pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: faith


by Leave a comment

Called Yet Today

Reading: 1st Corinthians 1:26-31

1st Corinthians 1:27-28 – “God chose what the world considers foolish… weak… low-class and low-life…”

Turning to our Epistle again this week, Paul invites the believers in Corinth to remember their old selves. This is a good exercise to practice every once in a while. Take a few moments right now to think back to significant events in your faith journey. This might be a conversion moment, a light bulb experience, a time of support or comfort or strength in a difficult time or season in your life… Take a moment to remember and give thanks to God…

In today’s passage, Paul reminds these believers that they did not generally come from the ranks of the “wise… powerful… upper-class.” This reality began in the incarnation and continued in the call of the disciples – and continues yet today. In verses 27-28 we read, “God chose what the world considers foolish… weak… low-class and low-life…” Through such people, God took what the world saw and sees as wise, strong, important… and reduced all of this to nothing. These worldly titles, accolades, desires – they are really nothing in the kingdom of God. That is why fishermen and tax collectors and prostitutes were called. And it is why mothers and emergency room nurses and pastors and shop keepers and… are called yet today to bring peace and healing to our divided and broken world. It is why God calls you and me.

This work of making earth “as it is in heaven” began with Christ. Then through death, God raised Jesus up, defying the two things that all the power in the world cannot defeat: sin and death. Since then, God has called the faithful to defeat the present evils of this world: hate, violence, division, injustice, poverty, power over… God doesn’t just call. God also equips and prepares. Those moments we recalled at the start of this time, the roiling that you feel in your gut right now – all ways God is equipping and preparing us. God makes us “righteous and holy” and God will “deliver us,” some to bring peace and justice, some to pray and love, and, yes, some even unto death.

Prayer: Lord God, help us to hear your call. Open our ears and eyes to the ways that you call every single one of us to resist evil and to fight for justice. Empower our prayers, our words, our actions – whatever we have to offer to bring about peace and wholeness in our world. Grant us the courage and strength to do your will. Thank you, Lord. Amen.


by Leave a comment

A Right Heart

Reading: Micah 6:1-8

Micah 6:6 – “With what should I approach the Lord and bow down before God almighty?”

Returning to Micah 6 today we read the verses that lead up to the well-known call to practice justice, to embrace faithful love, and to walk humbly with God and with neighbor. Verses 1-7 lay out “why” Israel should live in these ways and it points out Israel’s failed attempts at true worship. The passage is set as if in a courtroom as God brings God’s case against Israel. In a lawsuit, if you are the one seeking justice, it is good. But if you’re on trial, this is not a good place to be. For the people of God, they are on trial. “With Israel, he [God] will argue.”

God’s case opens with questions about how Israel has gotten to this place: What did I do to you (or fail to do)? How have I wearied you? God is wondering aloud how God displeased Israel, how God bored them into this disobedience. God then reminds Israel what faithfulness looks like. From leading Israel out of slavery to giving them good leaders to protecting them from their enemies, God has always been there for Israel – irrelevant to their commitment, regardless of their unfaithfulness, no matter their sin and wandering and idolatry.

God then lays bare the reality of their present worship. These acts themselves, prescribed by the Law, can be pleasing to God. But volume and simply going through the motions? If one if just playing the game and trying to impress God along the way, then God is not interested in the least. Micah muses, “With what should I approach the Lord and bow down before God almighty?” Returning to verse 8 we find God’s answer. We are reminded that a right heart, a heart right with God and with one another, this is where worship that is pleasing to God begins. With a heart that reflects God’s heart, this is the place that we are filled with love and grace and mercy and peace and hope and compassion and… Filled, we are then ready to be these things to the world. May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, strip away our pretense, break down our barriers, wipe away the noise of the world. Bring us to a place of transparency, honesty, and sincerity – not for your sake but for ours. You see through it all. You know the true condition of our hearts. Beginning in a place of humility, guide us then to be practitioners of justice and steadfast love. This is the worship that is pleasing to you. Living and being this way, may our lives reveal to the world what is good and what is required by you. Amen.


by Leave a comment

Witness to Truth

Reading: Psalm 15

Psalm 15:1 – “Who can live in your tent, Lord? Who can dwell on your holy mountain?”

Photo credit: Aaron Burden

Psalm 15 begins with two questions. The questions, listed above, set the reader up for hearing a prescription for holiness. These words attributed to David give us the basic do’s and don’ts of faithful living. In verse 2 we get the do’s: “live free of blame, do what is right, and speak the truth sincerely.” From a Biblical perspective it is relatively easy to understand how we are to live, do, and speak in the world. Unfortunately, most of our world does not understand or live from this perspective. We’ve long been living in the “post-Christian” era. Today, though, I read a new thought. Disciplines writer Olena Tovianska declares that we are living in a “post-truth” era. She argues that emotional appeal often overrides the facts. I believe she is correct. In this time in which we are living, I would add the thought that truth is now transactional.

Verse 3 is the beginning of the antidote for today. To not “harm a friend,” to not “damage with talk,” to not “insult a neighbor” – this would be a good start. The correct steps continue in the next verse: to despise the wicked and to honor the honorable. These choices would also work against this “post-truth” era. Next we read of keeping our word, “even when it hurts.” Integrity, honesty, uprightness. Such people would never take advantage of the needy or take a bribe to pervert justice. Such people would live as a witness to the power of the truth.

David assesses such people , stating, “Whoever does these things will never stumble.” While this mostly true for those daily seeking to walk with the Lord, I believe that we are at a point where our overall witness is so important. Living as Psalm 15 describes, we will help others not to stumble. This matters because there is a whole lot of stumbling going on these days.

Prayer: Lord God, guide our walk today to be steady and true, honest and upright. Send us out into the world as truth-bearers, as witnesses to Christ’s way of being, doing, and speaking in the world. And when the world pushes back, when it’s about to hurt, strengthen and encourage us through the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in each of us. Bearing light and love and truth to the world, make we bring peace and stability to our world. Amen.


by Leave a comment

Three-Fold Faith

Reading: Micah 6:8

Micah 6:8 – “…to do justice, embrace faithful love, and walk humbly with your God.”

In today’s verse from Micah 6, we find what many call the summary of the Torah or Law of Moses. Others say that this verse is a summary of the good news of Jesus Christ. These three actions seem so simple when taken as spiritual direction. It is when we begin applying this three-fold faith to our lives that we find out how challenging and difficult these three actions are to really live out day by day.

To “do justice” is to live in right relationship with God and with all people. To do so requires us to restore or redeem these relationships when they are damaged or broken. It is fairly easy to do these things with those we love dearly. But to practice justice with our “enemies?” Another prophet calls us to love even these. To “love faithfully” is to maintain and daily live out our commitment to fully love God and to fully love one another. This commitment transcends legal requirements and it goes beyond the place where we begin to experience a cost or to pay a price. A prophet once went to the cross to demonstrate faithful love – loving us to the full when we were yet lost in our sin.

The third part of this three-fold faith is the power that makes it possible to do justice and love faithfully. One must choose to walk humbly each day with God and with one another if one is to meet this challenge. When we place love of self behind love of God and love of neighbor, only then can we walk as Jesus walked. Our world today is so in need of justice, love, and humility. Each day may we strive to be these three actions before God and to the world. May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, grant us the courage, the wisdom, and the strength to daily live out this three-fold challenge. Empower us through your Holy Spirit’s presence to live in these ways, bringing hope and peace, love and justice to a world in need. Amen.


by Leave a comment

The Power of Love

Reading: 1st Corinthians 1:18-25

1st Corinthians 1:23 – “We preach Christ crucified, which is a scandal to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.”

In this week’s Epistle reading, Paul addresses most people’s struggle with the cross of Jesus Christ. On the logical level, many people then and today struggle with the idea that a man would willingly die for others. On the religious level, many struggle with what happened next – that Jesus rose from the grave, thus ending sin and death’s hold on humanity. To many yet today the cross is scandal at best, foolishness at its worst.

Paul addresses three “crowds” in his writing. The first two are the Jews and the Gentiles. The Jews were looking for a Messiah who would rise up over the Romans, taking back control of Israel. To willingly submit to a horrific death – a scandal. The Gentiles – all non-Jews – were non-religious and therefore sought to use wisdom and logic to understand and make sense of the world around them. The giving and sharing of wisdom would end with death on the cross – foolishness.

These two basic “crowds” exist yet today. There are many who seek to make Jesus into their own image, seeking to control their version of Jesus for their own gain – politically, economically, socially. And there are those who will try and argue away who and what Jesus was and is. Atheists and others will try to “disprove” Jesus, elevating their own wisdom above all else.

Paul also writes of a third “crowd.” This crowd exists today as well. Those who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and give their lives to follow him see and understand the cross differently. They see the power and wisdom of the cross and of faithful living today as rooted in love. Love led Jesus to the cross to save us and love leads us out into the world so that others may be saved. Led in love, may we go forth, sharing God’s love with all people.

Prayer: Lord God, use us today to change the world. Just as love broke down the power of sin and death, send us out in love to break down the power of injustice, oppression, power over, greed, lust, prejudice… – the evils of our day. Love can defeat them all. So pour us out in love today, O God. Amen.


by Leave a comment

Shine the Light

Reading: Isaiah 9:1-4

Isaiah 9:2 – “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.”

Once again we return to a text that we read earlier in the week – just two days ago. The passage begins with encouragement: “Those who were in distress won’t be exhausted.” God will be present. The community will be present to one another. Strength and hope will begin with God and will ripple down through the community, touching even those outside of the family of God. As human beings and as people called to follow Jesus Christ, we are called to care for and serve and love all of God’s creation.

The prophet writes these words in verse 2: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.” Today the light is the light of Christ that burns within each of us. The light shines into darkness of all kinds. It shines into the darkness of violence and oppression. It shines into the darkness of injustice and marginalization. It shines into the darkness of prejudice and targeting. It shines into the darkness of grief and death. The light of Christ brings hope and comfort, guidance and direction, peace and presence, healing and new life.

The light of Christ also shines forward. In the midst of darkness, the light declares victory – in both the near and one-day future. The light shines beyond the present difficulties. It reveals the way to a better future. It points towards a place of glory and joy. May the light of Christ shine brightly in each of us. May it sustain and encourage us and those who see the light shining for all people.

Prayer: Lord God, our world needs the light of Christ to shine brightly. So stoke up the holy fire within each of your children. Together may we blaze forth into our broken and hurting world, bringing healing and wholeness, unity and justice, love and peace. Amen.


by Leave a comment

Engage Daily

Reading: Matthew 4:18-23

Matthew 4:23b – “He announced the good news of the kingdom and healed every disease and sickness among the people.”

Earlier this week we read and pondered Jesus’ move away from Nazareth, moving to Capernaum in Galilee. This move distanced himself from the threatening worldly powers but it was not an attempt to isolate. The first thing Jesus does in this new place is to call the first disciples: Simon, Andrew, James, and John. Jesus invites them to leave all that they know behind to “Come, follow me.” As these four fisherman respond to the call, Jesus is building a new kind of community, a fellowship of believers.

Today our charge is to alter this invitation slightly, calling to people, “Come, follow Jesus.” This too is an invitation into belonging, into community, into fellowship. In our modern world, one filled with loneliness and division and unease, people are longing for meaning and purpose and for a place to find worth and to be loved. As humans, we need connection. We need to be part of something that matters. So let’s invite others into our circles of faith, whenever and wherever we have the opportunity to engage today.

In verse 23 we gain a model for how to be invitational. Simply inviting others to church is good, but it is not enough. One can be just as lonely, just as lost, just as broken, in a room full of people. Jesus taught a new way of living and being in the world. We have his words. We can share them with others, teaching them and showing them the way of love. We also have the ability and gifts to “heal” others. Through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit we have all that we need to help free others from many forms of sickness and disease. This walking alongside others, sharing the good news, it helps them to strip away all that hinders them, opening the way to the new life that Jesus Christ offers to all people. To this end, may we engage today in this ministry of healing and wholeness.

Prayer: Lord God, open our eyes, free our tongues, guide our steps. As we encounter the hurting, the lost, the lonely, the broken today, empower us to make connections, to meet a need, to share the words of life, to offer words and acts that bring healing and wholesome to people’s lives. With Christ as our model and example, use us today to lift others up as we invite them into a relationship with Jesus and into our communities of faith. Amen.


by Leave a comment

How Can We…?

Reading: Psalm 27:1, 4-9

Psalm 27:8 – “Come, my heart says, seek God’s face! Lord, I do seek your face!”

Photo credit: Mitchel Lensink

We do not know the context for Psalm 27. Even though we do not know the cause, we do know that David’s words are a hopeful prayer lifted in the midst of a time of suffering and trial. In our hard times, perhaps these are words that we’ve lifted as a prayer. And today, in places near and far, rural and urban, well-off and living in poverty, these are words that many could or do lift to God as they suffer, struggle, and are afraid. As we consider these words today, may we also consider how we might be an answer to those near to us who lift these words or words like them as a prayer to God.

The Psalm begins with hope and confidence. With God as light, salvation, and protection, what is there to fear? For David, there are evildoers and enemies all around and an army encamped against him. Today, there is war, violence, threats, division, hatred, disease, injustice. People are in hiding, filled with fear – right here in our nation. David seeks shelter in the house of the Lord. If he could but dwell there every day of his life… While our churches largely remain safe places, getting there is another story for many people. For David and for the faithful today, being in God’s presence is a place and space to worship, to find joy, to rest “during troubling times.”

The last verses of today’s reading are a plea to God. David begs for God to hear, to listen, to have mercy. Encouraging himself and others, David implores his faith, saying, “Come, my heart says, seek God’s face! Lord, I do seek your face!” This is a hopeful request to “God who saves.” And again I wonder, how can we as the hands and feet of God bring both presence and peace and tangible help such as food and shelter to those suffering and living in fear today?

Prayer: Lord God, for those of us not facing persecution or oppression or threat, not living in fear, not suffering, move us to action on behalf of those experiencing these things. Use us as you may to restore justice, basic freedoms, safety. For those lacking these things, be present to them wherever they are – in one of your houses or in places of hiding. And through us, may they feel and know your love, your protection, and your peace. Amen.


by Leave a comment

The Power

Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:10-18

1 Corinthians 1:18 – “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are being destroyed. But it is the power of God for those of us who are being saved.”

Photo credit: Uta Scholl

Returning to 1st Corinthians this week, we read of Paul encouraging unity in the church. Different groups are following different voices: Paul, Apollos, Cephas, Christ. Speaking into the in-fighting, Paul asks a great question; “Has Christ been divided?” We could ask the same question today. As people of one book, it sure is read, understood, quoted, applied… in a wide variety of ways. Even within a single denomination one can find many branches. It is what our humanity has made it. As a whole, our witness to the world is much broader – lots of choices to find a place of worship that suits you and your needs, wants, desires, understanding… of who and what Jesus is, was, and can be.

And yet… Paul is addressing the division in the church in Corinth because it also weakens their witness to Jesus Christ. The in-fighting is not attractive to those outside the church. We see this today as leaders – religious and political – quote or paraphrase Jesus. And then go act in ways that would enrage Jesus if he were alive today. This should enrage us as well. These “clever words” do empty the cross of its power. The words of Paul found in verse 18 surely ring true yet today: “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are being destroyed. But it is the power of God for those of us who are being saved.” As we live our day today, may we choose to bring to bear the power of the cross found in loving God and neighbor with all of our whole being – heart, mind, hands, and feet.

Prayer: Lord God, may your Holy Spirit keep us closely attuned to the power of your love and of the cross. May our sacrificial love change the world, making it more like your kingdom here on earth. Amen.


by Leave a comment

Point to Christ

Reading: John 1:35-42

John 1:41-42 – “He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah.’ He led him to Jesus.”

As we continue in John 1, John the Baptist continues to do what he has done since going out into the wilderness: he points people to Jesus. He declares to anyone who will listen: this is the “Lamb of God.” Two of John’s disciples listen and they follow along behind Jesus. He notices and asks them what they’re looking for. It’s a ‘who’ really. So Jesus invites them to “Come and see.” Spending some time with Jesus, they know that he is the one who has come to save Israel.

Andrew then goes and finds Simon, his brother. He proclaims Jesus as the Messiah to Simon and “He leads him to Jesus.” Andrew witnesses and then walks alongside, bringing Simon Peter to the Christ. From John the Baptist’s simple proclamation, three disciples are made, three souls start on the road to salvation. In these simple steps we have a model to follow. Following these steps we can accomplish the main task of our faith. We too are called to tell others about Jesus and to walk with them so that they can know the Messiah. In these ways, we too point others to Christ, Savior and Lord. May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, put us to work today. In the encounters we have with others, may our words and actions reveal the Christ in us. Revealed, use our witness to draw others so they too may know the Savior. In all we do and say, may we bring you all the glory. Amen.