pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

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Light and Love

Reading: John 1:1-14

John 1:5 – “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness doesn’t extinguish the light.”

On Christmas Eve day we turn to John 1. While not a birth story in the sense of Matthew 1:18-25 or Luke 2:1-20, our reading today is very much a “birth” story – the birth of our world, the birth of light, the birth of welcome and belief, the birth of God in the flesh, the birth of glory, “full of grace and truth.” Throughout the passage, John uses the image of light again and again. This light is Jesus Christ, God in the flesh.

Each time I read and study and meditate on this passage, something new is learned, applied, realized. This is often the case when we return to a passage. God’s word is alive and active. It meets us where we are at and takes us where we need to go each time we engage a passage. Today as I read and reread these verses, this one stood out: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness doesn’t extinguish the light.” My first thought centered on the idea that the light enters the darkness, pushing it away, so to speak. My second thought focused on the idea that light goes as far as its power allows it to go. A small light like a candle will light up a small space. A big light like our sun will light up whole worlds. The light of Christ can make the sun seem like a candle. The light of Christ will shine everywhere and forever, if we allow it to do so.

In today’s Disciplines devotional, Rev. Dr. Dottie Escobar-Frank shared these words: “The true light shines into our hidden spaces, our dirty places, our wounded spots, and illuminates them so that healing and wholesome can be ours.” Christ’s light will shine into our souls, if we allow it in. Christ’s love will make us whole again, if we allow it in. May we say again and again, ‘Come, Lord Jesus, come.’ May it be so. Shine your light and love deep into our hearts and lives.

Prayer: Lord God, so much of who we are desires to walk always with you. This is who you created us to be. The Spirit always leads and guided us in this desire. But the darkness is ever there, too, ready to seep back in. So, Lord, we ask you to fill us with your light and love. Filled, the darkness is held at bay. Thank you, God. Amen.


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Live “Out Loud”

Reading: Matthew 5:13-16

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

Following the Beatitudes, Jesus turns to this metaphor about living as salt and light. This call to stand out from the world, to live faith in ways that are fully present in the world – they read very differently according to time and context. These words of encouragement, for example, would have been received differently in real time versus in the days right after Jesus’ death or centuries later when the Roman persecution of Christians was really ramping up.

Jesus first declares to all disciples, “You are the salt of the earth.” Salt was essential to life in Jesus’ day. Salt was used to cleanse, to preserve, to seal covenants, to flavor food. A Christian’s faith can function in all of these ways. Faith cleanses away the sin of this world. Faith preserves what really matters: the way of God. It makes our relationships steadfast and unconditional. Faith flavors all areas and aspects of our lives.

Next Jesus declares: “You are the light of the world.” Faith is not to be hidden, but is to be used to light our way and to show others the life that brings glory and honor to God, not to self. As light, faith calls us to illuminate the evils of our world. Our faith is not to be private or secret, but is to “shine before people” and is to “shine on all who are in the house.” The world is our house.

Disciples today are still called to be salt and light. We are still called to live our faith “out loud.” Today that perhaps feels a bit more like it must’ve felt under Roman persecution. It feels like speaking against evil and against the powers of this world might be costly. Yet this personal cost pales in comparison to the social cost of silence in the face of injustice and other evils, both to our faith and to the lives of those being targeted. With this in mind, may we be salt and light to our world in need.

Prayer: Lord God, fill us with your love and mercy, with your grace and strength. Filled, empower us to stand for the marginalized and for those without voice, without power, without place. Build up in each of us a will to love and live as Jesus loved and lived. And, Lord, may it begin with me. Amen.


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Happy Are…

Reading: Matthew 13

Matthew 13:16 – “Happy are your eyes because they see. Happy are your ears because they hear.”

Today’s reading holds seven parables all aimed at showing how God is at work in our world and in our lives. In these teachings, Matthew shows that God is engaged in daily life and desires to be in connection with us. In the first parable a farmer scatters seed. In a day when every seed mattered, “scatter” would draw people’s attention. Most seeds do not bear fruit. The many cares of this world are too much. The seed that does fall on good soil produces a great crop. Hearts that receive and nurture God’s word leads others to do the same, creating more disciples.

Matthew connects to Isaiah, using his words as a means to explain why many do not understand the parables. They have become “calloused” and refuse to “change their hearts and lives.” This was the invitation given by John the Baptist and by Jesus. It continues to be given each time the world is read or proclaimed.

Each of the remaining parables begins with the phrase, “The kingdom of heaven is like…” It is like a field with good plants and weeds, like a net with good and bad fish. One day the angels will sort out and burn the bad. The good will be saved. It is like a mustard seed or some yeast – small but powerful, able to spread and grow into something large. It is like a hidden treasure or a pearl of great worth. Once found, a person must be willing to sell all else, investing everything they have into their faith.

As Jesus teaches in parables he asks his disciples if they understand. They do. In response, Jesus says, “Happy are your eyes because they see. Happy are your ears because they hear.” May our eyes and ears be happy as well.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for opening our eyes and ears to your word. We don’t always get it 100% but as we keep at it, reading, studying, seeking to understand, your Spirit works in us, giving us more insight and understanding. Each time we encounter that word, the connection grows stronger, deeper. Thank you for your continuing work in us. Amen.


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Well, have you?

Reading: Matthew 13:44-52

Verse 49: “This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous.”

Today we turn to 3 more parables. All 3 fall into the “kingdom of heaven is like…” category. Jesus continues to string together thoughts that paint a broader and deeper understanding of what God’s kingdom and our faith is like.

In our first parable Jesus compares faith to a treasure hidden in a field. Faith is often something that we “discover.” Suddenly one day we claim a faith of our own. In the parable a man finds it and in joy sells all that he has just to attain the treasure. In a like way we joyfully give up the things of this world – pride, greed, ego, possessions… – in order to attain a relationship with Jesus Christ our Savior.

In our second parable a merchant is searching. Perhaps at a point you were searching – looking for meaning and purpose beyond the simple things of this world. When you found it – your faith – you were willing to give up all else so that you could walk faithfully with Jesus.

And then the third parable. It gives meaning and even consequences to the first two parables. Jesus speaks again of a time when the good will be separated from the bad. The good – those who sold all that this world could offer, giving it all up to walk with Jesus – they will be saved. The bad – those who chose the things of this world – they will suffer in the eternal fires. And then Jesus asks the disciples, “Have you understood all these things?” Well, have you?

Prayer: Lord God, in the day to day, in the small things, I can struggle. Help me to choose you. It’s easy to get lost in what seems important at the moment – until I realize where it’s led. I’ve given all for you. Remind me again and again of this decision. Amen.


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Faith Is Like…

Reading: Matthew 13:31-33

Verses 31 and 33: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed… is like yeast… worked all through the dough.”

Photo credit: Lidia Nikole

Today and tomorrow we work through a series of “the kingdom of heaven is like” statements from Jesus that are found in Matthew 13. These short bursts, when taken alone, are small truths about our faith. Taken as a whole, though, they paint a bigger picture than we can see and understand from just any one of these mini-parables.

The first parable tells us that “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed.” This bush begins as a tiny seed that is planted in the garden. With good sunlight and soil, with adequate water, the tiny seed grows into a large plant. Once mature, it provides a place for birds to perch, offering rest and shelter. Once upon a time someone planted a tiny seed of faith in our heart. Others nurtured our faith and others tended to it, helping it to grow. As we mature in our faith, we too become seed planters. And we also become able to give to others, offering and helping them to find rest and to find shelter in the storms.

The second parable tells us that “The kingdom of heaven… is like yeast… worked all through the dough.” Yeast is also a very tiny organism. A packet that we add to the dough contains hundreds of yeast. Once mixed in it is almost hidden – too small to easily see amongst the flour, sugar, eggs… And yet it is still there. As the yeast matures it affects the dough, causing it to rise. Our faith is also like the yeast. It is not just one seed planted but many. As our faith grows, we learn this here, we experience that there, we overcome an obstacle or struggle. Hope or peace or strength or trust rises up in us. Our faith, like the yeast in dough, works through all of our life, in the highs, lows, and everything in between. Thanks be to God for the many workings of faith.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for those who planted seeds in my faith life and thank you for those who have nurtured and taught and encouraged my faith over these many years. Use me in the these ways too, O God, helping your kingdom to grow and rise up in our world. Amen.


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Eyes, Heart, Hands and Feet

Reading: Genesis 29:15-30

Verse 27: “Finish this daughter’s bridal week; then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work.”

Photo credit: Nick Fewings

As we continue in Genesis, we continue with the story of Jacob, the trickster and deceiver. If this story were just about Jacob perhaps we would feel bad for him because of how Laban tricked and deceived him. But Leah and Rachel are also part of this unfolding story that will continue. This week’s theme is about what is hidden and mixed in. It is about those God moments that we can miss if we’re not paying attention and if we’re not looking past the surface.

In Laban and Jacob’s day, treating women like property was the cultural norm. It was a male-dominated and male-focused world. Just reading verse 27, given above, is enough to paint the picture, to turn our stomachs a bit. But if we just shake our heads and leave the story here, we would be missing what God might want us to consider and ponder. Instead of treating them as property, what if we considered Leah and Rachel as people? In this whole story, how did they feel? How did being treated this way affect them, their relationship with one another, their relationships with Jacob, with Laban, and with God? So much to ponder.

As I think about this, I think about people today who are hidden and mixed in. I think about those in Ukraine, about those in limbo along our southern border, about those caught up in sex trafficking, about those living in poverty on the streets, about those living without hope on our reservations and inner cities. It is dangerous and maybe a little bit uncomfortable when we seek out and think about what can easily be hidden and mixed in. May the Lord indeed give us eyes to see, hearts to feel, hands and feet to move.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for leading me here today, for opening my mind and heart and eyes to the continuing realities in our world. Use me today to see the Leah’s and Rachel’s in our world. Use me today to hear their stories, to be love and grace and hope in action today. May it be so. Amen.


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Are You Willing?

Psalm 139:23-24: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Photo credit: Kyle Johnson

In Psalm 139 David comes to the Lord and first recognizes that God is everywhere and that God knows all about David’s life. He recognizes that there is absolutely nowhere to hide from God. We’ll dive deeper into these thoughts on Sunday morning as we turn again to Psalm 139. But for today, we start at the end of the Psalm. Maybe these thoughts are what led David to write the Psalm. Sometimes we do begin at the end and work our way back towards the beginning.

In our two verses for today David invites God to take a deep dive into his heart. It is a brave invitation to make. Here are the main actions: “Search me, God, and know my heart… See if there is any offensive way in me.” To be honest, there are some thoughts that I’d rather like to keep hidden from God. And once in a while I even pretend that God doesn’t know about this or that thought. Maybe you go there too. And once in a great while something unexpected pops up – out of the blue. But these thoughts don’t come from nowhere. The subconscious has a way of working itself to the surface.

In these two simple verses David is inviting God into all of this. Not just into our anxious thoughts and offensive ways but into all of it. God is being invited into the selfishness, the pride, the anger, the self-esteem, the jealousy, the addictions and compulsions… Inviting a deep dive by God is an admission that one wants a deeper relationship with God. Is that your desire? Will you pray these verses to God?

Prayer: Lord God, give me the courage to go to this depth of transparency and honesty with you. Open wide those things that I think I have hidden in the innermost closets. Walk with me through this hard journey and strip away all that is not of you. Thank you. Amen.


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We Too Need to Pray

Reading: Psalm 19

Verse 8: “The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.”

David begins Psalm 19 by reminding us how creation reveals the glory of God. From the skies filled with stars to the sun “running its course” like a bridegroom, the movements of creation speak of God’s power and might. In their own ways, all of creation worships God. The natural world reminds us of our right relationship with God.

In verses 7-9 David extols the value of God’s laws. In these verses David describes God’s laws as “perfect… trustworthy… right… radiant… pure… sure.” The outcomes of following God’s laws are “reviving the soul… making wise the simple… giving joy to the heart… giving light to the eyes… enduring forever.” In verse 11 David adds, “By keeping them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.” How true. Following God’s ways is good and right. This path benefits our life greatly. But it is not always easy to walk in right relationship with God.

David had his struggles with sin, just as we do. In verses 12-13 he asks for forgiveness for his “hidden faults” and for protection from “willful sins.” The hidden faults would be unintentional sins – like when I hit my finger with a hammer – and sins that are only visible in our hearts – unkind thoughts, jealousy, anger, pride, lust… The willful sins are those sins that come to life: anger that leads to lashing out, jealousy that leads to unkind words. Willful sins are also those that we consider, know we should resist, and give in to anyway: joining the gossip circle, cheating on our taxes. Yes, we too need to pray for forgiveness and for God to be a shield about us. May these be our prayers today.

Prayer: Lord God, I know there is no better way than your way. There is such joy and blessing when I walk in your way. When I slip, when I begin to stray, draw me back onto your path. When I stumble and fall, be quick with your love and mercy and forgiveness. Guide my path, protect my heart and mind. Amen.


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Sees All, Knows All

Reading: Hebrews 4: 12-13

Verse 13: “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight.”

Photo credit: Hermes Rivera

So far this week we have read about Job and David coming before God, offering bold prayers. There was lament in their prayers. But there was also a recognition that God could act or intervene on their behalf in restorative ways. Both also struggle to sense God’s presence. In today’s passage we read, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight.” We know this is true. Job and David were bold approaching God knowing this truth as well. Can we approach with such boldness? Or do we have parts of ourselves that we do not really want God to see?

In Hebrews we read that the word of God is “active and alive… penetrating” and that it “judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Job and David felt alone; they could not sense God’s presence. Here in the New Testament we read that God sees and knows all things, that the word of God judges our thoughts and attitudes. Nothing is hidden from God. Then why do we try to hide some things or feel unable to bring all things to God in prayer? It is not because we do not want to “lay bare” these things to God – God already sees and knows them! To take these things before God fully exposed them in our own hearts and minds. What then?! What then do we do with these ongoing struggles within, with these parts of ourselves that are not pleasing to God?

We begin by bringing them to God, by admitting our failures and shortcomings to ourselves and to God. We allow the living and active word of God to penetrate and separate us from the things of this world that we so closely cling to. We commit to turning from these things in our thoughts, attitudes, and actions. We pledge ourselves to a deeper walk of faith in and through Jesus Christ. Yes, God knows and sees all things. A faithful walk begins with a humble and repentant heart. May it be so for you and for me.

Prayer: God of all creation, make my heart right today. Draw out of me those things that hinder my walk with you. Empower me to admit them to myself so that the work of rooting them out may begin. Strengthen me for this hard work. Amen.


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Walking God’s Way

Reading: Psalm 19: 7-14

Verses 12-13: “Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins”.

In today’s reading David begins by reminding us of the beauty of God’s laws. In verses seven through ten David praises God for his laws, statutes, precepts, commands, and ordinances. Taken as a whole and commonly known as the Law, these ways of God lead and guide the faithful. David rejoices in the law, naming it as perfect, trustworthy, pure, right, radiant, and sure. To illustrate how much he values the law, David notes that it is more precious than “much pure gold”. Reading Psalms like this draw us into studying and learning about God’s ways. For David, and for followers today, the law both “warns” and also yields “great reward”. Understanding and living God’s ways is the path to true life now and one day in eternity.

Walking God’s path is not always easy. In verses twelve and thirteen David writes, “Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins”. At times we all suddenly think things in our hearts that we should not. These hidden sins feel private but are known by God. Even though committed in secret, we must confess them to God. We are also tempted on a regular basis. Satan is ever on the prowl, ever seeking to lead us to step off the path, ever enticing us to satisfy self. These are the sins that we have a choice in. The seed is planted and sometimes we allow it to grow and take root. When we allow this to continue to fruition, we commit a willful sin. These too must be confessed to the Lord.

Just as God’s ways are beautiful and life-giving, so too is his mercy and grace. Unlike the law, we are at times imperfect, impure, unjust, unrighteous. God forgives. God cleanses. God restores. As David prays, so too may we pray: “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight”.

Prayer: God of mercy and love, guide me this day to walk in your ways, doing what is right and what is pleasing to you. Thank you for the love that always brings me back when I stumble. Amen.