pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: loving


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Conflict Resolution

Reading: Matthew 18:15-17

Matthew 15:17a – “If your brother or sister sins against you…”

In Matthew’s gospel, as it is throughout the entirety of scripture, there is an emphasis on loving God and neighbor. These actions are the focus of the shema – a three times daily Hebrew prayer. These actions are identified by Jesus (and others) as the two most important commands of God. And even with all of this emphasis, Jesus must still address the fact that in the church – in the place of love – we sin against and we hurt one another.

Before we dive into verses 15-17 today, let us consider what immediately proceeds Jesus’ teaching on conflict resolution. In verses 10-14 we find the very well-known parable of the lost sheep. We recall that a sheep gets lost. The shepherd goes to great lengths – to any length necessary – to find the one lost sheep. Returning the sheep to the flock, there is great rejoicing both on earth and in heaven. We next consider verses 15-17 with this spirit in mind.

Jesus addresses the consequences of sin within the church in three steps. The first step is one-on-one. It is personal and private. There is no airing of our dirty laundry. It is a loving, honest sharing of the hurt. Without an audience, it allows forgiveness to heal a broken relationship. If this effort fails, we are to engage a third party. They can impartially hear both sides of the conflict and offer unbiased input. There may be something that we need to hear too.

And if this fails, we are to bring the conflict to the church’s attention. This engages more listeners and potential mediators. It becomes a group effort to reconcile a damaged relationship. Sadly, even this step fails sometimes. Jesus’ next step? Treat them as you would a Gentile or tax collector. Keep reaching out, meet needs when possible, maybe even have dinner with them. Treat them as you would a lost sheep, going to any length necessary to return them to the flock. In love, may it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, conflict! We do not like it. We want to avoid it. But left unresolved, it poisons our intentions, it harms the body of believers, it taints our words and actions. Lord, empower us to be people of reconciliation. In these efforts, make us brave and transparent. Make us good listeners. Make us people that will go above and beyond to heal brokenness. Amen.


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An Obligation to Love

Reading: Romans 13:8-10

Romans 13:10 – “Love doesn’t do anything wrong to a neighbor.”

Photo credit: Shane

Our reading in Romans 13 begins with a great line: “Don’t be in debt to anyone, except for the obligation to love.” Paul has been writing about obeying civil law, respecting government authority, and paying your taxes. He segues into a much more important obligation in verse 8 – our obligation to love one another. Obligation is a good word choice. It feels stronger than “call to love” or “invitation to love.” Tapping into their Hebrew roots, Paul adds that loving each other fulfills the Law of Moses. Paul is also channeling his inner Jesus here. Echoing the main point of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 19, Mark 10, and Luke 18, Paul elevates loving God through loving neighbor as our highest obligation.

In these three passages, Jesus taught the rich young ruler how we are to love God and therefore neighbor. We are to lessen our grip on the things of this world, becoming willing to give freely to others to meet their needs. We can meet needs in many different ways. We can bring a meal or some groceries to an actual neighbor during a hard time. We can spend some time with or give a ride to an elderly person in our community. We can support a child in a far away land or we can give to rescue and relief efforts following a natural disaster. We can teach a Sunday school class or volunteer at a local rescue mission or food bank. These are but a few of the many ways that we can love God and our neighbors.

In verse 10 we read, “Love doesn’t do anything wrong to a neighbor.” On one level Paul is looping back to not committing adultery or murder or… But on another level, this is also about our sins of omission – in this case, those times when we could have met a need and chose not to. When we fail to do good, we are doing harm. May it not be so.

Prayer: Lord God, give us eyes willing to see those with needs – both near and far. Once seeing, open our hands to release what we have. Open our hearts to yield freely what you have blessed us with. And when we are tempted to ignore the obligation to love, may your Holy Spirit shout a little louder and/or nudge us a little harder. Work within our hearts, O God, leading us to love you as we love our neighbors. Amen.


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An Act of Salvation

Reading: Exodus 12:1-10

Exodus 12:2 – “This month will be the first month; it will be the first month of the year for you.”

We begin in Exodus 12 this week. Moses has arrived in Egypt, along with Aaron. To this point in the story, nine plagues have occurred. Pharaoh has pondered letting the Israelites go, but God has hardened his heart. This tenth plague is the climax of the story, the final plague. Our story begins with these words: “This month will be the first month; it will be the first month of the year for you.” So important is the Passover, God reconfigures the calendar. From this time forward, the most important act of salvation in the Old Testament will be tied to the beginning of each new year.

Through Moses, God gives instructions to the Israelites. Each household or small group is to take in a perfect lamb and to keep “close watch” over it for four days. On the fourteenth day of the month, they will all slaughter the lamb and place some of its blood around the doors of their homes. This will be a sign for God. The lamb should be roasted and eaten with “unleavened bread and butter herbs.” There will be no leftovers, nothing left behind. All will be burned up. This meal will prepare the people, strengthening them for the journey ahead.

This first Passover meal had a practical side to it. All elements played a role: the perfect lamb, the careful watch, the sign on the doorframes, the physical sustenance, the communal nature of the celebration. Each had meaning in the moment and each had purposes in God’s plans – present and future. As we continue in the story tomorrow, we will develop these connections and purposes.

Prayer: Lord God, there is no other god. You alone are our God. In days of old you freed your people so that they could worship you and walk in your ways. Free us too from all that binds us and keeps us from loving you with all that we are. Thank you for our salvation. Amen.


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Faithful, True, Steadfast, Loving

Reading: Psalm 124:6-8

Psalm 124:8 – “Our help is in the name of the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.”

Earlier this week we read the first part of Psalm 124. For a refresher, it began with “If the Lord hadn’t been for us…” On our walks of faith, this is something we too experience. If God was not with me, the grief would’ve overwhelmed me. If God was not with me, the temptation would’ve been too great. If God _____… We can all fill in the rest of that sentence again and again. We can do so because God is faithful and true and steadfast and loving. The natural outflow of this kind of remembering is to praise and worship God, to offer our thanksgiving to the Lord.

Turning to today’s verses, that is what the psalmist does! In verse 6 we read, “Bless the Lord because…” In the Psalm, Israel did escape the enemy. They slipped out of the trap. If God wasn’t there that day, how things would be so very different. The same idea is true for us. Pause for a moment and think of a few hard times when God was there for you. Where would you be if God wasn’t there for you?

The Psalm closes with a great statement of faith: “Our help is in the name of the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.” Yes! God is our help. Without God, life would be unbearable – filled with sin, sorrow, and suffering. We do not have to live in these places, though. God is faithful and true and steadfast and loving. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: Lord God, we are so grateful for your abiding and constant presence. In life there is good and evil, health and illness, want and plenty… You are present in it all. We are especially thankful for your presence, love, and care in the hard moments, when we are most likely to become less than you intend us to be. O God, walk with us daily. 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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Claim and Proclaim

Reading: 1st Timothy 1:5-10

1st Timothy 1:7 – “God didn’t give us a spirit that is timid but one that is powerful, loving, and self-controlled.”

Photo credit: Shane Rounce

Paul’s second letter to Timothy focuses on the character of a faithful pastor. It is the follow-up to the first letter, which focused on the character of a faithful church. Paul’s goal in this personal letter is to encourage a timid but gifted young pastor. As we focus on facing our fears this week, a key idea is faith over fear. Today in our reading, Paul seeks to build up Timothy’s faith so that he can minister faithfully in Ephesus. These words also offer encouragement to us as we seek to minister to our communities.

Paul begins by reminding Timothy of his “authentic faith.” It is a faith rooted in his family upbringing. It remains in him but is also present in his family that is close by. Paul reminds Timothy of the blessing he was given by God through Paul’s laying on of hands. The gift of the Spirit came through this blessing. Of this Spirit Paul writes, “God didn’t give us a spirit that is timid but one that is powerful, loving, and self-controlled.” We too receive this gift and its power when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

In times of suffering and other hardship (when our fears usually rise up,) Paul encourages Timothy to “depend on God’s power.” Trust the faith and Spirit within – not on your own power. That will not be enough in the trials. Timothy is reminded that he was saved by grace (not by anything he did or can do) and that he has a “holy calling,” a purpose given him by God. We are all gifted by this sane grace and are all called according to our gifts. This is God’s purpose for us all, one body with many parts. Paul closes this section with a reminder that Jesus Christ brought life eternal through his death and brought true live now through the good news that he taught. May we claim and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ, both for these days and for the life to come.

Prayer: Lord God, what encouraging reminders Paul offers to Timothy in today’s verses. These words and therefore this encouragement belong to us as well. Build up in us our faith through the Spirit. Fill us with power, love, and self-control as we strive to live out our faith in this world. Amen.


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Loving Others, Giving of Self

Reading: John 19:25-27 and 33-35

John 19:34 – “One of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.”

Photo credit: Milo Weiler

On the day of Jesus’ death there are a handful of women and “the disciple whom he loved” at the foot of the cross. The women include Jesus’ mother, her sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. John is there too, the beloved disciple. Looking down from the cross, Jesus employs a Jewish law, entrusting his mother’s care to John. Jesus created not only a new family but also the community of faith. Loving and caring for one another as a family does will be a mark of the early church. It is the mark of Christ-following communities today.

In the second part of our reading the soldiers are making sure that Jesus is dead. The religious leaders were concerned that the killing of an innocent man was completed before sundown – so that they could properly honor God and the Sabbath. In verse 34 we read, “One of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.” John, a gospel rich in symbolism and meaning, keeps Jesus’ legs unbroken, an unblemished lamb slaughtered for our sins. The water and blood that flow – like the living water of Jesus Christ that we experience in baptism and throughout our journeys of faith. The blood, like the blood poured out for many, cleansing us of our sin.

Today, as we remember the palm parade, joyously celebrating the Messiah, the one who came in the name of the Lord, let us also remember this Jesus in the cross, the one who died as he lived: loving others, giving of self.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the faithful witness of John, for his presence in these moments and so many others in Jesus’ life. He testifies to the truth and shares his Jesus with others. May we do the same, O God. Amen.


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Redemption

Reading: Hosea 1-5

Hosea 2:19 – “I will take you for my wife forever; I will take you for my wife in righteousness and in justice, in devoted love, and in mercy.”

Hosea begins our journey through “The Twelve.” He ministered to Israel during a time of prosperity and expansion. Because times were good, Israel had a very superficial relationship with God. They worshipped idols and relied totally on themselves. These forms of idolatry are denounced as “prostitution” by Hosea. In Hosea’s words we also find hope. Ultimately, and above all else, God seeks to redeem Israel from its sin, bringing both creation and God’s people back into a covenant relationship.

As the book begins, God commands Hosea to marry a prostitute. This relationship and the emotions it generates mirror God’s relationship with Israel. Hosea and Gomer have children. Their names tell the story of Israel’s coming downfall. God will punish Israel. God will have no compassion. God will not be their God. And in the next verse God says, after all that, “Not my people” will be called “Children of the living God.” Redemption and restoration will come.

In chapters 2, 4, and 5, God lays out the charges against Israel. God charges them with giving all that God provided to Baal and other idols. But even so God will one day redeem them. In verse 19 we read, “I will take you for my wife forever; I will take you for my wife in righteousness and in justice, in devoted love, and in mercy.” Then in chapter 4 God condemns the priests. The people have no knowledge of God. Instead, the people “take advice from a piece of wood.” God declares that the “spirit of prostitution” is in them. They are addicted to these evil behaviors.

In chapter 3 God directs Hosea to “make love” to Gomer again, even though she is lost in prostitution, just like Israel. Hosea finds her and brings her back home – he redeems her from her lovers – and has her stay with him for a long time without sex. This mirrors Israel’s long time in exile without the temple, without sacrifices, without priests. This time apart will lead Israel to seek the Lord. They will then reenter into God’s goodness.

Prayer: Lord God, you have chosen us. You form us in the womb and you laid out good plans for our lives. You seek to walk with us in Spirit, offering to lead and guide us. One might think we’d be perfect disciples. Yet that’s far from what we are. Like Israel, we wander. We worship other “gods.” We mistreat one another and your creation. And… you remain faithful, loving, forgiving. You are unconditional in your commitment to our relationship. O Lord, help us to be faithful. Amen.


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The First Steps

Readings: Psalms 25-28

‭Psalm 25:10 – “All the LORD’s paths are loving and faithful for those who keep his covenant and laws.”

Photo credit: David Brook Martin

Psalm 25 is a prayer for forgiveness and protection. The psalmist’s declaration of trust is followed by a request to prevent any shame from coming their way. The psalmist edges up to asking God for forgiveness – don’t remember my sins. Verse 10 sums up the psalmist’s belief and what they hold to be true: “All the LORD’s paths are loving and faithful for those who keep his covenant and laws.” If one is faithful, one experiences God’s love. That is the hope. Closing the Psalm, because he or she looks to the Lord, well then, God should forgive their sin and end their suffering. Save me God – because I seek you.

The next Psalm declares the author’s innocence. There are echoes of the book of Job in Psalm 26. Give me justice, God, because I have integrity. Examine me, God, because I’m innocent. I don’t spend time with the wicked. No, I love being in your presence, God. So save me! As was the case with Job, we too feel injustice when good people suffer – especially when it is us.

Psalm 27 is a song of hope during suffering. There is a trust in God’s light and salvation. It is a trust that counters fear. Again the psalmist seeks to be in God’s presence. There God will shelter us, will hide us, and will set our feet high upon a solid rock, above the storms of life. The Psalm closes with a “sure faith” that he or she will experience God’s goodness. In our storms, may this be our hope and our trust.

We close today’s readings with a petition that God would hear and respond. Psalm 28 begins by saying “don’t refuse to hear me” because “you are my rock.” Today I read this and other parts of these Psalms as transactional. I too can treat God that way at times. Returning to the text, a request is made to give the wicked what they deserve. This too would bring relief to the psalmist. The Psalm closes with a declaration of hope, trust, and rejoicing.

Throughout these four Psalms there is a common theme. We must be faithful to and connected to God if we desire for God to hear and respond to our prayers. While this is true, it pre-supposes a relationship as the first step. I am also struck today by the lack of introspection, confession, and repentance. These are essential elements – steps – for a healthy relationship with God. May we take these first steps today. It is where our relationship with God begins anew each day. May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, you’ve created us in your image, designed us to live in a relationship with you. We can sense this connection, this call. But we are not always faithful. We stray and we fall short. Have patience. Build our trust and faith. Guide our steps. Order them according to your heart. Bless us as we seek to walk daily with you. Amen.


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Restore Us, O God

Reading: Psalm 126:4-6

Verse 6: “He [or she] who goes out weeping… shall come home with shouts of joy.”

Photo credit: Shane Rounce

Turning to the second half of Psalm 126 today we bump up against reality. Life happened to Israel and it happens to us. At times our humanity and our tendency towards selfishness and sin gets us to a place of exile, either from God or from one another or from both. And sometimes the actions or decisions of others negatively affect us. And… at times we get sick or a natural disaster impacts us or… In all of these circumstances and situations we too can cry out to God, “Restore our fortunes, O Lord!”

In verses 5-6 comes the promise and the hope. The reality of our times of sorrow or grief or sadness is that life goes on. As the Israelites continued to sow, even with tears in their eyes, we too must continue to keep moving. As we become able to, we need to resume living. The promise is that eventually we will “reap with songs of joy.” God will be at work, will walk with us through our sorrow…, and will bring joy back into our lives. It is this hope that enables us to work through our sorrow, grief, sadness…

Through tear-filled eyes and with heavy hearts the Israelites trusted in God to restore them. They knew that God was and is loving, faithful, and steadfast. Their trust rested upon these things. May we too recall the “great things” that God has done in our lives, trusting that “He [or she] who goes out weeping… shall come home with shouts of joy.” May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, in those moments of doubt and fear, when sadness and grief are about to win the battle, whisper your hope into our hearts. When it is difficult to take that next step, grant us courage and bring us the strength to step forward. When our hearts fill with sadness, wrap us in your love. And when loneliness sets in, send a brother or sister in Christ our way. Walk with us always, O God. Amen.