pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: invitation


by Leave a comment

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.


by Leave a comment

Choose His Yoke

Reading: Matthew 11:25-30

Verse 25: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Photo credit: Nick Fewings

Our passage for today begins with a prayer for those who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Faith requires a simple, childlike faith. It does not need intelligence or power or wealth or anything else of this world. No, it is God’s “good pleasure” to reveal the kingdom of heaven to those who are pure of heart. This heart, one free from the clutter and temptations of this world, this heart is the heart to whom Jesus will choose to reveal God.

Then Jesus issues an invitation to such as these. It aligns with the words of his prayer: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” To those tired out by chasing and chasing after the things of this world, to those bowed low because they’ve tried and tried to do life on their own – come to Jesus and find rest. Jesus invites all to take on his yoke, to lean on him, to learn from him, to grow to become humble and gentle – both with ourselves and with others.

Contrary to what you or others may think, Jesus’ yoke is “easy” and his burden is “light.” The yoke of the religious leaders of his day was heavy and burdensome. The yoke of the world today is heavy and burdensome. Jesus’ yoke is easy and light, but not because it is in and of itself. It is easy and light because Jesus carries most of the weight. He hears our burdens, he shoulders our load. He invited us to walk alongside him. There we find rest for our souls, for our bodies, and for our spirits. Doing so we choose to live in and for God’s kingdom of love. May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, when I try once again to go it on my own, the load again becomes heavy and hard to bear solo. Then I feel the burden of trying to do it all myself. Humble me so that I gladly and willingly take on your yoke. There I do find rest for my soul and I find strength for the day. Thank you for the invitation and for the gentle reminder. Amen.


by Leave a comment

Open Hearts, Open Doors

Reading: Matthew 9:9-13

Verse 11: “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

In today’s text we first see Matthew being called by Jesus. Hearing a simple “Follow me” he gets up and leaves that life. We do not know what led Matthew to respond as he did. All we know is that he did follow. News must’ve spread. By evening Jesus and his disciples are at Matthew’s house for dinner. Many “tax collectors and sinners” are gathered there too. The crowd that was gathered drew this question from the Pharisees: “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” They took offense over who Jesus breaks bread with.

Jesus does not take offense at either the question or the crowd that sits at the table with him. It is quite the opposite. Using a medical analogy, he first tells the Pharisees that these folks are exactly why he came to earth. Again and again, throughout the gospels, Jesus repeats this message about coming for sinners, not for the righteous.

As Christians we can get stuck where the Pharisees are. As a pastor and as a church we can become happy with the status quo. I’ll prepare a nice little sermon and we’ll gather on Sunday morning, happy to see our friends once again. We repeat it Sunday after Sunday. What would happen if we extended the offer of Jesus more regularly? What if we cast the net a bit wider, being more generous with our invitations to follow Jesus?

Wouldn’t it be awesome if our neighbors started asking the question more and more: Why does your teacher/pastor/church eat (or worship or fellowship) with the sinners? That leads to the question: Is anyone welcome at your church (in your home)? And that leads to the thought: Maybe I’m welcome there too. May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, remove first the fears of rejection and if being judged by the company we keep. Replace these fears with an open and generous heart, with a kind and compassionate soul. Open our hearts and the doors of our churches. Amen.


by Leave a comment

Complete and Steadfast

Reading: John 14:15-17

Verse 16: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever — the Spirit of truth.”

Photo credit: Kyle Johnson

Turning to our gospel lesson for this week, Jesus offers the disciples some needed reassurance and a promise. Coming out of a difficult to understand conversation about Jesus being the only way to the Father, he offers the words that we read today. He begins with this: “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” The most recent command is this: “Love one another. As I have loved you…” Living out their faith and into this relationship with God – both are first grounded in love. From a place of complete and steadfast love will come obedience. In human terms, we ground our wedding vows in this kind of love.

Jesus has been addressing the fact that soon he will die. The disciples will soon find themselves without the physical Christ. In today’s teaching Jesus offers these words: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever — the Spirit of truth.” Jesus himself will initiate this new relationship or connection with God. Through Jesus’ request God will send the spiritual Christ to be with the disciples. The Holy Spirit will be with them forever. There is both an assurance and a promise here. Yet, as in all relationships, we have a role to play. We must receive the Spirit into our lives. We must respond to the offer, to the invitation, to the “knock” on our hearts.

Jesus states that those who are of the world “neither sees him or knows him.” For those who do not know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and for those of us who do and yet choose to live in sin, the Holy Spirit is disconnected. When there is separation in our relationship with God, then we too are of the world. Even then God reaches out, calling us back into right relationship. Through God’s complete and steadfast love our brokenness is again transformed and we can walk and live once more as a child of God. Our God’s love redeems and restores us over and over, allowing the Holy Spirit to “live with you” and to “be in you.” Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord God, your love and presence are offered without limit, without condition. You are the perfect giver of these good and gracious gifts. Lead us to receive them, to be filled with them, and to be people who pour them out into one another’s lives. Amen.


by Leave a comment

Feeding the Hunger

Reading: Luke 24:28-35

Verse 32: “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

Photo credit: Lina Trochez

As our trio reaches Emmaus, Jesus acts like he is going on. Cleopas and friend invite Jesus to stay with them – the day is almost over. They have been intrigued by this stranger, drawn into the conversation. Jesus accepts their invitation to stay. Was this what he was looking for? Did they need to express a desire for more time, for more connection?

Jesus joins them at the table. Coming together around food was and is a gift of community, a sign of belonging. To welcome another is to offer invitation and to extend hospitality. It gives opportunity to engage in deeper conversation, to build community. The table is also a place where we are all the same – drawn by our need for both physical and relational sustenance.

At the table, together with friends, Jesus takes bread, gives thanks, and breaks the bread. As he gives it to these friends, their eyes are opened and they recognize him. Now the journey makes sense. They both ask each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” Even though their eyes did not initially recognize Jesus, their spirits did. Jesus was feeding this hunger first.

It is this hunger that drives their response. After walking 7 miles, mostly in the heat of the day, they rise at once and return to Jerusalem. Finding their faith community, the place where they most belong, they share the story of the walk to Emmaus and of the breaking of the bread. Having tasted and seen, they witness to others, sharing the gift that they have received. May we do the same.

Prayer: Lord God, the more I digest and gain nutrition from, the more I am drawn to the spiritual food that you provide. It is a hunger that grows as it is fed. Use me as you will today, sharing the gift of life, awakening the hunger in others. Amen.


by Leave a comment

Be Present

Reading: Matthew 26:36-46

Verse 38: “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

Photo credit: Kyle Johnson

Today we fast-forward in the story line. Tomorrow is Palm Sunday yet in our reading for today we find ourselves in the garden, just before Jesus’ arrest. Today is an invitation to remember what lies ahead, to choose to be present on the holy days that lie just ahead.

Jesus, feeling very emotional, takes the disciples to the garden to pray. He is doing some deep wrestling in his soul and he wants his friends to be with him, to pray for him, to offer their strength in this trial. Inviting Peter, James, and John to go even a little deeper, he says to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” When our lives have touched on a place of sorrow such as this, we too have longer for others to be present, to pray, to listen. We can relate to Jesus’ need here.

As he prays and wrestles with the task before him, Jesus surrenders again and again and again to God’s will. After each time of intense prayer, he finds the disciples sleeping. I’d guess that you too have endured a time of wrestling with your faith as well as times of deep sorrow when you’ve found yourself feeling alone, as Jesus did. So the invitation today is to stay awake, to be present. Yes, celebrate the palm parade tomorrow. This too is part of the week ahead. But don’t just skip ahead to the “He is risen!” of Easter morning. Be present. Walk with Jesus through the hard days of the coming week. In spirit, sit and feel, experience and connect, pray. Be present to Jesus Christ in the week ahead.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the reminder and the invitation to draw near, to connect in. Lead and guide me in the coming week to stay awake, to be present. In these moments, encounters, and experiences, bring me closer to you. Amen.


by Leave a comment

Choose Obedience

Reading: Exodus 24:12-18

Verse 12: “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Come up to me on the mountain and stay here.'”

Photo credit: Paul Pastourmatzis

As we begin the week that culminates on Transfiguration Sunday, when Jesus glory is fully revealed, we start by going up the mountain with Moses. He chooses to be present to God on the mountain. Our passage today begins with an invitation. In verses 12 we read, “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Come up to me on the mountain and stay here.'” It is not a “swing by for a moment” invitation. It is a “come and rest a while” invitation. It is an invitation that calls Moses to come and receive important information from God.

Moses is obedient. He goes up the mountain. In order to go, though, he had to entrust leadership to Aaron and Hur. That done, Moses goes up, entering the cloud of God’s presence that covered the top of the mountain. What happens next is so important. Moses spends 6 days there, just being in God’s presence. Too often we rush in and want God to speak right away so that we can quickly get back to our lives. A good friend who goes on weeklong spiritual retreats shared that it always takes 2-3 days to center, to focus, to really be present, to hear God’s voice. God is never in a rush. As we seek God’s presence, may we add a heap of patience to our obedience to the call to draw near to God.

Moses spends 40 days and nights with God. It is a long conversation filled with much information. When we choose obedience, yielding to God’s call to come away from the world for a while, we too will get to know God (and ourselves) a whole lot better. In those moments in God’s presence, we are changed. We return to the world filled with a presence and a Spirit that empowers us to live a life of service to the Lord our God. When the invitation is extended, when God calls, may we trust and obey. Doing so, God will fill us with all that we need to walk as a faithful disciple in the world.

Prayer: Lord God, moments alone in your holy presence are powerful, wonderful, amazing, scary. Give me the courage to walk into your invitation, to pause life so that I can rest in and be filled by you. O God, fill me up, send me out. Amen.


by Leave a comment

Good News of Great Joy

Reading: Luke 2:8-12

Verse 10: “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.”

Photo credit: Dan Kiefer

The shepherds are living out in the fields, keeping watch over the flocks of sheep. The shepherds fill a role in society that not too many want to fill. They live outdoors most of the time. Society looks down on them. Yet it is to these outsiders that the angel of the Lord appears. Suddenly the night sky is illuminated by the glory of the Lord. The shepherds were terrified.

The angel says to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” The shepherds would be rejected by the religious leaders if they showed up at the temple fresh out of the fields. But God sends an angel to these shepherds. The angel doesn’t tell them to go home, to get all cleaned up, and then to meet up at the temple or synagogue so that they can hear the news. No, God comes to them where they’re at. The shepherds are chosen as they are. They are loved by God and are invited to be a part of God’s plan. Yes, indeed, this “good news of great joy” is truly for all people.

The angel gives two signs so that the shepherds know it is true. The place is Bethlehem and the child will be “wrapped in cloth and lying in a manger.” The shepherds will accept the invitation to be a part of God’s plan. They will go and find all as the angel had said it would be. Filled with this promised great joy, these simple folk will become the first witnesses, praising and glorifying God for all that had been done. This day may we too be filled with great joy, sharing the good news of what God has done!

Prayer: Lord God, in the words of the angel and in the choice of the shepherds, I am reminded that your love knows no bounds. It is a love that desires to share peace, hope, and joy with all people. This day use me to share this good news of great joy. Amen.


by Leave a comment

Happy and Beautiful Feet

Reading: Isaiah 52:7-12

Verse 7: “How beautiful… are the feet of those who bring good news.”

Many years ago our kids would sneak downstairs (or down the hall) early on Christmas morning. The herd of elephants that trooped into the living room would wait as long as they could before marauding into our bedroom to retrieve us so that the festivities could commence. We’d be awake but would wait for these happy little feet to come into our room.

Today’s passage also speaks of happy feet: “How beautiful… are the feet of those who bring good news.” This chapter is written post-exile and is full of hope and promise. Leading into today’s verses God declared that “Yes, it is I” who redeemed Israel and who clothes them with strength. When we read verses 7 through our Christian lens we see these feet as belonging to Jesus the Lord. It is he who will “lay bare his arm” as he gives of self so that “all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.” Christ brings good news – new life now and the salvation of our souls.

In verse 7 we also get a glimpse of how the good news can be spread. Here we read that those happy feet will “proclaim peace… bring good tidings.” Just as there was when the angels spoke these words to the shepherds, there is both promise and invitation in these words. And just as it was the case then, so it is now: the waiting world longs for all that Christ offers. Today and each day may we too have beautiful and happy feet, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with all we meet.

Prayer: Lord God, help me to dance each day. May my life witness to the joy and peace, to the love and salvation I find in you. In turn, may others be drawn to this dance of faith. Amen.


by Leave a comment

Now

Reading: Isaiah 35:1-10

Verses 3-4: “Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, ‘Be strong, do not fear; your God will come.'”

Photo credit: Luka Savcic

Chapter 35 of Isaiah is titled, “Joy of the Redeemed.” Isaiah was writing during the exile, to a people living in captivity in a foreign land. These words speak to them of a time of redemption and restoration. These words overflow with hope; they drum up joy in the heart. Echoes of God’s covenant promises mingle with God’s promise of a new heaven and earth. These words call all people to walk with God on “the way of holiness.”

In the first verses we read about the desert coming to life and about the crocus blooming. Creation itself will “rejoice greatly and shout for joy.” The glory of the Lord will abound. Then, in verses 3-4, we read, “Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, ‘Be strong, do not fear; your God will come.'” Bodies worn down in captivity will also abound with joy. God’s redemption and restoration is for all of creation. What words of hope to those living in exile.

Verses 5-7 continue to lay out this vision and promise for all of creation. Healing and wholeness will be complete – both for humankind and for the created world. God will create a way – the Lord’s highway or the way of holiness. This sacred path will lead to Zion, the new heaven and earth. Gladness and joy will abound; sorrow and sighing will flee away. What a vision of our future with God. What joy and hope it brings to those walking in the way of the Lord!

Yet I also realize that not all can see this way. And not all have been invited to walk in the way of the Lord. And some are living in “exile” right now, feeling trapped or stuck or bound up. I long for this vision to be worked out now. I want all of creation to begin experiencing God’s restoration and redemption now. “Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” Living daily in the way of holiness, may others have eyes and ears opened, seeing and hearing of God’s power to redeem. Walking daily on the Lord’s highway, may the feeble and fearful hear the invitation to join in, to become a part of God’s restoration for all of creation. Living as a witness to God’s love, may the exiled and the lost be drawn to the way of Christ.

Prayer: Lord God, this vision is so beautiful and so powerful. Joy and hope rises up in me as I think about the promises, about this coming reality. Yet my heart breaks for the many who do not know you or know about your plan for them and for all of creation. Use me today so that these folks will feel invited to experience the joy and hope found in a relationship with you. Amen.