pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: nudge


by Leave a comment

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.


by Leave a comment

Moses’ Truths -> Our Truths

Reading: Exodus 3:4-15

Exodus 3:10 – “So get going. I’m sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”

As we continue in Exodus 3, God sees that Moses has noticed the burning bush. “Moses! Moses!” comes from the bush. Moses engages, “I’m here.” A conversation has begun. God establishes the presence of holiness – “take off your sandals” – and of relationship. God is the God of Moses’ father and is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

After introductions, God gets to the matter at hand. God has heard the cries of God’s people. God has seen the oppression and injustice. God feels the Israelites’ pain. Moses can relate to all of this. After all, this is what led him to kill that Egyptian many years ago. It is why he is hiding out in Midian. God promises a return to the Promised Land, to the Israelites’ home. Then the sudden bombshell: “So get going. I’m sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.” Moses reacts as we would. Say what? Who, me? Are you sure?

Getting to the most important detail, God says, “I’ll be with you.” It is not by Moses’ power that the people will be freed. No, it is by God’s power alone. “I AM” will be with Moses as he responds to God’s call upon his life. That is all that matters.

So… What is God’s call upon your life? Into what ministry, into whose life, into what situation? While we seldom have “burning bush” moments, God definitely calls, most often through the nudges and whispers of the Holy Spirit. And Moses’ truths are our truths. It is God’s plan. God will go with us. God will equip us for the mission ahead. God’s power will do the heavy lifting. With these truths in mind, may we be willing to hear and accept God’s call upon our lives.

Prayer: Lord God, first, remind us of your faithfulness in the scriptures and in our lives. You call, you show up, you remain present. You equip and lead and guide. Second, help us to trust in these truths and in the things we’ve experienced ourselves. Lastly, lead us into your call, using us to free people from all that entangles them. Amen.


by Leave a comment

Eyes Opened, Hearts Warmed

Reading: Luke 24:30-35

Luke 24:32 – “Weren’t our hearts on fire as he spoke to us along the road?”

As we continue in Luke 24, Jesus takes a place at the table with his two disciples. They have been on a seven mile journey, so they’re likely ready to eat. When Jesus takes and breaks the bread, blesses it and gives it to them, “Their eyes were opened and they recognized him.” In the movement and words of communion, recognition comes to these disciples. Presence becomes real. Eyes are fully opened. And then Jesus disappears.

After this encounter the two disciples say to each other, “Weren’t our hearts on fire as he spoke to us along the road?” Something was stirring, something was at work. We too feel this at times. The Holy Spirit tries to stir us to action or tries to open our eyes or heart or mind to something or someone. We feel a nudge to go to that place. We hear a whisper calling us to visit or text or call that person. And when we are willing, brave even, and take that step of faith, we too encounter the risen Christ as our hearts blaze with love for God and for the other.

But this is a step that we can initially struggle to take. Once in a while we’re lucky like the two disciples were. Jesus makes himself present. After each of these encounters and after the moments when we did take a step of faith, we become more and more empowered to do as these two disciples did. We tell others our Jesus story. Some of the time it is literally telling others about our Jesus. Most of the time, though, it is allowing that encounter or that experience to change us, to fill us with the good news, equipping us to live out our faith more boldly. Doing so, others come to know Christ’s love for them. In all that we say and do, may it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, we rejoice in those encounters with you, in those times when you open our eyes and warm our hearts. These encounters are powerful and transforming. Keep our eyes open and our hearts willing, O God. Then send us out. Use us to share the good news of Jesus Christ with the world. Amen.


by Leave a comment

Moved Forward

Reading: Acts 2:32

Acts 2:32 – “This Jesus God raised up. We are all witnesses to that fact.”

Today we return to Acts 2 and focus on the last verse of this week’s passage. Peter is addressing a crowd of people who have been drawn to the disciples by the sound of the Holy Spirit descending at Pentecost. There is a Thomas-esque feel to this scene. The people cannot wrap their heads around what has happened. At first many want to just dismiss the whole thing. Maybe you’ve been there too.

Many years ago I was a one-hour-a-week Christian. I attended church regularly, at first at a small Lutheran country church and then at a larger United Methodist church when we moved to a larger town. It was there that God started trying to push me past my one-hour limit. At first, I wanted to dismiss that push. But voices added to the feeling and the Spirit persisted. First it was couple’s group and then men’s group. It was teaching Sunday School to volunteering at youth group. Then it was the call past volunteering to leading youth group. All along the call of the Holy Spirit grew and grew. Voices of encouragement grew. Would I trust this feeling and the words of those close to me to take a leap of faith, away from a 23-year teaching career and into the ministry?

As other voices spoke into my life, the question was this: Did I trust these voices? Would I trust the voice of the Spirit? Long ago, Peter spoke these words to some people asking these questions: “This Jesus God raised up. We are all witnesses to that fact.” Words alone do not make believers, even words whispered from God. The power of Peter’s testimony was the same as what led me to take a leap of faith: I could feel the words. I could feel the Holy Spirit moving me, pulling me forward in faith. As trusted voices speak and as the Spirit moves in your life, may you too step forward in faith, witnessing to the power of God.

Prayer: Lord God, more than words on a page or spoken by a friend, the Holy Spirit moves, whispers, nudges. It is a force, a fire, a tangible feeling. Stir this in each of us, making the words come alive, making our faith come alive. Amen.


by Leave a comment

Experiencing God’s Power

Reading: John 11:1-16

John 11:4 – “This illness isn’t fatal. It’s for the glory of God so that God’s Son can be glorified through it.”

Leading into John 11, Jesus has withdrawn from Jerusalem. He has clashed sharply with the “Jewish opposition.” These religious leaders have threatened to stone Jesus. While Jesus and the disciples are spending time on the other side of the Jordan, away from danger, Lazarus becomes ill. Jesus is close to Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha. He frequently stays at their home in Bethany, just outside of Jerusalem. The sisters send word to Jesus about Lazarus’ illness. Mary and Martha then sit and wait, like the psalmist, hoping for the Lord to show up. They have sent for Jesus because they believe that he can heal their brother.

Jesus shares this with his disciples: “This illness isn’t fatal. It’s for the glory of God so that God’s Son can be glorified through it.” This glory will come later, outside the tomb near Bethany. This is why Jesus delays two days. Meanwhile, Mary and Martha sit by Lazarus’ side, praying for God’s mercy, waiting for Jesus to show up. They wait with hope. When Jesus decides it is time to go to Bethany, the disciples question his decision. They know the very real threat that sits in Jerusalem. Thomas is even willing to go along so that they may die with Jesus. Jesus is not afraid. He knows his hour has not yet come. It is now time to go to Lazarus, to “wake him up.” Clarifying for the disciples, Jesus tells them, “Lazarus has died.” Jesus notes that this is unfolding in this way “so that you can believe.” Much teaching, learning, and growing unfolds as we finish this story of resurrection and life on Friday.

When has an experience deepened your belief in Jesus? While a few of us have experienced a “near-death” encounter or a “miracle cure” from cancer, most of us experience God’s power in the ordinary of life: the “door” that opens, the whisper or nudge that leads to redemption or reconciliation, the peace in the storm. Each time that we experience God’s power and notice the encounter, our faith deepens and grows. Today, may we pause and reflect on our own “God moments,” giving thanks for the many, many ways that God is good.

Prayer: Lord God, there was purpose and meaning in all that Jesus did and said. The same is true for all that you and the Spirit do and say in our lives today. Open our eyes, hearts, and minds to your power at work in, through, and around us. Guide us to believe in your power, even to bring life from death. Amen.


by Leave a comment

God with Us

Reading: Matthew 1:20-25

Matthew 1:21 – “She will give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

As the story continues in Matthew 1, Joseph has a dream in which an angel visits him. At first I wondered, did Joseph first have to decide if an angel really visited him or if it was just a dream? But as I thought about it, I came to realize that when the divine is present, you just know it – like when Jesus called the first disciples. They left everything, just like that, and followed him. His divine presence led to their response. The same is true of Joseph. He wakes up and does as God commanded him to do.

The angel tells Joseph not to fear. God is at work. The angel then says, “She will give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” This extraordinary birth will produce the Savior of Israel, the long-awaited Messiah. Being a righteous man, Joseph surely knew the Hebrew scriptures and the prophesies of a coming Messiah. And like all of Israel, Joseph longer for the one who would redeem Israel.

Matthew’s voice reenters the story in verse 22. Perhaps he is giving voice to Joseph’s inner thoughts or perhaps he is reminding his Jewish audience of the connections between Jesus and the scriptures. As we read these words of Isaiah, we are reminded that in Jesus, God chose to be with us, to come and dwell among us. For this blessed gift we say, thanks be to God!

Prayer: Lord God, just as Joseph was faithfully obedient, lead us to be the same. When your continual, constant presence whispers to us or nudges us, may we know the divine is once again present and may we hear and respond faithfully. As we are obedient to your call and direction, use us to make the long-awaited Savior known to all the world. Amen.


by Leave a comment

Live Out These Words

Reading: Matthew 6:9-11

Matthew 6:11 – “Give us the bread we need for today.”

Today’s reading brings us a portion of “The Lord’s Prayer.” It is just three short verses but, as it was with much of what Jesus said, there is a lot to these words. There are three requests of God in these verses. And there are actions and responses required of us.

Verse 9 reads, in part, “uphold the holiness of your name.” Jesus is asking God to keep God’s holiness ever on our hearts and minds. To uphold this requires much of us. First and foremost we recall the charge to be holy as God is holy. Moment by moment we are charged with being like Christ was in the world: holy, yes, but also compassionate, forgiving, generous, empathetic, present.

Verse 10 asks God to “bring in your kingdom.” This asks God to make earth like heaven, to have God’s will done here on earth. This, of course, requires our cooperation and help. It calls us to love and care for “the least of these” and to stand against injustice, oppression, violence… These evils have no place in God’s kingdom – in heaven or here on earth.

Lastly, “Give us the bread we need for today.” This asks God to provide our daily bread – our physical sustenance – and to provide for our other needs too. This is a charge to trust in God. It is not a prayer for God to help us get what we think we need or to empower us so that we can be self-sufficient. No, it is a prayer of surrender, leaning into God’s care and trusting that this will be more than sufficient.

In all ways may we strive to live out these words.

Prayer: Lord God, guide us today to walk in the footsteps of Jesus, hearing your voice, feeling your nudges. Lead us to be in the world as Christ was in the world – loving others more than self, serving humbly and gently. Deepen our trust and faith in you as we experience your power working in us and through us, transforming us and your world. Amen.


by Leave a comment

We Are All Called

Reading: Luke 1:42-55

Luke 1:52 – “He [God] has pulled the powerful down from their thrones and lifted up the lowly.”

Photo credit: Fuu J

Our passage today begins as Elizabeth welcomes Mary into her home. She “blurted out” a greeting, so moved was she by what is stirring inside of her. Moved by the child she carries and by the Spirit, Elizabeth celebrates God’s blessings upon Mary. She ponders aloud why she is honored to be visited by the one carrying the Lord in her womb. Elizabeth rejoices that Mary said “yes” to God’s invitation to bear the Savior of the world.

In verses 46-55 we find what is often called the “Magnificat.” This Latin word translates “magnify” and that is what Mary does in her praise song to God. Mary rejoices over finding God’s favor, in being lifted from low to high. She also rejoices in the opposite reality that is also part of God’s upside-down kingdom, singing, “He [God] has pulled the powerful down from their thrones and lifted up the lowly.” As Mary continues she notes that the hungry are filled and the rich are left empty-handed. With eyes of faith Mary sees that through this unfolding, miraculous birth story, God is coming to Israel, just as promised in the covenants of old.

Both Elizabeth and Mary represent people who heard and felt God’s call upon their lives. Both willingly stepped forward in faith, humbly offering their lives to bring God the glory. While we may not receive an angelic visit (or we might,) God still clearly speaks by the whispers and nudges of the Holy Spirit. We are all called, in one way or another, to humbly offer our lives for God’s glory. May it be so when we’re called.

Prayer: Lord God, draw us deeper into our daily walk with you. Open our souls and our spirits to your story of faith that has been unfolding down through the generations. Engaged in the story, give us a willing heart to step into the story as you call us forward. Enable us to hear the calls and empower us to say “yes.” In all things may our lives bring you the glory and the praise. Amen.


by Leave a comment

More Then Enough

Reading: 2nd Kings 2:38-44

2nd Kings 4:43c – “This is what the Lord says, ‘Eat and there will be leftovers.'”

Today we read about God again being faithful, about God again keeping a promise. These two feeding miracles demonstrate God at work in partnership with a faithful believer. As we consider our big prayers and our God opportunities this week, may we trust in this same God who loves and cares for us.

A severe famine has struck the land. In our story Elisha returns to Gilgal, one of three centers where prophets gathered. As the leading prophet in Israel, he also oversaw the centers at Bethel and Jericho. Elisha gives instructions to make stew. Another prophet gathers what he can find, which includes some inedible gourds. In response and in alignment with God’s nudge to feed these prophets, Elisha calls for flour to be added, miraculously making the stew edible.

At this point a man arrives with some bread and grain, likely a first fruits or thank offering. Instead of keeping this for himself, Elisha is moved to use this gift to feed his fellow prophets. The giver questions how this meager offering could feed 100 men. Elisha shares the “how” with him, saying, “This is what the Lord says, ‘Eat and there will be leftovers.'” God has moved Elisha to share his bread. God will see that there is more than enough. Healthy stew is augmented by bread, sent from God.

Over the next few days may we be sensitive to the ways that God nudges us. It might be to share food or it might be to share some other resource. Instead of being selfish or keeping it “for a rainy day” or worrying about our own needs, may we trust the nudge from our God of more than enough.

Prayer: Lord God, open our hearts to be responsive to and generous with that person that you place in our lives. Break our tendencies to hold onto and to store up and up and up. Bend our heart towards your heart of abundant generosity. Use us to be your love and care. Amen.


by Leave a comment

Keep at the Walk

Reading: Mark 16:1-8

Mark 16:7 – “Go, tell the disciples… You will see him there, just as he told you “

Photo credit: Aaron Burden

As originally written, Mark’s gospel seems to end abruptly and without resolution. It ends with the women fleeing in fear. They were so afraid, they didn’t say anything to anyone. That’s the original ending point. In the fourth and second centuries one verse 9 and verses 9-20 were added, respectively. In these additions the women do tell and the risen Jesus does appear to his followers. But Mark’s original ending, it really does beg the question: Why end it there, that way?!

Mark’s whole gospel is aimed at getting the church to be the church. The teachings he chooses and the parables Mark employs are all aimed at reminding the church of how Jesus taught and called them to live in the world. Chapter 16 is no different.

Mary, Mary, and Salome go and buy spices to anoint a body. Their hopes were dashed at the cross. Here they do the next thing. Church, disappointment and apparent failure will come. Keep doing the next thing. The women worry about the stone. They wonder who will move it. Here God does a thing. Church, if you are faithful, trust God to act. Inside the empty tomb an angel gives them instructions. They’re afraid. They do nothing. But we’re reading these words so the story doesn’t really end this way. Church, when God speaks something to you that feels scary or risky or hard to believe, say or do it anyway. Believe in God’s whispers, nudges, and movements. Then be amazed by what God does. This story is ongoing. The call to keep at the walk of faith, to trust and believe, to be amazed by God – that’s still our story. May it be so for you and for me.

Prayer: Lord God, help us to be the faithful church. Guide us on an obedient walk. When there is struggle, when there is disappointment, when there is uncertainty, when there is fear and worry – whisper words of love, nudge us with your presence, move alongside us. Use us as your church. Amen.