pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

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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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Red Flags

Reading: 2nd Thessalonians 2:1-5

2nd Thessalonians 2:3 – “Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way.”

As we continue in 2nd Thessalonians this week, Paul addresses these churches first concern in today’s passage. There are false teachers in their community. They are teaching something that does not seem to align with who and what they know Jesus to be or with what Paul has taught them. This confusion has raised some red flags within these communities of faith.

Paul taught the churches that one day Jesus would return in glory to gather the faithful together to be with him in eternity. This was known as “the day of the Lord.” Some false teachers are telling the Thessalonian Christians that the day has already come. Paul first calls them away from these falsehoods, saying, “Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way.” Next he invites them to remember. He reminds them, there will be signs and behaviors that will indicate evil and not good, that will point to Satan and not to God. Our passage today closes with Paul essentially asking, ‘Don’t you remember all that I taught you?’

We do not have to look very far today to see people who claim to be a follower of Jesus Christ that act and speak in ways that run against who and what Jesus said and did. Red flags should fly up when people who claim to be Christian speak and act in ways that are in direct conflict with the “red letters” of Jesus in our Bibles. When words and actions harm the most vulnerable among us, they are clearly not words and actions aligned with Jesus Christ. Care for “the least of these” and loving the outcasts and the marginalized were the focus of much of what Jesus taught and modeled. Christians follow and are obedient to Jesus’ teachings and example. My friends, don’t let anyone deceive you.

Prayer: Lord God, running throughout the scriptures we see your heart for the vulnerable in your commands to house the alien and foreigner, to clothe the naked, to feed the hungry, to protect and defend the immigrant. Jesus engaged the outsiders, drew in the excluded, spent time with the ignored, lifted up the downtrodden and lowly. Open our eyes, alert our hearts, Jesus, when people claim you as Lord yet ignore or even act counter to these commands and examples. Then move us, God, and use us to speak truth. Amen.


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Practical Atheists

Reading: Psalm 14

Psalm 14:1 – “Fools say in their hearts, There is no God. They are corrupt and do evil things.”

Photo credit: Josh Calabrese

Psalm 14 is a prayer song to God. The psalmist is alarmed by the behavior of the leaders and those aligned with them. Verse 1 sums up the difficult situation: “Fools say in their hearts, There is no God. They are corrupt and do evil things.” For context, in ancient Israel a fool was one without fear and reverence for God. This lack of obedience to God was very evident in how these folks lived their lives. Since the politics leaders were the religious leaders, this practice of unfaithful and even ungodly living was doubly bad. The leaders were living a “practical atheism” – they claimed to follow God’s will and way but there was absolutely no evidence of this in their words or actions.

Some actions and behaviors and words were even in direct opposition to the God revealed in the scriptures. These ungodly leaders were “devouring my people,” taking advantage of the poor and powerless for personal gain. These bad leaders were “humiliating” the plans of the poor, maintaining and even touting the gap between those with and those without. So if you read this Psalm and look at the current treatment of refugees and immigrants, at the “power over” dynamics often on display, and at the general disregard for the common good and think that this Psalm sounds like 2025, I am right there with you. Many of our leaders today are practical atheists.

I also want to be right there with you as I invite us all to look within, to consider when and where and how we live as practical atheists. We do so when we judge or gossip or when we withhold grace and forgiveness. We do so when we ignore the whispers and nudges of the Holy Spirit, turning our backs on the hungry, thirsty, sick… We do so when we see injustice or oppression or abuse… and choose preservation of self over standing with and speaking for the vulnerable, for the least of these. When tempted to these ungodly choices, may we remember what the psalmist proclaimed: God is our refuge. With this faith and trust, may we step forward boldly in faithful action.

Prayer: Lord God, it is easy to point fingers. It is much harder to honestly look within. Guide us, O Lord, to remove the planks in our own eyes before we tackle the specks in other’s eyes. Amen.


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Love Them As Yourself

Reading: Leviticus 19:33-37

Leviticus 19:33-34: “When immigrants live in your land with you, you must not cheat them… You must love them as yourself.”

Photo credit: Wylly Suhendra

Leviticus 19 is titled “Living as Holy People” in my study Bible. The chapter is centered on the ethics of holiness and love and is grounded in God’s statement found in verse 2: “You must be holy, because I, the Lord your God, am holy.” In verses 33-37, today’s reading, the focus is on how one treats the immigrants living among you.

In the first two verses we see how the ethics of love and holiness should be applied to the immigrants living in the land: “When immigrants live in your land with you, you must not cheat them… You must love them as yourself.” There is a connection here to Israel’s time as slaves in Egypt. This becomes clear in the next verse. There is an element of “remember how poorly you were treated” being connected to “then don’t do that to others.” Our human nature can tempt us to pass mistreatment we’ve known along to those with less power or with less voice because Satan’s lie is that this behavior will somehow make us feel better.

In Egypt there were two sets of weights for the scales. A heavier set required the Israelites to produce more brick, harvest… to meet their work quotas. A lighter set yielded less when they bartered for needed items. Fair treatment is what God is calling Israel to in today’s verses. It is what we are still called to today.

Treating everyone the same is what we are called to do as we practice God’s ethics of love and holy living. We can be tempted to take advantage of or to mistreat those with less power or less voice and this can happen in many ways – economically, socially, politically. When tempted, may we remember the charge to “love them as yourself.”

Prayer: Lord God, help us to be holy as you are holy. Guide us to love others as you love us. May the way we treat the outsider, the powerless, the voiceless, the marginalized reflect how we would hope to be treated if we stood in their shoes. Empower us to stand for justice with compassion. Strengthen us to stand against prejudice and marginalization. Amen.


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Radical and Unconditional

Readings: Isaiah 56:1-8 and Matthew 21:12-16

Isaiah 56:6-7 – “Everyone who keeps the Sabbath… who hold fast to my covenant: I will bring them to my holy mountain, and bring them joy in my house of prayer.”

Photo credit: Jon Tyson

Beginning with Isaiah 56 we feel the connection that God desires to have with all people who act justly and do what is right. To those who keep the Sabbath and honor the covenant, God’s salvation is “coming soon.” God’s prophet includes two groups that are normally excluded from the temple: immigrants and eunuchs. In verses 6 and 7 we read, “Everyone who keeps the Sabbath… who hold fast to my covenant: I will bring them to my holy mountain, and bring them joy in my house of prayer.” In New Testament language we would say there is no Jew or Gentile, no slave or free, no rich or poor… All people – all – who are devoted to God’s ways are welcome in God’s “house of prayer,” the temple. These were radical words to the closed-circle Jews of Isaiah’s day.

Turning to Matthew 21 we see another prophet doing and saying radical things. Entering God’s house, Jesus forces out the people changing money into temple coins and the folks selling animals for sacrifice. Quoting from our Isaiah 56 passage and Jeremiah 7:11, Jesus denounces these profiteering practices. Cleared of these “crooks,” the blind, the lame, and the children enter the temple. Jesus makes space for these normally excluded groups, mirroring the spirit of Isaiah 56. He heals the blind and the lame and rejoices over the children. The religious leaders are angry about all of this. Their closed circle has been broken wide open by the radical and unconditional love of God present in Jesus. May this breaking open of the circle and of our hearts also be our regular practice as we seek to follow Jesus’ example.

Prayer: Lord God, it is a beautiful thing when you reclaim and include those often excluded and unwelcome by the religious of the world. You create each and every one of us in your image. You weave each of us together in the womb with intention and purpose. From our first breath you long to walk in relationship with each of us. Lord, as you walk with us, fill us with your radical and unconditional love. Filled with this great love, may our regular habit be to include and welcome all people into your house and into your family. Amen.


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A Regular Practice

Reading: Isaiah 56:1, 3-5, 7-8

Isaiah 56:1 – “Act justly and do what is righteous because my salvation is coming soon.”

The opening of Isaiah 56 is about keeping the Sabbath. The idea of Sabbath originates in the creation story. After creating the heavens, the earth, and everything in and on them, God rested. When God began to formalize who and what God’s people would be, the practice of Sabbath was included in the Ten Commandments. During the time in exile and the period that followed, the keeping of the Sabbath was especially important. It set the Jews apart from the rest of the world. To be Sabbath-keepers remains counter-cultural.

In today’s reading Isaiah is reminding Israel that Sabbath is not just for the Jews. The idea of including immigrants and servants has been a part of Sabbath ever since Moses received what we identify as Exodus 20:8-11. Animals and the earth itself are part of Sabbath rest. Isaiah includes the eunuchs and other outcasts in his words that declare that God’s family and home are places of welcome and inclusion for all people who honor the covenant, who live according to God’s will and ways.

As I reflect on these words today I am struck by how wide open God’s heart is for all who seek to walk as a child of God. I’m also becoming aware that Sabbath is aimed at creating a just world. Rest is part of God’s design for all things – people and all of creation. This concept of rest and shalom, of blessing and renewal also reveals the wideness of God’s love for all people and for all of creation. It is in these times of not doing that we can foster our relationships with God and with one another. This investment of time builds connection and it builds community. May Sabbath be a regular practice for you and for me as we seek to build God’s kingdom here and now.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the gift of Sabbath. This time set apart has the power to deepen our love for you and our love for each other. Open us to the wideness of your heart and your love as we practice this discipline. Lead and guide us in this regular practice, O God, so that holiness and justice, and peace and righteousness abound in our lives and in our world. Amen.


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True Life

Reading: Mark 7-8

Mark 8:34 – “All who want to come after me must say no to themselves, take up their cross, and follow me.”

Chapter 7 begins with tension between God’s Law and man-made rules. The religious question the disciples eating with “unclean hands.” Jesus’ response begins with a quote from Isaiah. The religious honor God with their lips but their hearts are far away. A man-made rule that trumps God’s Law is given as an example. How often do we do this, both formally and informally, not to mention in the secret places of our hearts?

Jesus teaches that it is what comes out of the heart that makes a person unclean. When we allow evils into our hearts – sexual sins, greed, deceit, envy, arrogance – that is what contaminates us in God’s sight.

Jesus then heals two people from outside the Jewish circle. In the first healing he tells the immigrant woman that the children (the Jews) must be fed first. The “dogs” must wait. She replies that even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the table. Her “good answer” leads to healing for her daughter. Jesus then heals a blind and mute man. People are overcome with wonder.

Chapter 8 begins with another mass feeding. Led by compassion, Jesus feeds the 4,000+ that have been with him for three days. After feeding this Gentile crowd (so much for feeding the children first), Jesus warns the disciples about the “yeast” of the Pharisees and of Herod. They don’t get it. Jesus laments their lack of understanding.

After healing a blind man, Jesus asks the disciples who people think he is. Most think Jesus is a prophet. He asks them what they think. Peter says, “You are the Christ.” Jesus then foretells his suffering, death, and resurrection. Peter begins to “correct” Jesus. This is not the right ending to this story. Sternly Jesus says, “Get behind me, Satan.” Calling the crowd, Jesus declares, “All who want to come after me must say no to themselves, take up their cross, and follow me.” It’s about humble servant leadership, not physical or political might. It’s about finding true life in Christ. It’s not about gaining the whole world.

Prayer: Lord God, what a beautiful life you call us to! Laying aside self, being servant to all, bringing love and healing to our world, we find the life that brings you glory. Help and guide us daily to say no to self, to pick up our cross, and to follow you faithfully. Amen.


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Arise, Lord!

Readings : Numbers 8, Numbers 9, Numbers 10

Numbers 10:35 – “When the chest set out, Moses would say, ‘Arise, LORD, let your enemies scatter, and those who hate you flee.’”

Today’s reading begins with the construction of the menorah (or lamp stand) followed by the dedication of the Levites. Moses sprinkles them with water to purify them and then they shave, wash their clothes, and cleanse themselves. The whole community gathers and lays hands on the Levites, blessing them. Two bulls are offered – one for purification and one as an entirely burned offering. God reminds them that the oldest males were dedicated to God when the firstborn males died in Egypt. Terms of service are set for the Levites. They serve from age 25 to 50.

The Israelite community then celebrates the Passover. This is the first remembrance of this event. A concern is raised by those who are unclean. This is the group that cares for the dead. With a population of well over a million, death was a daily occurrence. Moses goes to God and God allows for them (and the immigrants among the Israelites) to celebrate the Passover.

The cloud that has descended in the tent of meeting when it was dedicated now gives direction for when to travel. Trumpets are made. They are used to gather the community or the leaders, to announce when to march, to lead them into battle, and to announce the start of festivals and months. After 11 months at Sinai the cloud lifts, the trumpet blasts, and Israel marches. They travel in the order laid out in Numbers 2 with the three Levite clans interspersed. The chest of the covenant leads the way. As they depart, Moses invited Hobab the Midianite to stay with them. He knows the land. Offered God’s blessings, he decides to stay.

Our reading closes with Moses’ words of blessing for their journeys. At departure he offers these words: “Arise, LORD, let your enemies scatter, and those who hate you flee.” When they would camp, Moses invited the Lord to be with them. At all times, God was with Israel. And sonit can be with us too – when we go out and when we rest. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: Lord God, you ordered the lives of Israel and the Levites. Your plans and purposes were good. Open our hearts to the ways that you desire to order our lives. Guide us to walk according to your plans for us. Go before us to lead and protect us. Arise, O Lord, and be with us at all times and in all situations. Amen.


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Through the Cross

Reading: Ephesians 2: 11-22

Verse 14: “For he himself is our peace, who has… destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility”.

Photo credit: Nathan McDine

As we turn to Ephesians this week Paul takes on a huge issue: walls that divide. Instead of division he invites those in the churches in and around Ephasus to find peace in Jesus Christ. Through the peace of Christ, walls can come down. There are two walls being addressed in today’s scripture. One is obvious – the wall between Jew and Gentile.

As Paul states in verse two, circumcision was the physical sign that separated Jew from Gentile. The act of circumcision was begun in Moses’ time and gave a physical sign that one was a Jew. It was a barrier of belonging. Underpinning this act was the Law. The Jewish Christians still lived under and followed the Law. They wanted the Gentile Christians to do the same. In essence, they wanted the Gentiles to first become Jews and then to become Christians. Paul counters this, saying, “For he himself is our peace, who has… destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility”. He goes on to remind the Jewish believers that Jesus “abolished in his flesh the law”. Through his death Jesus destroyed the commands and regulations, uniting both Jew and Gentile through the cross.

Today our walls might not be between Jew and Gentile, but we still have plenty of walls. Just a few are rich-poor, Black-white, Democrat-Republican, American-immigrant. The peace of Christ desires to destroy all of these barriers and the hostility behind them too. Through the cross, Jesus desires to bring all people to himself. Jesus would bring down the barriers. So should we.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, fill me with your passion to draw all people to you. Strengthen me to bring down walls that divide and separate. May I begin in my own heart. Amen.


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The God Who Saves and Guides

Reading: Exodus 14: 23-31

Verse 31: “And when the Israelites saw the great power the Lord displayed… the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him”.

In one short night the Israelites experience a wide range of emotions. They felt fear and worry as the Egyptian army closed in. They felt doubt and anxiety about their situation. They felt protected as God formed a barrier to keep them safe and they felt loved as God provided a way forward. They felt awe and wonder as they walked on dry ground. They felt a mix of relief and exultation and some sorrow when the waters closed in over the pursuing army. It all culminates in verse 31: “And when the Israelites saw the great power the Lord displayed… the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him”. Because of the great power they saw and were a part of that night, the people’s faith in God is solidified.

This experience of passing through the waters is one common to us all. In our nation’s past and in our family’s past, people passed through the waters and came to a new land. Some came bound in chains, fear and bewilderment stirring inside them. Others came in cramped quarters, carrying all they had in a suitcase or trunk, excitement and hope stirring in them. These two stories are part of our collective and communal story. They are part of shaping and forming who we are as people and as a nation. These two stories continue to shape and form us. Daily both slaves and immigrants make their way into our nation.

As the Israelites took their next steps on the other side of the waters, they realized there was no going back. Their direction was sealed. With God in their hearts they walked on into their future. Today almost all of those who end up in our land find themselves in a similar place. They have no means or ability to return, having come without anything, against their will, or selling all they had just to make the journey. Many feel lost and fearful. Many of these are without faith or true hope. They do not know the Lord. They cannot have faith or trust in God.

As God cared for and protected, loved and guided the Israelites, they grew in their faith. As believers we are tasked with caring for and protecting, loving and guiding those who are lost and afraid, those who are among the vulnerable and marginalized. As followers of Jesus Christ we are called to notice those in bondage and those who are seeking to make a new way. Through our acts of love and kindness, may they come to know the God who frees and the God who guides. May we see those who are without faith and may we help them to know the God who loves one and all.

Prayer: Lord God, guide me to see the stranger and the captive among us. Lead me to be love in the world, helping others to know your mighty power and great love. May I be light in the darkness and share hope for the future. Amen.