the presence of the Spirit with us as we bring hope, healing, clean water, and food...in whatever ways we can.
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Christ, may you use those of us safe from this storm to be your peace; may you use those of us who not afraid to bring the presence of your Spirit to those who are.

Hands

My hands will do many things today.
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They will do mundane things like type e-mails and to-do lists.
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They will do more important things like dial phone numbers so I can talk to some of our home-bound members and schedule a time to visit. They will create text messages to families scheduling baptisms, and craft words of comfort for members facing surgeries, family illnesses, and loss. They will type out worship planning notes to prepare for Sunday, and teaching notes to prepare for both middle school and adult classes.
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They will hold the hands of others in prayer. They will embrace children returning from school. They will scratch backs as I sing my children to sleep. They will be a safe place for a spouse.
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For all the things my hands will do today, it is humbling and remarkably freeing to realize that none of the deepest things in today are ultimately dependent on them. If my hands falter, there is Another who holds everything that will happen today.
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In God’s hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. Psalm 95:4
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The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands. Acts 17:24
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Today, as we set ourselves to the tasks we have planned out, may we never be fooled into thinking that today is dependent on the work of our hands. When our plans twist, or turn, or fail...we will be reminded yet again that the God who formed us by his hands holds every moment.
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So today, I begin with open hands...admitting it isn't all about me, and open to receive God's blessing and peace.
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PRAYER:
Creator, not made or dependent upon human hands, how blessed are we that you considered us more than the dust that we are? Father of the universe, how marvelous are the works of your hand; we are awestruck by the limitlessness of your love. Hallelujah! Amen.*
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*Prayer is from the Moravian Daily Texts

The Easier Path

Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you. Psalm 55:22
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Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6
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As these passages begin my day, the first image that leaps to my mind is hiking in the Grand Canyon.
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As a kid, I hiked the Grand Canyon once a year for many years (part of the benefit of being a Boy Scout in Arizona).
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Each year, we would do our practice hikes to get ready. The final pre-canyon hike was always at "Cupcake Mountain" just outside of Lake Havasu City, AZ. It was important that on that day that we hike the full 10 miles with our camping backpacks loaded to the same weight as they would be when we were at the Grand Canyon itself. Our leaders wanted to make sure we were ready for a 10 mile hike with a lot of weight on our backs.
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Then, about a month later, we would drive to the rim of the Grand Canyon, unload all of our gear, and get "saddled up." Our leaders would go around and check each boy's backpack, to make sure the waist belts were working, so the majority of the weight was on our waists, not our shoulders (this is how hiking backpacks work).
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As we walked the long and dusty paths, we were frequently passed by teams of donkeys, saddled down with the gear of tourists who had paid to have their backpacks carried for them instead. Then, a few minutes later, those same tourists would come bounding by, a simply water bottle in their hands, looking energetic and excited for a brisk walk. I remember the sweat pouring down my face, the weight of my own gear wearing sore spots on my waist, thinking how nice it would be to have the donkeys carry my gear as well.
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This is the image that starts our day today. Whatever presses down on us; whatever feels too heavy to carry; Christ will carry for us today. I picture myself as one of those light-footed tourists, water bottle in hand, excited for what the day will bring...because I know the burdens are being carried for me.
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So let's pause as we begin this day, and cast our burdens on Christ. Take a moment and let your requests be made known to God. Breathe. Then grab your water bottle and prepare for a brisk walk. There is much beauty to behold today.
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Sustainer, today we cling to the everlasting hope found in you. Whatever may come our way, we will boldly profess that we serve a God who provides exceedingly and abundantly, above all that we could ever hope for or imagine. Amen.*
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*Prayer taken from the Moravian Daily Texts