pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

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Faith Over Fear

Reading: Exodus 1:8-14

Exodus 1:13 – “The Egyptians enslaved the Israelites. They made their lives miserable.”

Today’s passage of power is one where fear guides the new Pharaoh’s thoughts and actions. This is not an uncommon reaction. Fear often distorts our perception of reality and leads us to think and do things we would not do otherwise. In today’s passage, this is the case with the new king. There is no personal connection to Joseph or to the Israelites. Therefore they have no value or worth as a people. This allows Pharaoh to treat them as things or as property: “The Egyptians enslaved the Israelites. They made their lives miserable.” While we do not literally enslave people we fear, we as a society can treat those that we see as “less than” in similar ways, making life miserable. Even though their life became miserable, God remained with the Israelites. The same is true for people groups today who are negatively impacted by our fears.

As the story of God’s people continues to unfold, fear and its cousins – anger, doubt, worry, anxiety… – continue to impact their story. Moses’ anger leads to murder. Fear leads him to flee. Jumping forward, Saul’s fear of David leads to attempted murder. Fast forward again. The Pharisees’ fear of Jesus leads to his death. These are but a few of the Biblical stories where fear alters perception and leads to people using power over others in evil and harmful ways.

Fear is not an uncommon visitor to our lives. Our own fears affect us and others’ fears can impact us. Fear can come from an unexpected diagnosis or from another unwanted change. Fear can rise up from misunderstandings and stereotypes. Fear can rise up when we feel threatened or in danger. Faith is the antidote to fear. Faith allows us to hear God’s voice in the unknown. Faith leads us to see the true reality and to trust it to God. Faith keeps us in the present moment, grounded in love and hope. We have the power to choose. May we choose faith over fear.

Prayer: Lord God, faith is a choice. When fear rises, our human nature wants to jump to fight or flight. Instead, Lord, bring us to a place of trust and faith, to a place of peace and presence. From there, walk us through the hard moment. Guide us to lean into your love for us. Amen.


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Stepping Out

Reading: Matthew 14:28-33

Matthew 14:28 – “Lord, if it’s you, order me to come to you on the water.”

Reading the rest of the “Walking on the Water” story today, we see Peter being brave and faithful. He calls out to Jesus, steps out of the boat, and walks on water. The Old Testament describes God doing this. Jesus is now doing it. And now Peter does it. What a brave and faithful heart he has to call out and to step out. For a few steps, Peter was doing what Jesus was doing.

There are times in our lives when we sense or see Jesus’ presence or call. We desire to step out of our comfort zone and into the ministry opportunity before us. Once in a while perhaps we’re actually brave and faithful enough to step out in faith. Maybe it is to extend on offer of reconciliation in that broken relationship. Maybe it is to serve in a new role in your church or in a service organization.

As Peter is walking, yes, he notices the wind and likely the waves it is generating. He gets frightened and he begins to sink. Crying out to Jesus, Peter is rescued. Have you ever done this? Ever started to do something brave for God, then had second thoughts, doubts, fears? Maybe you only got out of the house or just started to dial the phone and fear rose up. Yet it was a few steps. It was a start in the right direction.

When Peter first saw Jesus, he said, “Lord, if it’s you, order me to come to you on the water.” Step one is a willingness. It requires a bravery and a desire to faithfully serve God and others. Each time we step out, our faith strengthens and deepens. Soon enough, we’ll take a few more steps – more than the last time. Trusting in the Lord, may we continue to step out in faith, learning to walk where Jesus walked.

Prayer: Lord God, open our eyes to the opportunities that you bring our way. Open our hearts to a deeper and bolder faith. Fill us with confidence, knowing that as we step out, you are there with us – ready to walk with us or to rescue us so that we can step out again. Amen.


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I AM Is with Us

Reading: Matthew 14:22-27

Matthew 14:27 – “Be encouraged! It’s me. Don’t be afraid.”

Turning to our gospel lesson, Jesus has just fed 5,000 men plus women and children. His focus returns to why he originally came to this deserted place: to grieve the beheading of John the Baptist. And perhaps to wrestle with his coming fate as his hour too draws near. Jesus sends the disciples across the lake in a boat and then dismisses the crowd. Finally alone, he ascends the mountain to pray. Jesus spends the night in prayer.

The disciples spent the night battling a storm. Maybe there was some praying going on in the boat too. We read that very early in the morning, Jesus came to the disciples, walking in the water. In the storm, the waves, the early morning light, the disciples think Jesus is a ghost. Only God walks on the waters. They are “terrified.” Responding to their fear, Jesus shouts out, “Be encouraged! It’s me. Don’t be afraid.” Do not fear – the power and presence of God almighty is here with you. Take courage – you are not alone. I AM is with you.

In times of sorrow and grief, in moments of fear and doubt, in situations where we are unsure or paralyzed, may we do as the human Jesus did: pray to God. Get alone if necessary and enter into a time of honest conversation with God. And in the storms of life, in the long hours of struggle, in the days of oppression or addiction or abuse, may we trust in what the disciples came to know: I AM is with us. God is always here. God’s power and presence are always with us. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: Lord God, draw us into your sure and strong presence. In times when we feel powerless, pour out your power. In moments when we feel alone, pour out your abiding Spirit. Lead us and guide us, protect us, and provide a way. Thank you, Lord. Amen.


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A Sacred Encounter

Reading: Genesis 32:22-24

Genesis 32:24 – “But Jacob stayed apart by himself, and a man wrestled with him until dawn broke.”

Photo credit: Mitchel Lensink

As we begin, some context from the start of chapter 32. Jacob is returning home. He is doing as God directed. As he gets close he hears that Esau is approaching with 400 soldiers. Esau is the one who had his birth rite stolen by Jacob. When Jacob fled, Esau was threatening murder. In fear and terror Jacob comes up with a plan. If Esau can’t be bought off, maybe some will escape while the rest are captured or killed or… Then Jacob prays for safety, even as he tries to barter with God. He then adds a level of security for himself. As we turn to our reading for today, we see that Jacob places all that is his – wives, children, servants, livestock – across the Jabbok River and retreats back across – alone.

Alone – just where he needs to be right now to encounter God. In verse 24 we read, “But Jacob stayed apart by himself, and a man wrestled with him until dawn broke.” This is much more than a physical struggle. Likely in response to Jacob’s prayers, wheeling and dealing, and scheming, God has come to wrestle with Jacob spiritually. In the wrestling, God confronts Jacob’s fears, lack of faith and trust, and his prideful, sinful ways. In the end, after transformation, Jacob refuses to let go of God. The physical and spiritual have come together. Once blessed, renamed “Israel,” he will face the day knowing that God is with him.

When we find time and space to be alone with God, to lay our fears, doubts, and worries before God, we too will find that God is ready to wrestle with us. God will meet us at our point of need and will help us to wrestle through, transforming us and our faith. Making time and space for a sacred encounter, we can count on our faithful God to show up and to work in us. May we trust in our faithful, loving God.

Prayer: Lord God, draw us into times and places where we can encounter your presence. Still our racing, often fearful, minds and hearts so that we can receive what you have to say and give. With open hearts and minds, transform us, bringing us to a place of deeper faith and greater trust. Thank you, Lord. Amen.


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Gather the Weeds

Reading: Matthew 13:24-30

Matthew 13:30b – “First gather the weeds and tie them together in bundles to be burned.”

Today we turn to the “Parable of the Weeds.” Tomorrow we read Jesus’ explanation. Today we’ll focus on a personal application level that deviates slightly from standard interpretation. Tomorrow we’ll expand out to the more traditional understanding and out to the communal level.

Each morning – or most mornings! – we get up and pray and read our Bibles and ponder a devotional or two. Maybe we practice our faith in the evenings or midday instead. Once or twice a week we go to church for worship or to participate in a small group class. In each of these ways we are planting good seeds in our hearts. On occasion we help a neighbor in need or volunteer somewhere or visit a friend who is sick. Although these acts are other-centered, these practices also plant good seeds in our hearts.

And then an unwanted change comes our way. Or maybe it is an unexpected diagnosis. Perhaps someone speaks an unkind word or a stinging criticism. Each of these things and many more have the potential to derail our walk of faith. They can create stress or worry or doubt or anger or mistrust or… and can cause division and hurt and possibly even put an end to a relationship. These are the weeds that we suddenly find growing in our hearts. We don’t intentionally plant them there, but they do take root. In these cases, Jesus gives us an important reminder: “First gather the weeds and tie them together in bundles to be burned.” Daily tending to these “weeds” prevents them from becoming enmeshed in our hearts. May it be so for you and for me.

Prayer: Lord God, all sorts of unwanted things can grow in our hearts if not tended daily. While not all are “evil,” they can still distract us from tending to our relationships with you and with one another. When still a really small shoot, anger and other “weeds” can more easily be cared for. So help us, O God, to be diligent daily, paying close attention to these “small” matters. Before roots become enmeshed in our hearts, guide us deal with temptation and sin. Amen.


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Go, Disciple, Baptize, Teach

Reading: Matthew 28:18-20

Matthew 28:19-20 – “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them… teaching them to obey.”

Yesterday we pondered doubt. But what if the doubt wasn’t about God or Jesus? What if the doubt was about themselves, about their ability to carry on the work of Jesus? Perhaps the disciples sensed that this was the last time they’d see the risen Christ. Like Joshua staring down the fears of what lay ahead in the Promised Land, maybe all of these disciples of Jesus were questioning their place in the building of a kingdom here on earth. This is a doubt that we frequently feel and face too.

In verse 18 Jesus declares, “I’ve received all authority in heaven and on earth.” All things are under Jesus’ authority, power, and control. The fears of the authorities? The doubt within? The unsurety of what comes next? Surrender it all to Jesus’ authority. Trust it all to his power. And believe that his authority is your authority because he lives in you.

Next comes the Great Commission, the marching orders. Jesus says, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them… teaching them to obey.” Go and disciple others, revealing Jesus’ light and love, using words when necessary (thanks St. Francis of Assisi.) As people come to know Jesus and to believe in him as Lord and Savior, baptize them “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Baptism is the entry point for the Spirit’s presence in the heart of a new believer. This presence brings with it Jesus’ authority. The last step is to teach them more and more about Jesus so that their obedience grows and grows. As we live out these steps, we too continue to grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for your constant presence and your unconditional love. Reassure us when we doubt ourselves, reminding us of your power and presence within us. By that same Holy Spirit within, lead us and guide us to disciple others, growing ourselves in the process. Empower us with the authority of Jesus, trusting that nothing in this world can ever defeat the power of your love. Amen.


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Doubt

Reading: Matthew 28:16-17

Matthew 28:17 – “When they saw him, they worshipped him, but some doubted.”

Photo credit: Kim West

Turning to our gospel lesson to end the week, Jesus has some final words for the eleven disciples. They meet Jesus one last time, on a mountain in Galilee – the place that the woman who had been at the tomb told them to go. The disciples worshipped Jesus, “but some doubted.” Maybe you are wondering how they could doubt. These disciples spent three years with Jesus, hearing his teachings, seeing the miracles. Stacked on top of that, there have been multiple encounters with the risen Christ over the last forty days. Yet some – maybe most – doubted.

Well, here’s the truth: I’ve walked with Jesus way longer than three years and forty days and there are still times of doubt. There are moments and even seasons when I question my faith or the  things I believe or don’t believe. There are times when I question my worthiness or when I question God’s love for me. Yes, these times lessen as I walk longer and longer with Jesus, but they don’t fully disappear. My faith will never be 100% sure, 100% of the time.

And a second truth: doubt is not all bad. In one of my greatest seasons of doubt, I wrestled hard with my faith. God in Spirit walked with me, leading and guiding, refining and strengthening my faith. The times of doubt and the questions that often follow usually work this way – if we turn into God instead of away from God. So when doubt arises, and it will, may we turn to the Lord our God, to the one who is faithful in all situations and at all times.

Prayer: Lord God, while we would never invite seasons of doubt into our journeys of faith, we do thank you for these times of questioning and growth. We also thank you for your steadfast love that never leaves us in our doubt. Out of your great love, you answer our doubt, increasing our faith. Thank you, O God. 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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The Questions of Lent

Readings: Genesis 2:15-17 and Genesis 3:1-7

Genesis 3:1b – “Did God really say that you shouldn’t eat from any tree in the garden?”

Our passage today begins with God giving Adam a purpose: to farm and take care of the garden. In this place of great abundance, Adam is given all that he needs. Of all the abundance, he is denied just one thing: “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” This scene made me wonder, how many “one thing” moments have I had? I quickly run out of fingers as I recall times when I’ve had all I needed yet chased after or at least really longed for that one thing I didn’t have. Almost always this was from a place or greed or lust or insecurity… How about you? How many moments can you recall?

As we turn to chapter 3, the serpent enters the picture. Viewed as Satan since the time of the earliest Jewish writers, the evil one says to Eve, “Did God really say that you shouldn’t eat from any tree in the garden?” Satan begins by planting a seed of doubt. Can you hear the emphasis on the word “really?” The seed is watered with half-truths until it grows into desire. Eve takes and eats the fruit that looks beautiful and delicious. Adam partakes too. Eyes opened, they see as Satan saw them. They felt vulnerable and naked and ashamed and they try to cover all this up. This scene feels too familiar.

The season of Lent is about looking within and honestly assessing that which must die within us so that we can live for Christ instead of for self. What looks beautiful and delicious that brings ugliness and bitterness instead? What do I long for or lust after that will never truly satisfy? These are the questions of Lent. In turn, what honest questions do you need to ask yourself?

Prayer: Lord God, Adam and Eve’s story is my story. It is the story of humanity, of us all. There is always a part of us that desires that which harms us or lessens us or leaves us empty. When Satan whispers into our ears or hearts, remind us that you are all we need. Your love, your care, your provision – all we need and more. Strengthen and encourage us to trust in these truths. Turn us to your Spirit when temptation rises. Guide us to place our whole self in your hands. Amen.


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Grounded in Love

Reading: Matthew 17:7-13

Matthew 17:9 – “Don’t tell anybody about the vision until the Human One is raised from the dead.”

Reading the second half of this week’s gospel lesson, Jesus puts God’s admonition about listening to work. Jesus first tells the disciples to “Get up.” These first words are practical. To go back down the mountain, to return to the world, they must get up. Often the first things we need to listen to are the simple things: go visit, make the call, cover the rent, make the meal, send the text, but the groceries… Taking the first step of faith leads to the next step.

Jesus then says, “Don’t be afraid.” To not be afraid requires trust and belief. This second step goes beyond the practical. It requires stepping out or into a situation that might be tense or emotional or difficult or sorrowful or… Going to the home or to the hospital or to the jail or… can raise up fears, doubts, anxiety, worry, unease. When Jesus tells us to “go,” we can be assured that he goes with us.

Lastly in today’s passage, Jesus says, “Don’t tell anybody about the vision until the Human One is raised from the dead.” Many in the world are not ready to hear that Jesus is indeed the all-powerful and all-mighty God-in-the-flesh. After miracles some have flirted with the idea of making Jesus their earthly king. This is not Jesus’ purpose. He is not on earth to destroy and exert power over others. His kingship is grounded in love, in lifting others up, in healing our lives and world. His way of love transforms us, most often working from the inside out. As we listen and follow, Jesus offers us guidance and direction, comfort and strength, peace and assurance, hope and joy, and love. As we walk with Jesus in Spirit, we share these gifts with the world.

Prayer: Lord God, help us first to see where you call us and then to be willing to go where you send us. Fill us with your Holy Spirit power, easing our fears and doubts, giving us the words to say and the actions to take. Go with us as we bear your love as our light. In and through us, transform our world and our lives with your love. Amen.