pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: faith


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A Word to Share

Reading: 2nd Peter 1:19-21

2nd Peter 1:21 – “No prophecy ever came by human will. Instead, men and women led by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”

As we read the second half of this week’s 2nd Peter 1 passage, we first encounter an admonition from Peter. We recall from Wednesday’s reading that what he has to say is not some “crafty myth.” It is not something he heard from a friend of a friend of an acquaintance either. This is Peter’s personal eyewitness account of the experience and words that came from God. So, readers, “you would do well to pay attention to it.”

The transfiguration of Jesus was prophesied long ago. Both Daniel and Malachi foretold this moment. Both were speaking and then recording words that God gave them. Peter connects this to his experience on that mountaintop and to his life as he writes, “No prophecy ever came by human will. Instead, men and women led by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” This remains true. We cannot generate a word from God on our own. A word from God is a gift revealed by and through God and the Spirit. As we are given the words (or nudges…) and are given divine direction or understanding, it is then that “the morning star [Jesus] rises in our hearts” too.

These encounters with the divine hold great power. Often we do not fully understand or see how God was speaking or working in the moment. Only with a bit of time do we comprehend how God’s spirit gave us the words or guided the event, the conversation, the journey. On Tuesday morning a women shared her story with me and two friends at a coffee shop. She lost most of her roof in a 100+ mph wind storm one night – all but the roof over her bedroom. She then recounted piece by piece the ways that God has been present that night and in the days that followed. The Spirit opened her eyes to see God’s hand at work. There was joy and power in her story. Her faith was alive and bursting forth. What story or word of God do you have to share?

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for your word spoken in scripture and for your presence in our lives yet today. Continue to reveal your glory to us in powerful ways, fueling our witness to the world. Open our eyes and hearts to these moments, big and small, when you become present in our lives and in our world. Open our minds to understand and to share our faith stories and encounters. Amen.


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God Moments

Reading: 2nd Peter 1:16-18

2nd Peter 1:16b – “We witnessed his majesty with our own eyes.”

Photo credit: Sharon McCutcheon

Reading part of this week’s Epistle passage today, we are reminded of our transfiguration reading from yesterday and of our mountaintop experience of Moses from our Exodus reading on Monday. Peter proclaims that they are not using “crafty myths” to tell the story of the good news of Jesus Christ. He then professes, “We witnessed his majesty with our own eyes.” Personal witness is powerful. Yes, it is good to be able to explain Jesus’ teachings and to help others understand how Jesus died and rose again, all to save us from our sin and to open the way to eternal life. Our most powerful witness, however, comes when we personally share what Jesus has done and is doing for us and in our life. That story preaches.

Peter recalls the voice that came from the cloud, from the “magnificent glory.” He remembers the words that he heard: “dearly loved Son… well-pleased.” It all happened, there on that holy mountain. If one listens and looks closely, one can imagine the light of Christ that shines in Peter as he recalls this God moment. It was similar with Moses each time he came down the mountain, equipped with a word from God. He was literally aglow with God’s presence. When we share our own God stories, we too begin to shine with the light of Christ. When we tell our own story, whether visible or felt, the intensity of the light of Christ within us grows.

Like the prophets of old, when we enter into God’s presence – whether on a holy mountaintop, deep in a dark valley, or in the ordinary of life – we are given something to share: a story, a prayer, a word of God. In these moments of glory revealed, we are being equipped and empowered to be a light for others. May we use our God moments to build our faith and to help others along in their walks of faith.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the moments of grace – in a balcony in high school, in the cemetery in college, in the Promise Keepers prayer room, in the moment after death, in the random Sunday when tears of joy flow… Thank you for the moments that you’ve blessed others with too. Lord, guide these moments to be moments shared with others seeking you. Use us to witness to your glorious presence in our own lives, opening windows for others to see and experience you through. Amen.


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A Word, An Answer, Direction…

Reading: Exodus 24:12-14

Exodus 24:12 – “Come up to me on the mountain and wait there.”

Photo credit: David Marcu

This week we go to the mountain. In all four readings the divine or holy become present on the mountain. Ancient writers often placed deity on mountain tops. It was the home of the gods. For Moses, out there in the desert, the mountaintop was a practical reality too. In the expanse of sand, it was identifiable. In our Exodus story, God says to Moses, Come up to me on the mountain and wait there.” Moses is once again invited into God’s presence and then is instructed to wait. On a personal level we too are invited into God’s presence. And at times we too must wait on God – for a word, for an answer, for direction…

Moses is told that God will give him some instructions – ten of them – that will be written on stone tablets. Moses is then to take these rules for life back down the mountain. He is to return to life amongst the people to teach them to live according to these ten commands that establish God’s will and way. As we are invited into God’s presence – in worship, in prayer, in fasting, in study – we too will learn and grow in our knowledge and love of God. We will then be sent as disciples to teach others about God.

As Moses prepares to go up the mountain, he instructs the people to wait. Wait for our return. Wait with Aaron and Hur. Wait for us to share our experience with God. We’re asked to wait at times. It is not always easy to wait. To wait upon God calls for us to trust and to be patient. In the waiting, may we sense God’s presence with us.

Prayer: Lord God, to wait, to trust, to be patient – not always easy but often necessary. Be present to us in Spirit in those times when we must wait to hear your word, answer, direction, guidance, encouragement, assurance… Remind us that you have the plan. Help us to understand that you voice, your whisper, your nudge… will come when we are ready to receive it. Thank you, God. Amen.


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Answer the Call

Reading: Matthew 5:17-20

Matthew 5:19b – “But whoever keeps these commands and teaches others to keep them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

Turning to verses 17-20 today, Jesus connects being salt and light to fulfilling the words of the Law and the prophets. Jesus came as God in the flesh, as one who would model God’s heart being lived out in the world. In Jesus’ words and actions, we see the depth and breadth of God’s love, mercy, and grace. To get an idea of how Jesus teaches us to fulfill the Law, read the rest of chapter 5.

Returning to today’s reading, Jesus then declares that those who ignore God’s heart and who teach others to do the same, they will be “the lowest in the kingdom of heaven.” Later in our passage, we see that Jesus is speaking of the overtly religious of his day. The Pharisees and legal experts knew the letter of the Law inside out. The living out of the heart of the Law was where they struggled. In the context of yesterday’s reading, they knew what it meant to be salt and light, but they were not being salt and light.

Jesus then proclaims, “But whoever keeps these commands and teaches others to keep them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” To keep the heart of God as one’s guide in all of life, this is our call. We teach best by example. That was Jesus’ model. The Law is centered on love – God’s love for all of us, our love for God, our love for neighbor. It is love that guides us and leads us to be people of mercy, grace, forgiveness, hope, repentance, generosity, justice, humility… This is the righteousness that Jesus describes. It is the righteousness that God calls us to. May we answer the call every day.

Prayer: Lord God, help us to not just be hearers but also doers. Yes, we know we are to love you and to love neighbor. Move us beyond our head knowledge, out into the world. Shape and form us to be people who love practically and tangibly, who practice grace and forgiveness in every opportunity. Use us to restore broken relationships and to redeem unjust practices and systems. In these ways, may your righteousness and glory be revealed to the world. Amen.


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Being and Doing

Reading: Matthew 5:13-16

Matthew 5:13… 14 – “You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world.”

Returning to the Sermon on the Mount today and tomorrow, Jesus declares first that we are salt and light for the world. We begin with a question: Is Jesus talking about our being or about how we are to act in the world? Are we light or are we to be light?

As there should be a connection between our being and doing, the answer is “both.” We are salt and light. Our faith flavors all aspects of our life. Our faith is the light that guides us to walk as Christ calls us to walk. Our salt and light are not just for our benefit, though. We are to act and be in the world in ways that flavor or season the world around us. Just as salt makes food taste better, so too should our faith make the world a better place. In the same way, the light of Christ that is within us should shine out into the world, helping others to see the way that they too are called to be and to walk in the world.

We are also reminded today of what happens when we do not live our faith out in the world. People get trampled under foot. People get lost in the darkness of this world. These things should not be so. Instead, may we let our faith be known, seen, and tasted, so that people “can see the good things you do and praise your father who is in heaven.”

Prayer: Lord God, be present in us, flavoring our lives with your love, grace, mercy, peace, joy, compassion, hope… Let your light shine upon injustice, oppression, marginalization, violence, addiction… moving our hands and feet into action against the darkness of our world. Use our actions and words, O Lord, to do and to bring good into the world. Amen.


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A Growing Love

Reading: 1st Corinthians 2:6-16

1st Corinthians 2:10 – “God revealed these things to us through the Spirit.”

Picking up in 1st Corinthians 2 today we return to threads from last week’s reading in chapter 1. The wisdom of God is available to those who are “spiritual.” This wisdom is an ancient wisdom that has been present since “before time began.” Therefore this wisdom does not come from “today’s leaders,” then or now. This is the wisdom that “God has prepared… for those who love him.” And of great consequence, “God revealed these things to us through the Spirit.” It is through the Spirit that we “know the things given to us by God” and that we receive “words taught by the Spirit.” To those yet living by the ways of the world, these things remain “foolishness.”

This open line of communication holds great power. The Spirit knows our hearts and minds intimately because the Spirit dwells in the hearts of those who love God. Acting with this knowledge, the Holy Spirit seeks to lead and guide us deeper into relationship with God and with one another. Internally the Spirit leads and guides our prayers, our Bible study, our meditations and thoughts concerning the things of God. Through these internal practices we grow in our knowledge of God, and, more importantly, we grow in our love of God.

Our growing love of God naturally leads to a growing love of neighbor. This is reflected in our external behaviors – in the words we speak, in the actions we take, in the sins we increasingly repent of. In these ways we are being God’s light and love to the world. As the Spirit lives and works in and through us, we love deeper and we shine brighter. Doing so we reveal the glory of God to the world, drawing others towards God, starting them on the path of making sense of what was once “foolishness.” By our witness and example, may God in Christ be glorified.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit that works both in us and through us. Lead and guide us to be both receptive and responsive. As your Spirit fills us with love and wisdom and as your Spirit reveals our gifts to us, take us out into the world to share this love and to employ our gifts to bring healing and wholeness to our world. Amen.


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The Power and Presence

Reading: 1st Corinthians 2:1-5

1st Corinthians 2:4 – “My message and my preaching weren’t presented with convincing wise words but with a demonstration of the Spirit and power.”

Photo credit: Kate Remmer

As we begin the first of two days in 1st Corinthians 2, Paul reveals how the wisdom and power of God works in everyday lives. Paul did not come to Corinth preaching with big, fancy words. He did not come with well-polished speeches produced by professional writers. Paul’s focus was first and foremost on Jesus Christ, then on presenting Jesus as crucified (and resurrected and alive.) His attitude was not one of superiority or arrogance. No, Paul recalls how he was there with “weakness, fear, and a lot of shaking.” That can be the feeling when we too are relying on the Holy Spirit to show up and move in and amongst us.

Paul chooses to meet his audience where they are at. Remember, Paul was a “Pharisee amongst Pharisees.” He certainly could have used big words and waxed on eloquently. But, at some point, even in the right intellectual circles, this human wisdom runs out, it falls short. The power of the cross that flows through the Holy Spirit – it is boundless and endless. It can rescue the greatest sinner and it can humble the most arrogant saint. This is because the Spirit meets us where we are at and, if we are willing, will take us where we need to go.

Again and again Paul has personally experienced the power and presence of Christ through the Holy Spirit. This is the foundation of his faith and of his preaching. We too have experienced the power and presence of the Holy Spirit many times in our lives. May this be our foundation as we “preach” Christ to the world, whether in word or deed. May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, the essence of you and of who you are resides in our hearts, not in our minds. So as we go out into the world today, guide us to speak and act from the heart, allowing your love, compassion, empathy, grace, peace, hope… to flow into other people’s lives. May our “argument” be guided and fueled and driven by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit living in us. By this power and presence use us to build your kingdom here on earth. Amen.


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Forever Faithful

Reading: Psalm 112

Psalm 112:7 – “They won’t be frightened at bad news. Their hearts are steady, trusting in the Lord.”

Photo credit: Felipe Correia

Psalm 112 describes the outcomes of a righteous life. Our passage today echoes many of the themes and calls that we’ve been reading about and pondering these past few weeks. From the Beatitudes to Micah and Isaiah to the letters of Paul and on into today’s Psalm, themes of mercy, justice, and faithful love resound. Actions reverberate throughout these texts and, in fact, in all of God’s word: obedience to God alone, being a light in the darkness, walking steadfastly with the Lord.

The psalmist begins by declaring that those who love God’s commands are “truly happy.” Their hunger and thirst for God leads them and their descendants to righteous living. The faithful will “shine in the dark” and will be guided by mercy and compassion. The followers of God will be generous and will conduct themselves always with justice. In all these ways, the faithful take on the attributes and character of the God they worship with their whole lives.

Walking humbly with God, “these sorts of people” are not shaken. They are steady and true. With firm hearts and a steady faith, their relationship with God guides them through troubles and “bad news.” As it was in Jesus’ words and in Paul’s writings, this abiding faith, this trust in God, this selfless and humble way of life, it is frustrating to those living by the ways of the world. But this will come to nothing. Our righteousness will “stand forever.” Thanks be to the Lord our God!

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the reminder today. Thank you for lifting up our call to faithful living, day by day, moment by moment. Guide us to be faithful in all of our ways – in a discrete act of kindness, in a powerful grace in a difficult situation, in bold courage as we walk through the storm. Strengthen and encourage us, Lord, when our faith is challenged – both from within and without. Walk with us each day. Lead and guide us to be forever faithful. All for your glory and praise. Amen.


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All Because of Me

Reading: Matthew 5:10-12

Matthew 5:11 – “Happy are you when people insult you and harass you and speak all kinds of bad and false things about you, all because of me.”

As we read on in the Beatitudes today, Jesus invites us to stand for righteousness. Although standing for what is right and just in the world will bring harassment, insult, lies, slander, and worse, to stand for what is right remains the call of the faithful. Jesus encourages us to “be full of joy and be glad” in these times of standing for what is right and just, “because you have a great reward in heaven.”

How might one find joy and gladness when harassed, insulted…? We find joy and gladness in the midst of suffering evil because we are following Jesus’ words and example. In the scriptures we find this lived out again and again. Today Stephen and Paul come to mind. Stephen was stoned to death for proclaiming Jesus as Lord and Savior. He offered joyful praise and extended mercy to his killers as they hurled the stones. Paul writes again and again of joyfully serving Christ even when in chains, after being beaten… The joy and gladness comes through the presence of the risen Christ in the midst of insult, harassment, falsehoods… “all because of me.”

We see this lived out today as people stand against injustice and harassment and false narratives. We see it today as people stand and speak against the abusive power over being applied in the streets of our nation. We see it in our prayers that express our solidarity with those in harm’s way, those who are joyfully being the presence of Christ, placing themselves against these evils. Lord, be present in Spirit, to lead and to guide, to protect and to strengthen.

Prayer: Lord God, in the times, places, and spaces where insult, harassment, and falsehoods are the reality, strengthen and encourage your people to stand and speak for what is just and right and good. For those not physically present, lead and guide the prayers of your people and all else that can be offered as support and encouragement. Heal our land, O God. Pour out your peace and righteousness. Amen.


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What a Blessing!

Reading: Matthew 5:1-9

Matthew 5:9 – “Happy are people who make peace, because they will be called God’s children.”

Turning to this week’s gospel lesson for today and tomorrow, Matthew sets the scene: crowds gather so Jesus goes up a mountain, sits down, and begins to teach. Matthew tells us, “his disciples came to him.” We don’t know if the crowd came along too. This leaves us to wonder: if you’d been in the crowd that has heard the good news proclaimed and has seen the healings, would you hike up the mountain too?

Verses 3-9 hold the start of the “Beatitudes.” These statements begin a long teaching known as “The Sermon on the Mount.” Running through chapter 7, this is the longest teaching from Jesus found in the gospels. Traditionally the Beatitudes are seen as gifts or blessings. Other translations begin each statement with “Blessed are…” Perhaps these phrases are also invitations. Seen this way, these statements lay out Jesus’ desires for his followers. Marching orders!

So, who are those that Jesus identifies as “happy” or “blessed?” They are hopeless in this world, so must rely on God. They are mourning and grieving, so they are fully present to one another and to the pain of this world. They are humble and peaceful, so they will inherit God’s kingdom, even here on earth. They are seeking, hungering, thirsting for righteousness, so they will be filled and they will come to see God – in one another and in the world. And they are merciful, so they will receive mercy in return.

Those who are happy see and live by values that are different from the world’s values. They seek to make the good news of the kingdom of God a daily, present reality. And in the seeking, they will come to know God intimately just as they are intimately known by God. What a blessing!

Prayer: Lord God, attune our hearts to your will and way. Draw us, day by day, deeper and deeper into your love, filling us with hope, comfort, peace, humility, righteousness, and mercy. Fill us so that we, in turn, can be these things to the world. Amen.