pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

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How Far Will You Go?

Reading: Romans 9:1-5

Romans 9:2 – “I have great sadness and constant pain in my heart.”

The subtitle for this week’s Romans passage is this: “The Tragedy of Israel’s Unbelief.” This subject clearly brings Paul great anguish. In verse 2 we read, “I have great sadness and constant pain in my heart.” I believe that most Christians feel this way about someone. If we thought for a moment, we could each come up with a few names to substitute into that subtitle in the place of the word “Israel.” We can all name family members, good friends, even whole groups of people who are living without Jesus in their heart. For many of those that we name, this causes us great sadness and pain in our hearts.

Paul thinks about all that Israel has going for them: God’s children, the covenants and the Law, the promises, the ancestors. But even with all of this, the Israelites refuse to accept Jesus Christ as the Messiah, as their Savior and Lord. Paul sees the scriptures and the prophets pointing to the arrival and ministry of Jesus. It almost kills Paul that the Jews cannot or will not connect these dots. So much so, in fact, Paul is willing to “be cursed, cut off from Christ.” That is a deep, deep love for seeing others come to Christ.

Returning to that name or names or group of people that came to our heart and mind earlier, I ask: What would you give to see them walking in a relationship with Jesus Christ? What would you be willing to do? Would you, like Paul, be willing to give up your salvation, to live without Christ, to daily live in sin and darkness – to save someone else? If you wouldn’t be willing to go quite this far, how far will you go to see someone else find Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior?

Prayer: Lord God, our call and charge is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Empower and equip us, Lord, to carry out this task with our whole heart and soul, with our entire mind and all of our strength. Lead and guide us to be all in for the building of your kingdom here on earth. Amen.


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Thanksgiving and Praise

Reading: Psalm 105:1-6

Psalm 105:1 – “Give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make his deeds known to all people!”

Photo credit: Pablo Heimplatz

Psalm 105 is a call to worship. Yes, it was a call to worship long ago for the Israelites. And it is a call to us today to worship God in the ways that we live out our faith in the Lord our God. The Psalm begins with this invitation: “Give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make his deeds known to all people!” There are three parts to this invitation. First, give thanks. Whether through prayer, a journal, or both, daily thank God for your blessings, large and small. This practice of gratitude is good for our soul. Second, call on God’s name. This could be calling on God’s name in prayers and petitions. And it could be seeking God’s guidance and direction in our lives. And third, witness to your faith. Share the story of what God has done and is doing so that others might be drawn to our Lord and Savior.

These basic invitations are echoed in verses two and three: Sing, give praise, rejoice in the Lord! In verse four we’re invited to pursue or seek God’s presence and strength. While God is ever present and ever willing to be a part of our lives, God will not barge in or force the issue. God waits for us to “open the door,” and then God enters in. Invite God in!

Verses five and six invite us into acts of remembering. These are both personal and corporate. Remember God’s wonderful and marvelous works in your life and in the world around you. Remember through thanksgiving and praise. Recall God’s acts of justice – in your life and in our world. Offer thanks and sing! And remember who and whose you are: “children of Jacob… chosen.” For our place in the family of God, may we lift a celebratory and joyous word of prayer or a song of praise to the Lord our God!

Prayer: Lord God, we pause and offer our thanks for all you do in our lives to lead and guide us, to strengthen and encourage us, to forgive and redeem us, to restore and save us. You are an amazing, awesome, wonderful God! Thank you for choosing us and for being our God. 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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Crosses of Love

Reading: Matthew 10:32-39

Matthew 10:38 – “Those who don’t pick up their crosses and follow me aren’t worthy of me.”

In the second half of this week’s gospel lesson, Jesus is addressing our public witness. Verses 32-33 offer an invitation of sorts: reflect Jesus out into the world, be welcomed one day into heaven. If one chooses not to accept the invitation to reflect Jesus to the world, then one will be denied a place in heaven. Jesus is reminding us how important it is that our faith is evident in all that we say, do, and think – everywhere, all the time.

Verses 34-39 reveal the challenges, the cost, and the difficulty of living a life fully committed to following Jesus. Acknowledging the battle between the ways of the Lord and the ways of the world, we’re reminded that Jesus did not come just to bring peace. The full commitment to Jesus requires that we love Jesus more than anything – more than family, more than self. The second is being addressed when Jesus says, “Those who don’t pick up their crosses and follow me aren’t worthy of me.” Our crosses are to be like the cross that Jesus died upon. He died for a purpose: to defeat the power of sin – all that holds us captive, all that keeps us from fully loving God and neighbor.

Today we celebrate a holiday. 161 years ago the last slaves in the US were freed. That unjust system was officially brought to an end. Many bore crosses of love in the fight to end slavery. People of faith led the way in this fight. Today there are many unjust systems that our faith calls us to fight against. The social justice issues of our day include racism, poverty, homelessness, unequal access to education and healthcare – just to name a few. The way of Jesus is centered on love – loving God and neighbor more than self. What cross of love are you feeling led to carry on behalf of those Jesus loves?

Prayer: Lord God, as we celebrate the steps taken many years ago to end an unjust, oppressive system, open our eyes and hearts to the unjust systems that are in practice today. Spark in us a love for the other that emboldens us to stand, to speak, to fight for and alongside the voiceless, the powerless, the suffering. Bearing that cross of love, may all come to experience life abundant in this world. Amen.


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Stepping Out

Reading: Genesis 12:1-2

Genesis 12:1 – “Leave your land, your family, and your father’s household for the land that I will show you.”

Moving someplace new can be exciting, but is often scary and disorienting. Sometimes when someone else moves, it can raise our anxiety and fears. Several years ago, our son and daughter-in-law decided to move to “a city” after finishing college. No, they didn’t have jobs. As they considered Seattle, Atlanta, and Fort Worth, we were greatly relieved when they chose Fort Worth. Alex’s Dad lived there. Family would be nearby. Phew.

Turning to Genesis 12:1-4 today and tomorrow, we can imagine that Abram and Sarai and even Terah, Abram’s father, felt some of what we felt and more. In verse 1 God says to Abram, “Leave your land, your family, and your father’s household for the land that I will show you.” God is asking Abram to leave everything he knows: homeland, security, family, support, place of worship, guidance. This in and of itself is a BIG ask. Add in the kicker – “for the land that I WILL show you” – and it requires radical obedience for Abram to pack up and go. As John Wesley wrote, Abram was wrestling with “whether he could trust God further than he saw God.” How true!

This challenging invitation does come with some promises from God. God will make Abram into a great nation and will bless him. Childless yet at age 75, to step into these promises also required great faith and trust – and a willingness to enter into a place of vulnerability. While God could call us to do what Abram was called to do, our callings and invitations are relatively “smaller.” Yet whether it is to step into a new role or career or to reach out to reconcile that broken relationship or whatever God asks if us, the divine call asks for faith, trust, obedience, and often for vulnerability. As God calls, may we too step out in faith, believing in what we cannot yet see.

Prayer: Lord God, your Spirit calls and invites us to step out frequently, if not daily, asking us to go where you need us to go. Sometimes it is to stretch or grow our own faith and trust. Other times it is to share our faith and your love, grace, provision, presence… with others. In all cases, strengthen and encourage us to faithfully obey you as we walk in faith. Amen.


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Good for Our Hearts

Reading: Jeremiah 31:10-14

Jeremiah 31:12 – “They will come shouting for joy on the hills of Zion, jubilant over God’s gifts: grain, wine, oil, flocks, and herds.”

Photo credit: Eugene Zhyvchik

As we come to the end of the year, many will pause to look back over 2025, both for good and for bad. This review or assessment process prepares us for 2026. Some people will make resolutions, some will set goals, others will just ponder and reflect. This process often causes emotions to well up in our hearts. While some things are sorrowful, many others cause gratitude to rise up in our hearts for that special time with family, for that promotion, for that trip, for… It is good for our hearts to look back and to give thanks to God.

In today’s passage Jeremiah is giving thanks for something that God will do. The return from exile has not happened yet. In fact, Jeremiah will die in exile. Yet he praises God for what he trusts God will do. The prophet is sure that God will bring Israel home. He believes that God will deliver them. Jeremiah knows in his heart that “They will come shouting for joy on the hills of Zion, jubilant over God’s gifts: grain, wine, oil, flocks, and herds.” Because Jeremiah knows that God is trustworthy and good and loving, he praises God for what he believes God will do.

Because God is good and trustworthy and loving, we too can pray for what we know God will do. A community of faith can pray for that just-right next leader. A church can pray for a family to become a part of their group so that there are young voices in church again. Another congregation can pray for affordable senior housing to become a part of their ministry. We can pray these things and others like them, trusting in our good and loving God, believing in where God is calling and/or leading us. And we give thanks for what God will do in and through our prayers. It is good for our hearts to look forward and to give thanks to God. May it be so for us all.

Prayer: Lord God, we rejoice in your goodness and in your steadfast love for us. Your word tells us that you have good plans for those who love you. It is with this promise in our hearts that we rejoice in all that you will do in us, in our faith communities, and in our world. Thank you God for your faithful love. Amen.


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Christ with Us

Reading: Isaiah 63:7-9

Isaiah 63:7 and 8 – “God treated them compassionately and with deep affection… God became their savior.”

On this Christmas day we turn to Isaiah 63. On a day when we open gifts and enjoy time with family, the opening verses to this “prayer of yearning” draw us to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The prayer begins by recounting past gifts from God: “the Lord’s faithful acts… all the Lord did for us.” We too can remember God’s faithful acts in our lives. This remembering causes gratitude to well up in our hearts and souls. It deepens our connection to and faith in God.

In the middle of today’s passage we read, “God treated them compassionately and with deep affection… God became their savior.” When God has brought Israel home from exile in Babylon, this was a physical return to the Promised Land. The compassion and affection of God then worked for a spiritual return. In love, God became their savior. Today we celebrate the day that God became the whole world’s savior, our Savior. Again moved by love, God entered this broken world, taking on flesh. And after setting for us the example of love, our Emmanuel promised the gift of the Spirit, continuing to be God with us, dwelling in our hearts. This gift can be received by all who call on Jesus as Lord and Savior.

The presence of the Holy Spirit is a gift. Because of this gift of presence in our hearts, God saves us from the inside out. When we are drawn to the ways of the world, the Spirit draws us back to the way of Christ. When we doubt or fear or wander, the Spirit draws us back into relationship, reminding us that we are loved, are worthy, are forgiven. As we open gifts today and celebrate time with family, we pause now and thank God for the gift of the Spirit, Christ with us. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for coming to us again and again. Thank you for the compassion and love that led you to set aside heaven to be with your creation. Thank you for teaching us what love lived out every day looked and felt like. Thank you for the sacrifice that allows us to return to your presence again and again. And thank you for the gift of your presence, our constant reminder of your great compassion and unconditional love for each of us. Amen.


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So Welcome ____

Reading: Romans 15:7-13

Romans 15:7 – “So welcome each other, in the same way that Christ welcomed you, for God’s glory.”

Photo credit: James A. Molnar

A leper, a tax collector, a prostitute, a demon-possessed man, a blind man, a foreigner, a crippled man, a criminal. A homeless person, a recovering alcoholic, a single mom, an ex-con, a transgender person, a refugee, an immigrant. Which list would be welcomed by Jesus into his presence? Which list would Jesus offer grace, love, mercy, welcome to? “Both” would be the answer for the Jesus that we see and read about in the gospels. Is it the same for you and for me?

In Romans 14 and 15 Paul is addressing how the church should welcome each other as Christ would. Since the beginning of the Christian movement the call has been to be like Jesus. Love like Jesus, forgive like Jesus, welcome like Jesus, extend grace, mercy, hope, peace… like Jesus. Fighting this call is the whole “we’re God’s chosen people” thing. This implies “you are not” to many people. Now, Paul, he was once a Pharisee amongst Pharisees. Back then, he drew the in/out line thick and with permanent marker. Through his conversion experience Paul knows that Jesus removed the line. Jesus welcomed Paul. That line? Seeing through Jesus’ eyes, you can’t even tell that there ever was a line.

Our reading today begins with “So welcome each other, in the same way that Christ welcomed you, for God’s glory.” Pretty clear. But the church still sees the line. So Paul quotes from four Hebrew scriptures that show that the Gentiles (all people outside the old line) are included in God’s plan of salvation. All people. All people.

Go back to the two lists at the start of this devotional. Which one(s) made you pause? Now, insert that name into verse 7. For example ,”So welcome the immigrant in the same way…” Repeat this line again and again for any name that you paused at. Again and again. Do so until “the God of hope” fills you with “all peace and joy” through “the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Prayer: Lord God, help me to understand that Jesus welcomes one and all just like he once welcomed me. Whatever lines I’ve been taught, whatever in/out ideas I’ve derived – erase them, obliterate them. Fill me to overflowing with your hope, love, peace, and joy. Then, by the power of the Holy Spirit in my heart, guide me to welcome all people into your family. Amen.


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Reconciled Together

Reading: Ephesians 2:11-16

Ephesians 2:13 – “But now, thanks to Christ Jesus, you who were once so far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

Chapter 2 opens with Paul reminding the believers in Ephesus that they were all once “people of this world,” living for self, doing whatever felt good. Living this way, they were “children headed for punishment.” But because of God’s great love and grace, they were saved. The believers were offered and accepted the gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

Beginning in verse 11, Paul reminds the Gentile Christians that they were once without Christ. Non-Jews by birth, they were “aliens rather than citizens… strangers to the covenants.” Because they were on the outside looking in, they were without hope. Continuing from this place of lostness, Paul writes, “But now, thanks to Christ Jesus, you who were once so far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” The Gentile Christians now know the love and grace of God. They now are citizens of God’s family, heirs to the promises.

Shifting gears, now addressing the Jewish Christians yet wanting the Gentile Christians to still hear, Paul writes, “Christ is our peace.” Jesus is what unites Jew and Gentile into one group. Through his sacrifice, Jesus “broke down the barrier” that had separated them. The law of love detailed in Christ’s life and teachings has now replaced the “detailed rules” found in the Law of Moses. “By the cross,” Jesus reconciled both Jews and Gentiles to God, making them one, ending their hostility to God and to one another.

As Christ continued to break down barriers, the division between Jew and Gentile became less and less. Yes, there were still parts of each that remained, but it no longer divided them. Today, what divides Methodist from Catholic from Baptist from… is much less important than what unites us as the body of Christ. May this truth increasingly become a reality for all believers today, just as it did in Ephesus.

Prayer: Lord God, continue to open hearts to unity in the body of Christ. Help us to see our great commonalities rather than our small differences. Lead the church today to be united as the family of God. Amen.