pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

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God at Work

Reading: Genesis 37:1-4 and 12-28

Genesis 37:26-27a – “Judah said to his brothers, ‘What do we gain if we kill our brother and hide his blood? Come on, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites.‘”

As Jacob’s story continues, trouble brews. A young Joseph is highly favored by Jacob. He tattles on his brothers. He wears a very special robe of many colors that Jacob had made for him. Joseph stays home while his brothers work. Joseph is hated by his brothers. This level of dysfunction often destroys relationships. But God is at work in all of this ugliness. The overarching story is that of God’s chosen people. There is a plan and a purpose at work.

In the second part of today’s reading, Jacob sends Joseph to check in on his brothers. They see him coming from afar and decide as one to kill off this “dreamer.” They’ll never bow down to Joseph. (See verses 5-11 for the dream.) Reuben – the oldest – tries to intervene. Maybe he knows losing his beloved Joseph might kill his father, Jacob. Over lunch, though, opportunity presents itself. Judah says to some of his brothers, “What do we gain if we kill our brother and hide his blood? Come on, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites.” Joseph is out of their lives forever as he heads down the road as a slave, destined for far away Egypt. There will be some tears back home, yes. But no more favoritism, no more tattling, no more big dreams, no more Joseph.

Sadly, this kind of dysfunction is not limited to the Biblical account. It happens in families, at work, in school, on teams, and even in churches. Maybe dysfunction is a part of your reality. The question is this: How do we address dysfunction so that the harm ends? The answer begins with allowing our faith to guide us as we seek to redeem what is broken. Through prayer and with a heart attuned to the Spirit, may we allow God to lead and guide us as we seek to bring peace and love and healing and forgiveness to these challenging and difficult situations. May God work in and through us.

Prayer: Lord God, whether in the middle of dysfunction or from the observation level, move us to bring healing and restoration to that which is broken. Lead and guide us: our words, our thoughts, our actions. Use us for the healing of our world. Amen.


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A Space for All

Reading: Matthew 14:21

Matthew 14:21 – “About five thousand men plus women and children had eaten.”

The conclusion of the feeding of the large crowd has multiple layers to it. Those accounted for are the men. In that culture and time, women and children were secondary. They were often unseen and sometimes seen as possessions. But in this miracle and in God’s kingdom, all were present, all were fed. This inclusion mirrors what God’s kingdom is supposed to be: a place where everyone is welcome, where everyone has value, where everyone has a place at the table.

During Jesus’ ministry this was true. It seems like women and children feature in his three years of ministry more than they do in the rest of scripture. Jesus always reflected God’s heart for the poor, the needy, the marginalized. The tables that Jesus sat at included the outcasts and the excluded. As many of us gather today at the table of grace, do we reflect the inclusive and welcoming nature of Jesus?

As followers of Jesus Christ and as builders of God’s kingdom, this is a question that we need to wrestle with. Our lives and our churches should reflect our communities. So we must ask: Who is absent or left out? And, why is this so? Sometimes there is a past hurt that needs addressing. Sometimes it is a systemic cause. Whatever the reason, we must be willing to do the hard work that creates space for all people and is a space that makes all people feel like they belong, are worthy, and are loved. May it be so in our lives and in our churches.

Prayer: Lord God, you invite us to be like Jesus. Open our eyes to the ways both big and small, both intentional and unintentional, that we exclude or make others feel “less than.” Guide our hearts and minds to change so that we are truly people with lives, tables, and churches that desire for all people to have space, to be loved, and to be a part of community. Thank you, Lord. Amen.


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Passing the Legacy

Reading: Psalm 45:16-17

Psalm 45:17 – “I will perpetuate your name from one generation to the next so the people will praise you forever.”

Coming back to Psalm 45 today, the focus of the royal wedding shifts to the sons. In that time and culture, sons were about all that mattered. Yes, families loved their daughters, but sons were prized. Although I was young, I can remember Grandpa Titus being concerned that none of Titus males had yet produced a son. He was worried about the family name being carried on. This idea is part of what the psalmist writes of in today’s passage.

For people in the ancient world, a name was fixed to land and that land was passed from one generation to the next and on to the next and… This began for Israel when Joshua led them into the Promised Land and distributed land by tribes… This legacy was so important that God set up means to return ancestral lands to the original families once every 50 years. Today we still pass on land, especially in farming and ranching communities. But we also regularly sell it or even subdivide it to increase profits.

Leaning back into John Wesley’s reading of this Psalm as messianic, let us re-read verse 17 from this perspective. Hear God speaking to Jesus about his bride, the church: “I will perpetuate your name from one generation to the next so the people will praise you forever.” Read this way, it is both sons and daughters who perpetuate Christ’s name from one generation to the next. It is both mothers and fathers that teach their children to love Jesus so that generation after generation praises the name of Jesus and brings glory to God. The question to ask ourselves and to ponder today and every day is this: How are you passing on a legacy of faith this day?

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the moms and dads, for the grandmas and grandpas, for the church folks who passed faith down to each of us. Bless them all for this “work.” In turn, Lord, use each of us to pass our love of Jesus on to our family, to our church families, to those we meet at work, school, and out in the world. May we lead in love, O Lord. Amen.


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Celebration and Joy

Reading: Psalm 45:10-15

Psalm 45:11 – “Let the king desire your beauty. Because he is your master, bow down to him now.”

Psalm 45 was written as a song celebrating a royal marriage. While we’ve all likely been to some weddings, most of us have only seen this kind of a wedding on TV or in the movies. A princess dressed in pearls, a robe embroidered in gold, robes of many colors on the bridesmaids. There is another level of opulence and a ceremony to these kinds of weddings. We can parallel this scene to the unfolding wedding in our Genesis 24 text this week. Abraham’s servant had left with all of Abraham’s “best provisions” – all to present a great dowry, enough to impress any potential bride and father-in-law.

The Psalm speaks of becoming part of a new family, of now entering new relationships. This remains part of marriage today. Yes, two become one but both families also grow and become interconnected. Insight into the new relationship is found in verse 11. Here we read, “Let the king desire your beauty. Because he is your master, bow down to him now.” Part of marriage is sharing your best self and falling deeper in love. For the original audience and for some cultures today, there is a bowing down to the man in male-centric cultures. A mutual bowing down is more common in our culture.

Just as various cultures understand and practice marriage differently, so too can scripture have different levels, meanings, and understandings. For John Wesley, he saw this Psalm another way. In these words he saw a reference to Jesus Christ and his bride, the church. As one enters into a saving, covenant relationship with Jesus, one leaves their “father’s house” to become a part of the family of God. One bows down to Jesus as the Lord of one’s life. One presents the best one can offer to Jesus, all for the glory of God. This new relationship is entered with “celebration and joy.” As we reflect on and consider our “marriage” to Jesus Christ, may we indeed be filled with celebration and joy!

Prayer: Lord God, oh to be in love and to enter a lifelong relationship! Oh to say “I love you” to one whose love is truly unconditional and without end. Oh to be loved by the one who designed, created, and shaped us, all done with great plans in mind. Thank you, Lord, for taking us as your own. Amen.


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Through Faith

Reading: Romans 4:13-17

Romans 4:16 – “The inheritance comes through faith, so that it will be on the basis of God’s grace.”

In Paul’s letter to the Romans, he references Abraham and his faith. For Paul and others working to welcome the Gentiles (all non-Jews) into the “church,” Abraham was a key Old Testament figure. For the Jews, he was the father of Israel, one of the pillars of their faith. Abraham’s radical obedience to God made him one of the Jew’s primary examples of faith lived out. An absolute obedience to God was important for those in the body of Christ too. Being the persecuted minority, it took a great amount of faith and obedience to stay true to Christ.

In our Romans passage, Paul points to two facts about Abraham that were relevant for the church of his day. In Rome (and in other places) there were serious tensions between the Jewish Christians and the Gentile Christians. The former wanted the latter to basically become Jews first, Christians second. This meant following the Law. Hold on, says Paul. First, he reminds them all that God “appointed” Abraham to be “the father of many nations.” It is not just the Jews who will be blessed through Abraham’s example of faith. For Paul, this meant that all peoples would be welcome in the body of Christ.

Addressing the main tension, Paul turns to the Law and Abraham. He reminds those holding onto the Law as the admission price to the church that Abraham was declared righteous long before the Law even existed. Therefore, “The inheritance comes through faith, so that it will be on the basis of God’s grace.” God’s promises come through faith. Like it was with Abraham – “our father in the eyes of God” – to all who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, God will “give life to the dead.” All who have faith in Jesus Christ will inherit eternal life and all of the other promises. Not through the Law, but through grace. As it was in the early church, may it be so for you and for me.

Prayer: Lord God, father of us all, thank you for opening wide the doors of your church. Long ago you established faith as the point of entry. Even so, today we can still try to limit access – sometimes very intentionally, sometimes in ways that we don’t always see or recognize. Lord, break down these barriers and open our eyes to other ways we can limit access to the body of Christ. Make us a people who see and treat all as they are: all created by you in your image, all worthy of a place at the table of grace. Amen.


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Non-Linear Faith

Reading: 1st Peter 2:2-3

1st Peter 2:2 – “Instead, like a newborn baby, desire the pure spiritual milk of the word. Nourished by it, you will grow into salvation.”

Peter was a great leader in the early church. His faith was bold and strong. Peter had walked with Jesus himself for three years, slowly building his faith. He walked on water – not early in his walk with Jesus and not for very long. Peter was willing to fight for Jesus, drawing his sword in the garden – only to be rebuked by the Prince of Peace. And although he denied knowing Jesus after his arrest, Peter’s faith had been fully restored by the risen Christ. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, Peter became one of the faces of this new movement of faith that would become known as Christianity.

As we turn to 1st Peter 2 today and tomorrow, we do so with a key understanding: most folks in the early “church” were new to Jesus and to the faith. Can you remember those days? Doubt was frequent. A return to your old ways was not uncommon. This is Peter’s audience. In verse 2 he writes, “Instead, like a newborn baby, desire the pure spiritual milk of the word. Nourished by it, you will grow into salvation.” Instead of relying on yourselves, turn to God. Recognize the newness of your faith and invest in its growth. Delve into the practices that will help your faith to grow. These disciplines would include prayer and meditation, worship and fellowship, studying God’s word, service, and even fasting. These things grow our faith.

The reality we experience when growing our faith reveals that it is non-linear. The progress is unsteady. We often fail early on. As we grow in our faith, though, we start to take more steps forward than backward. We realize again and again that the thing we’ve always done, well, it is sin. We confess it and strive to repent and grow. We start to see things undone or unspoken as sins of omission and we begin to live more faithfully, more boldly. Yet we never “arrive.” We can always be a little closer to Jesus than we were yesterday. Day by day may we strive to be more like Jesus in all ways. Yes, O God, may it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, open our eyes, hearts, and minds to the ways that you seek to draw us deeper into faith. Guide and strengthen us as we continue to work out our salvation. Amen.


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Faithful, to the End

Reading: Acts 7:55-60

Acts 7:59 – “Lord Jesus, receive my life!”

Photo credit: Alex Woods

Soon after Jesus’ death, the church began to form and grow. The apostles and disciples of Jesus began to meet, to worship, to care for others, and to share the good news. The gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost empowered the community of faith. Many were coming to a saving faith in Jesus. One of those filled with the Holy Spirit was Stephen. He spoke boldly and healed people in the name of Jesus. For this he was brought before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council. Instead of backing down or recanting or being silenced, he boldly proclaimed Jesus as Lord to them. Fueled by the Spirit, Stephen looked up and saw heaven opened with Jesus standing at God’s right side. This proclamation triggers his death by stoning.

Facing this horrible death, Stephen prays, “Lord Jesus, accept my life!” His trust in Jesus is complete. His belief in his eternal destination is sure. In both of these ways, he offers one more powerful witness to Jesus. Trust and surety in the face of death remains a powerful witness today. In times present to those nearing death, I’ve seen people’s faith shine and I’ve heard their trust in the destination. There is a calm, a strength, a peace evident in those with faith.

In addition to all of this, Stephen showed grace. As he was dying, he shouted, “Lord, don’t hold this sin against them!” One last, powerful witness to God’s love and grace. Stephen served his Lord faithfully, right to the end. May it be so for us all.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for Stephen’s faithful witness. Move us by the same Holy Spirit. While we may never face death for our faith, Lord empower us to be strong and bold when needed. In ways small and perhaps large, guide us to profess our faith in you and to stand for all that is good and just and right and holy. Amen.


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Devoted?

Reading: Acts 2:42-45

Acts 2:43 – “A sense of awe came over everyone. God performed many wonders and signs through the apostles.”

Today and tomorrow we walk with the early, early church. The Holy Spirit has just come upon the apostles and other believers. In the opening verse we see what the first “church” was like. They studied the word of God and the example of Jesus. They gathered regularly to be in fellowship and to share meals. They spent time in prayer. To all of these practices of faith, “they devoted themselves.”

Before pressing on in the passage, we must ask ourselves a few questions. Does this sound like your church or community of faith? Are the people in your community of faith devoted to these practices? And are you, an important part of the body of faith, are you personally devoted to giving daily and regular attention to these practices of the faith? Devotion to the spiritual disciplines, as individuals and as a community of faith, it is a necessity if verse 43 is to be realized in and amongst us.

In verse 43 we read, “A sense of awe came over everyone. God performed many wonders and signs through the apostles.” The sense of awe and the signs and wonders – these are the actions of God. We cannot in any way manufacture these things. The awe, signs, and wonders are, if you will, God’s “response” to our faithful devotion. When we are faithful to the practices of our faith, we open ourselves up to God working and acting in our lives and in our faith communities. The Spirit at work then leads to unity, to caring well for one another, and to the revelation of God’s goodness in the world. These faith practices will, in turn, lead to adding to the community “those being saved.” So, again, the questions: Are you and is your faith community devoted to these regular practices of the faith?

Prayer: Lord God, pour out your Holy Spirit upon us, upon our faith communities, and upon our neighborhoods. Filled with your Spirit, increase our devotion: to you, to the example of Jesus, to the community of faith, and to the unsaved world. Draw us day by day closer to you so that you may use us and our communities of faith in more and more transformational ways. Amen.


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Seeing into the Heart

Reading: 1st Samuel 16:1-13

1st Samuel 16:7b – “God doesn’t look at things like humans do. Humans see only what is visible to the eyes, but the Lord sees into the heart.”

Photo credit: Shane Rounce

In our Old Testament reading we go with Samuel to Bethlehem. God is sending the prophet there to anoint Israel’s next king. Saul is still king, but God is no longer pleased with Saul. It’s dangerous to anoint the next king while the current king is ruling. God is with Samuel, though. Following God’s instructions, Samuel arrives at Jesse’s house. Jesse’s line will bring Israel its next king.

Eliab, the oldest son, stands front and center. Looking at him, Samuel thinks he’s the one. Eliab’s appearance and stature must’ve impressed Samuel. But God informs Samuel, “God doesn’t look at things like humans do. Humans see only what is visible to the eyes, but the Lord sees into the heart.” Ah, the heart – that is what truly matters. Samuel gets it. It is Samuel that passes over the next six sons. None have the heart to be a great king. So he asks if there are any more sons. The one out tending the sheep is brought in – the youngest. God says, “That’s the one.” David is anointed as Israel’s next king. The Spirit of the Lord comes upon him.

Considering the lesson in today’s passage, we must first ask ourselves: Who do we overlook? To get at the root of it, we must also ask: Who do we judge by appearance or reputation or position? From this place of reflection, we must next ask: To really accept and practice God’s invitation to see into the heart, what needs to change in us? And, lastly, again reflecting on our own heart, we must ask: Who is missing in our churches, on our leadership teams, at our fellowship tables that should be there for our communities of faith to truly reflected our neighborhoods and the kingdom of God?

Prayer: Lord God, the Eliab’s of this world are easy to see – they usually make sure of it. The David’s are harder to see. The right heart, the one humbly doing what needs done – they are the ones we often have to look for. So, Lord, open our eyes and guide our hearts to see these servants. Then, Lord, remove our preconceived notions and ideas. Send us out into the fields and streets and marketplaces, seeking to include all people in our communities of faith and in your beloved kingdom. Amen.


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Kingdom of Love

Reading: John 9:18-41

John 9:41 – “If you were blind you wouldn’t have any sin, but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.”

As the story of the healing of the blind man continues, we see the dangers of holding “power over.” The power the religious leaders hold over the man’s parents and many others causes fear and dishonesty. This reminds me of the guilt and shame many churches is used to employ to force obedience. This is still used today in some churches. The use of power over separates, divides, weakens, harms.

Jesus, by contrast, uses power under. He lifts up and welcomes. He seeks to build community and a sense of belonging and worth. In the healing process, Jesus takes the first steps and then empowers the blind man to take the step of faith that brings physical healing to his eyes. And later, after hearing of what happened to the man under the guise of being religiously correct, Jesus seeks the man out. Jesus once again empowers the man to take the step of faith. Jesus places the power to believe, to choose Jesus as Lord in the man’s hands. This restores worth and dignity. It is an invitation into community and relationship. It’s not a command or a guilt trip.

Starting in verse 38, Jesus addresses the religious leaders who seek to hold power over others. Jesus declares that he came to “exercise judgment” by opening blind eyes and by exposing those who think that they see and know the will and way of God. The Pharisees recognize that he is talking about them. Jesus responds, “If you were blind you wouldn’t have any sin, but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.” They have seen the healing, the lifting up, the love that fuels the exercise of power under. They choose to hold onto the ways of the world, being blind to the true kingdom of God. They do not choose to see all people as worthy of God’s (and their) love. They do not choose to see all people as ones created in God’s image. My friends, may we choose to live with eyes and hearts wide open to Jesus’ kingdom of love and to the outcomes of practicing power under others – building community, instilling worth and belonging, making space at the table, loving without strings. May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, we pray today for those who continue to exercise power over others – those in government, in business, and in the church. Change these hearts to be hearts of love, lifting and empowering others. Use us, O God, to help initiate this change. With your power lifting us up, may we bring justice, community, belonging to others and to our world. Through your love, unite us as your children in the blessed community. Amen.