pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: moment


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What Can Anyone Give?

Reading: Matthew 16:24-28

Verse 26: “What can anyone give in exchange for their soul?”

Today’s passage begins with Jesus offering a challenge and an invitation. He states that if one wants to follow him (that’s what happens after we profess him as our Lord and Savior), that one must do two things. First, one must deny self. Second, one must take up their own cross. In the reality of faith, I believe these are often repeated events and practices.

Professing Jesus as Lord is step 1 of denying self. In this confession we are declaring that Jesus is our top priority, that he is the #1, that he occupies the throne of our heart. The flip side is that we are none of these things. This is the beginning of denying self. Making the declaration is the easy part. It is often made in a moment of passion for Christ. We are “on fire.” The much harder and ongoing challenge is keeping the profession as we enter the world. These daily steps are the hardest. The ways, norms, and practices of the world often clash with our faith, causing us to evaluate our choices and decisions one by one in the light of faith.

In the same way, taking up our cross is not a once-in-a-lifetime act. It is not exactly the same as when Jesus took up the actual cross. It is the same in that taking up our cross involves sacrifice and it is on behalf of others. And, oh yes, there is usually also some suffering involved. As with denying self, there is a cost to this act too. One can take up the cross in many ways. Some efforts provide the arc of our faith journey. Think of a missionary in China or of Mother Teresa in India. For most of us, though, they are shorter term. Strung together they reveal the arc of our story of faith. We might stand against an injustice being done. This ends when justice prevails. We might befriend someone who is an outsider or outcast. This ends when our love leads others to love and include this person. We might commit to walking with someone experiencing addiction. This ends with long-term sobriety or recovery. Some of these can be lengthy but not forever.

Taken together these become our journey of faith. Casually speaking, these practices become our lifestyle. Lived out, we experience losing this earthly life and all of its attachments. In turn we gain true life – a life focused ultimately on the gift of eternal life, both for us and for all others. It is a day by day, moment by moment focus. Jesus asks, “What can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” Nothing but a day by day, moment by moment walk of faith. May it be so for you and for me.

Prayer: Lord God, you ask for all of me to be given, to be poured out for you. From the outside it seemed like such an ask. But now on the inside, it feels like the only possible choice, understanding what you did and do for me. Use me this day and every day in loving service to you and to my neighbors. Amen.


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God Moments

Reading: Genesis 28:10-17

Verse 16: “When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.’”

Jacob leaves Beersheba and begins his journey towards Haran, where he is to find a wife from amongst his own people, just as Abraham had done for Isaac. ‘Journey’ is probably not the right word. ‘Flight’ or ‘escape’ would be a better description. We remember that Jacob was sent on this mission to allow Esau’s anger to subside. Jacob had earlier stolen the birthright and now has stolen the blessing too. He needed to get out of town and to get out fast.

As Jacob went, he probably went along quickly, frequently checking over his shoulder. He was like one escaping from the scene of a crime. Traveling until it is dark, Jacob lays down for what was likely to be an uneasy rest. Is that voices and footsteps that I hear?! During his sleep, though, it is God who comes in a dream. Jacob sees God and receives blessings and promises from God. God will multiply his family and will give him these lands. God will be with Jacob, wherever he goes. He awakens and declares, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” God has been with him all along – ever since he left Beersheba, ever since he was born to Isaac and Rebekah.

While God is also ever present to you and to me, have you ever had a moment like Jacob did, when you suddenly realized that God was right there? Maybe it was in a hospital room or maybe it was at church camp. Maybe it was during a difficult trial when you were trying to do it on your own or maybe it was one morning in worship. God is always with us yet also blesses us with these God moments – times when God feels especially close to us. For these moments, we rejoice as Jacob did, declaring, thanks be to God!!

Prayer: Lord God, for those moments, often unexpected, when you have drawn close to me, thank you! These are touchstone moments – experiences I can return to again and again to celebrate your goodness and love. What gifts! Thank you, Lord Jesus! Amen.


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Sacred Places and Spaces

Reading: Genesis 28:18-19

Verse 19: “He called that place Bethel,” [which means ‘house of God’].

Jacob has had a powerful encounter with God. In a dream he has witnessed “the gate of heaven.” He sees the holy angels coming and going. He sees and hears God speaking words of blessing over him. Jacob awakens early the next morning and he builds a pillar or altar, anointing it with oil. He names the place “Bethel,” which translates to ‘house of God.’ Out in the middle of the wilderness, in a place so desolate that he has to use a rock for a pillow, Jacob names the place the ‘house of God.’

Some might think that just the temple in Jerusalem, for example,or the sanctuary in which we worship can be called the house of God. While these holy places certainly can be and often are filled with God’s presence, God is not limited to these buildings or places. For some a holy space might be that campfire ring at that camp – that’s where I gave my life to Jesus Christ. For some it might be that hospital room, the time when they gathered with ___’s family – there they saw the Spirit’s presence. For others it might be in that prayer room at a Promise Keeper’s event in Denver – that’s where a vision about my life was shared with me. For others…

While sacred places and spaces can sometimes be marked by a pillar or returned to periodically, others can only be marked in our memories. We revisit these places – physically or mentally – to remember when God touched our lives. Before reading the prayer, take a quick mental tour of the places and spaces that God touched your life and faith. Then thank God for these blessings.

Prayer: Lord God, there are many places that you have become ‘real’ to me, spaces where you have touched my life and my faith. Each is a touchstone moment – a particular experience when the holy drew close. Thank you for each of these experiences. Continue to be present in my life. Continue to bless me with these God moments, strengthening and encouraging my faith. Amen.


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Choose Grace

Reading: Romans 6:12-14

Verse 14: “For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.”

Photo credit: Jon Tyson

Paul writes to the Christians in Rome. It is a body of believers made up of both Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians. They are struggling with the place of the Law in the life of the church. Paul recognized that trying to be righteous through adherence to the Law was not sufficient. Through Christ he came to understand that grace was necessary in the battle against sin. With only the Law, the guilt and shame remained. One remained dead in their sin. Only through grace could one be made new again. Only through a saving relationship with Jesus would one die to sin’s power, becoming a new creation in Christ that was “no longer slaves to sin.”

In today’s text Paul recognizes the battle between sin and God. He saw this as a choice – certainly daily but more realistically moment by moment. The choice was whether we would let sin reign or let God reign. Paul encourages us “not to let sin reign in your mortal body.” The evil desires are there. Temptation is real. So too is the power of Christ to withstand these temptations. To that end, Paul instructs us to “offer ourselves to God” as we seek to be people of love and grace. Paul invites us to choose holy living.

Paul challenges the Romans Christians and all who would choose Christ to honor God with all of our choices. We are called to speak words of love, healing, and grace – not words of hate, gossip, and slander. We are to offer our hands in service to God and one another – not as instruments to take and hoard for ourselves. Following just the Law does not produce the love in our hearts that leads us to be Christ in the world. It is grace that produces love – a love that leads us to live as witnesses to Christ’s love and grace. It is a choice. May we choose grace.

Prayer: Lord God, the battle is a regular part of life. You know this well. You created us with the ability to choose life or death, sin or holiness. Fill us with the power of the Holy Spirit, Christ alive in us, so that our choices and our living bring you the glory. Amen.


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Sit Faithfully

Reading: Genesis 21:19-21

Verse 19: “Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water.”

Picking up again in Genesis 21, God acts on behalf of Hagar and Ishmael, making good on the promise given in verse 18. God opens her eyes to the provision of water. God blesses Ishmael with a skill to live in the desert and then leads Hagar to find him a wife, the next step in becoming a “great nation.”

We all find ourselves in the desert at times – fear rising up, feelings of loneliness and helplessness close behind. We too cry out to God. Our prayers are heard just like Hagar’s were heard. And God provided a way when there seems like there is no way. For Hagar and Ishmael the way was through and in their desert experience. With little or maybe no choice they walked forward into God’s good plans for their lives. Here is where we often struggle. Most of us are not slave girl single parents with no resources.

The abundance and blessings of our lives can get in the way of how God wants to open our eyes and of seeing how God is making a way. We just want to get out of the desert. We want the pain or grief removed. We want light to shine into our darkness. So we marshall our resources and head off on our own way. When God wants us to stay put in that desert place a bit longer, we try and make a way out. It is hard to trust God in these moments. Yet it is there that we likely will see the hand of God at work.

May we learn to sit faithfully in these places, assured that God is with us and is working for our good, confident in God’s love and care for us.

Prayer: Lord God, guide me to walk faithfully, to trust in your good plans for me, especially in those hard moments and places. When tried and true faith is needed, may I lean deeply into you. Amen.


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Shared with Joy and Laughter

Reading: Genesis 21:1-7

Verse 6: “Sarah said, ‘God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.’”

Returning to Genesis we see the outcome of the promise made in chapter 18. God is “gracious to Sarah.” Very late in life she “became pregnant and bore a son.” Sarah and Abraham’s son is named Isaac, which means “he laughs.” With this name they are inviting others to laugh and to share in their joy. In verse 6 Sarah says, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” This wonderful thing that God has done is now part of her story of faith.

While none of us will become first-time parents at 90 or 100, in our lives we all do have wonderful things that God has done. If we are intentional about seeing God’s hand at work, we can see fingerprints all over our lives. Through a name Sarah and Abraham were inviting others into one of their God moments. This was a moment impossible without God. It was a moment so incredibly wonderful that they could not but smile from ear to ear.

So we must ask: When have we ourselves experienced God in such a way that we were left with joy and laughter? What “well, I’ll be” moments has God given you? What surprising turn of events has God blessed you with? This is part of our faith story to share with others. The joy-filled, you-wouldn’t-believe-it stories also tell of God’s power and might, of God’s love and grace. May our faith be shared with Joy and Laughter, helping others to know this side of God too.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the times you’ve filled my heart with joy, when you’ve plastered a smile on my face. Thank you for the unexpected times that came out far better than I ever could’ve imagined. This too is part of how you touch our lives. Thank you, God. Amen.


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An Ear Turned Towards Us

Reading: Psalm 116:1-4

Verse 1: “I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.”

In Psalm 116 there is a remembrance of a time of anguish, trouble, and sorrow. Death was near to the author. We all experience times of anguish, trouble, and sorrow. Many of us have had death come near. We can relate to what the psalmist felt. Even people who do not believe in God feel these emotions. Anguish, trouble, and sorrow are common to all of humankind.

In verse 1 the psalmist expresses his or her love for the Lord. Why? Because the Lord “heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.” In the moment of need, the Lord heard. As the psalmist cries out for mercy, the Lord hears the anguished cry. Being heard in the moment of need leads to the declaration that we find in verse 2: “Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.” Because the Lord was there in the great time of need, the psalmist declares faithfulness for all of his or her life.

When you have been in a moment of great need, did the Lord hear your voice? Did others hear your cries? If the answer is ‘yes’ to either question, you know how much that matters. For family or friends who respond to our cries, we are forever grateful. If not aloud, at least we think in our minds that we will value that connection forever. How much more so for the Lord! The Lord ever has an ear turned towards us. Our God hears the smallest whispers and the loudest cries. The Lord is always near. So like the psalmist, may we too declare our love for the Lord, ever turning to the one who awaits our voice.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for being ever present. You know us inside out – our thoughts, our feelings, our needs, our wants and desires. Yet you are eager to hear our voice. Thank you Lord. Amen.


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Divine Moments

Reading: 2nd Peter 1:16-21

Verse 18: “We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with Jesus on the sacred mountain.”

Today we connect the dots that reveal what the transfiguration meant to Peter. Years after the actual event, Peter writes about it in the passage that we read today. It is clearly a powerful memory for Peter. Recalling that day Peter begins by stating, “We were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” He remembers the “honor and glory” that God placed upon Jesus that day. Peter testifies, “We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with Jesus on the sacred mountain.” In this context today he is retelling the story for the benefit of his audience, which includes us today. Yet we also know that recalling the story builds Peter’s faith too. Recalling this event and other encounters with Jesus, Peter finds courage when he needs that, assurance when he needs that… This moment on the mountain, it changed Peter forever.

We too have moments that change us forever. We may not always hear the audible voice of God speaking from “the Majestic Glory,” but we do have moments when we feel a tangible presence, when we feel a little nudge, when the Spirit whispers a thought into our heart. These are moments when the divine becomes just as present to us as it was to Peter on the mountain.

Our stories of these moments are powerful. As Peter did, we recall them, we relive them in times of need. These memories bring us a faith boost, a calm in the storm, a strength in the trial… Our stories can be powerful when told to others too. Our moments with the divine provide a great witness to the power of God at work in our lives and in the world. Like Peter, may we share our stories of faith – sometimes in our own hearts and minds, sometimes with one who needs to hear a story of faith.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for each of the moments that have become a part of my story of faith. In love, you touched my life in these ways. May I love others by sharing my personal witness of your power and love. Amen.


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Grounding Moments

Reading: Psalm 42

Verse 5: “Why are you so downcast, O my soul?… Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise God.”

Photo credit: Sophie Walker

Psalm 42 is written by the Sons of Korah. Korah was a Levite priest who led a rebellion against Moses, upset over Aaron being appointed to the role of high priest. Korah and his followers were swallowed up by the earth after losing a showdown before God. The Sons of Korah express their sorrow through songs of hope such as the one we read today.

The Psalm begins by expressing a longing to draw near to God and to meet with God. Tears have wet their faces day and night. Those around them ask, “Where is your God?” In verse 4 the emotions take a positive turn as they recall leading the procession to worship in the house of God. They recall the joy and offer thanksgiving for being a part of worship. Almost in response they ask and answer a rhetorical question: “Why are you so downcast, O my soul?… Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise God.” Even though they feel isolated and alone, the Sons of Korah know that God is faithful. They know that they will again worship God with joy.

We all have experiences in life when we long for God or when God feels distant or when we feel alone and isolated. Maybe you’ve not led a joyful procession into worship, but when have you felt joy from your faith or when have you enjoyed time in God’s divine presence? These are your grounding moments – the moments that you can reflect upon and find assurance and hope. Take a little time now to reflect on these experiences and then to praise God for these experiences.

Prayer: Lord God, those times when you have been tangibly present to me – these are like anchors for my soul. In the valley and other trials, they are like lights shining in the darkness, guiding me back to you. Thank you for your faithfulness and steadfast love. Amen.


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Is, Was, Is to Come

Reading: Revelation 1:4-8

Verse 8: “I am the Alpha and Omega, who is, and who was, and who is to come.”

We begin our week with Revelation 1. It is a great connection point to yesterday, to Easter. These five verses speak of the eternal nature of Jesus. That’s part of the Easter message: because Jesus lives, we too shall live. Because Jesus defeated the power of the grave, death is not the final word. Through Jesus Christ we too will one day experience eternity. There is great hope in this truth for us and great comfort too as we think of all who have gone on and are now experiencing glory with Jesus Christ. Thanks be to God.

As John’s vision begins he is greeted by the Lord. Jesus says, “I am the Alpha and Omega.” Literally, these are the A and Z of the Greek alphabet. Jesus is saying that he was there at the beginning and that he will be there at the end. This is true for all of creation. This is true for you and for me. Jesus was there when God said “Let there be light.” He was there when we drew our first breath. Jesus will be there when all things are made new again. He will be there when we draw our last breath, ready to welcome us home. Thanks be to God.

Jesus continues, saying he is the one “who is, and who was, and who is to come.” Jesus is present to each of us in this moment, has been with us in each past moment, and desires to be with us in each moment to come. If we are but willing, if we will just believe, Jesus Christ will be our all in all. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for always being there for me. Please continue to be with me moment by moment, day by day. Thank you. Amen.