pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

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Our Truth Too

Reading: Hosea 11-14

Hosea 14:7 – “They will again live beneath my shadow, they will flourish like a garden; they will blossom like the vine.”

Hosea closes with hope. There are still moments where God recognizes and is angered by Israel’s sin, but words of hope dominate our reading today. This is the truth of our lives too. We are sinful by nature. God is merciful, loving, and forgiving by nature. We walk with hope because God’s love is greater than our sin.

Chapter 11 begins with parent-child imagery. God recalls raising Israel, as a loving parent. But Israel turned away, as most children do at some point. So they will return to Assyria and Egypt. Tough love will reign. Yet love will abide. God will gather the children home one day.

Charges come in chapter 12. Israel multiplies lies and violence, makes treaties with Assyria and Egypt. God recalls Jacob, the younger brother. God recalls wrestling with Jacob at Bethel, where Jacob came to truly know God. God calls Israel back to that relationship. But Ephraim is too proud. They thought themselves sinless. This is a bitter offense to God. We too do this to God when we become proud, when we think ourselves righteous.

Their pride and self-sufficiency was also compounded by their idolatry. Israel turned to these metal images. They are reminded that God alone can save. This will be reinforced when God falls upon them like a lion. God will come in the east wind, making Samaria desolate. Even the babies and pregnant women will fall before the Assyrians.

Hope rises again in chapter 14. God implores Israel to return and even gives them the words to speak: “Forgive all wickedness and receive the good.” God responds with promises to heal and love, to plant and raise up, to protect and provide: “They will again live beneath my shadow, they will flourish like a garden; they will blossom like the vine.” What a beautiful picture of grace and restoration, of wholeness and life. This picture can be ours too. This truth is our truth. Sinful as we are, sin will never define us. God always offers this gift of grace and restoration, of wholeness and life. With repentant hearts and a faithful Spirit, may we step into the truth of God’s love.

Prayer: Lord God, lead and guide us to walk daily and to trust eternally into your promises of love and grace, of forgiveness and restoration. You are our God, the only one who can save. Thank you, Lord. Amen.


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The Ebb and Flow

Reading: Psalm 119:89-176

‭Psalm 119:159 – “Look at how much I love your precepts. Make me live again, LORD!”

The first half of Psalm 119 painted a picture of a new and growing faith. In verses 89-176 we find a more mature faith, one that quickly turns to God, one that expects God to act on behalf of the faithful. The overarching theme of these 11 sections can be summed up in today’s key verse: “Look at how much I love your precepts. Make me live again, LORD!” Much like Job, the psalmist wrestles with the good/reward, bad/punish framework of the ancient faith. We wrestle with this too.

This wrestling can be found in verses 126-127 and in 165-166. In the first the psalmist almost demands God’s actions because others have “broken” God’s law and because he or she loves the law more than gold. In verse 165 the statement is made that the faithful enjoy peace and do not stumble. Then in 166 the psalmist says, “Lord, I want your saving help.” I’m good, God. You should save me!

Throughout these sections we also find a consistent theme of loving God’s law and being angry at or hating those who don’t love God’s law. We see this played out in the New Testament too as the religious leaders clashed with Jesus and then with his followers. They couldn’t stomach how Jesus ate with and touched sinners. We too can be a bit like this. We can look down our noses at those who aren’t acting or believing like we act and believe. We can struggle with brothers and sisters in Christ who seek to minister to “those” people.

Overall these sections of Psalm 119 paint an accurate picture of our faith – for good and for bad. We sincerely want to know, understand, and live out God’s will and ways. We can judge and demand. And we can find ourselves as the psalmist did in verse 176: “I’ve wandered off like a sheep, lost.” And we can pray as the psalmist prayer: “Find your servant because I haven’t forgotten your commandments!” No, likely they’re just conveniently misplaced. Lord, help us.

Prayer: Lord God, the ebb and flow is part of the journey. The call to love the least wrestles with our inclinations towards judgment and condemnation. How fickle we are too. So, yes, help us Lord to know you more, to love you more completely, to serve more steadfastly. Continue to gather us back in. Shepherd us on your path. Amen.


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Painting a Picture

Readings: Ruth 1, Ruth 2

Ruth 1:16 – “Wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.”

The book of Ruth is a book of faithfulness and righteousness, of love and loyalty, and of compassion and inclusion. It centers on a deep commitment to family that mirrors God’s commitment to humanity. The book of Ruth calls us, no, challenges us to consider how our daily lives and choices might reflect these qualities and practices so that we too might join in God’s ongoing effort to bring heaven to earth.

The story begins with tragedy and hardship. Famine forces a family to move to Moab, a foreign land. Soon the husband does but the sons find Moabite wives. After ten years the sons die, leaving three widows. Recognizing their tenuous situation, Naomi tells Orpah and Ruth to go home, to find husbands, to start over. In this critical moment, Naomi sets aside her grief, her fear, her hopelessness. She places the other first. Eventually Oprah goes home but Ruth refuses. In response to Naomi’s last heartfelt plea to go home, Ruth responds, “Wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.” To me, these are some of the most beautiful words in the Bible.

Returning to Bethlehem, Naomi’s words betray their dire situation. Reflecting on the reality that she “went away full” but “came home empty,” she asks to now be called ‘Mara.’ This translates ‘bitter.’ Ruth, undeterred by their situation and filled with love for Naomi, goes to glean in the fields. The connection to Boaz is soon made and he provides safe and generous gleaning conditions. Ruth notices and asks why. He responds that he has heard the story of her love, faithfulness, and commitment to Naomi. When Ruth comes home with a bountiful harvest and the even more gracious story of the day, Naomi finds hope. She knows that Boaz is family and is possibly one to redeem their situation.

Love and compassion drive the story – both of their care for one another and of the care given to Naomi and Ruth. Faithful and righteous living draws others into the story and inspires them to be a part of it. The story paints a picture of how we are to live and be in the world. How may we do so today?

Prayer: Lord God, today we are reminded that doing the right thing is always the right thing – even when it is hard. Love, commitment, loyalty, family – these matter deeply. Guide us to mirror these things in our relationships, in our communities, and in our world. Amen.


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More Outside Than Inside

Reading: Psalm 66:8-20

Verses 8-9: “Praise our God, all peoples… God has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping.”

Psalm 66 is a song of praise for what God has done. The first part of the Psalm focuses on the corporate or communal perspective. This is an important perspective to keep. It helps us see, live in, and recognize the bigger picture. While God undoubtedly works in each of our lives, we can see God’s plan unfolding in a different way when we get outside of ourselves and outside of our own story. Imagine if the parting of the sea story or the feeding of the 5,000 story were told from a single perspective and as if that person was the only one there! When we focus only on ourselves then we can miss out on the fuller story of God’s power and might.

In verses 8-9 the psalmist writes, “Praise our God, all peoples… God has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping.” This is a call to public and corporate thanksgiving in response to God’s work in the life of the community of faith. The psalmist then recognizes the difficult times in their past and recalls how God led them through. Our temptation can be to withdraw or isolate when we are going through a hard time. We can tend to focus only on ourselves. If, during their time in slavery in Egypt, the Israelites each adopted an “every man or woman for themselves” mentality, then where would’ve they been? They could not have marched out of Egypt one at a time. The collective, the group – it mattered. It still matters.

So the invitation today is to see the larger picture, to live in a space more outside of yourself than inside yourself. May we all realize the power we receive from others and the power we give to others.

Prayer: Lord God, open my eyes to the bigger picture around me. Open my heart to love all those around me. Shrink the selfishness in heart and make more room to love others more fully. Amen.


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Presence

Reading: Luke 24:13-27

Verse 15: “As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them.”

Today and tomorrow we take a walk with a couple friends and with Jesus. On the first Easter Sunday 2 friends are walking home to Emmaus. They are talking about all that has happened to and with Jesus in Jerusalem. The news of an empty tomb and Mary Magdalene’s report that “He has risen!” must’ve dominated their conversation as they made this 7-mile journey. Somewhere along the journey a third man joins them. Luke tells us that it was Jesus but in verse 16 we read, “they were kept from recognizing him.”

Today this question is rattling around in my head: How often am I walking through life when Jesus joins me on the journey, yet I don’t recognize him? At times I get so caught up in this conversation or in that thing on my to-do list that I do miss the moment that Jesus draws near. When I do so, I hope he is as patient with me as he was with Cleopas and friend.

Joining in their conversation, Jesus finds out what they’ve been talking about. He hears their story and then he fits into it as he begins to unpack the scriptures, connecting it to what had occupied their walk so far. “Beginning with Moses,” Jesus walks them through all the prophecies, psalms, and other verses that foretold the Messiah and all of the events of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. He paints a picture for them that details the whole story.

At times we are called upon or nudged to share the good news. It may come in the form of telling our own story of what Jesus has done in our lives. It may come as it did for Jesus, unpacking the scriptures for another person. Either way, may we begin by first hearing their story or questions. From there may we join the conversation, bringing the presence of Christ into that moment, opening the path to share the good news of Jesus Christ with another.

Prayer: Lord God, first and foremost, help me to realize these holy opportunities. Whether it is Jesus walking alongside me or Jesus inviting me to walk alongside another, open my eyes and heart so that I can be in that moment. Use me, lead me, guide me to be a part of the opportunity to be Jesus’ hands, feet, and heart. Amen.


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The Beloved Community

Reading: Matthew 5:1-12

Verses 1-2: “His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them.”

Photo credit: Clay Banks

Today we begin in the Beatitudes. These “blessed are” statements start off the longest teaching of Jesus recorded in the scriptures. While each statement certainly has meaning and value yet today, we will focus on the whole. Much of Jesus’ teaching pointed to a bigger picture. That is part of what he is doing with the Beatitudes. As a whole these statements paint a vision for the beloved community, for the church. A kingdom-living community of faith will reflect and live out these ideals.

Much of what Jesus said was counter-cultural and it remains so today. To be a peacemaker or to be humble, to be willing to face persecution, to openly desire God – these marks of the Christian are not the norm in the world. To comfort the mourning, to be pure in heart – these are also not the norms of our world. Yet we, as followers of Christ, are called to stand out from the world and to stand up against much of what the world values and pursues. Living out these ideals we will come to stand alongside those that the world devalues and marginalizes. In humble service we will minister to those close to the heart of God. May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, lead me past self and closer to your heart. Open me to the folks and situations that break your heart. Use me to build up your vision for the world. Amen.


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Listen and Learn

Reading: 1st Samuel 3: 1-20

Verse 8: “Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy”.

On Monday I focused in on the call part of this passage. Just like Samuel, we all have a story of how God calls us. Samuel might not have known his call story if not for Eli. At this point, Eli is like Samuel’s father figure. Eli has raised Samuel since he was weaned from Hannah. Eli has been serving God a long time and has taught Samuel much, but “Samuel did not yet know the Lord”. Samuel knows who God is and knows a lot about God, but he does not know God. The head knowledge has not yet become heart wisdom. It is Eli that perceives that God is calling Samuel. Eli’s willingness to allow God to speak through another is a testament to his trust in God and to the love and trust that he has in Samuel. It is an example of humble servant leadership.

When Samuel does invite God to speak, the words are difficult to hear. Destruction will fall upon Eli’s household because Eli’s sons are “contemptible” and because Eli failed to “restrain them”. In the morning Eli presses Samuel, wanting to know what God said, probably sensing the bad news. Samuel speaks truth to Eli. Eli accepts the words, humbly acknowledging God’s goodness. I cannot imagine how hard it was for Samuel to say these words to Eli. Yet Samuel loves and trusts Eli enough to tell him.

Both Eli and Samuel understood that there was something bigger than themselves. Both Eli and Samuel loved and trusted God, as well as each other, enough to listen and to learn from each other. To listen and learn from each other. To understand the bigger picture. How our land needs these skills today! Both sides are so polarized that they cannot even hear each other, never mind listening to one another. Listening is essential. It is the only way to discern a good and right way forward. Yes, we can continue to plod down the road we are on, filled with self and contempt and half truths and rancor. We can walk the road of Eli’s household. Or we can choose a better way, one covered in love and peace and trust. These things will not come easy. Surrender never does. Elevating other over self, walking the path of unity and compromise, fighting for our way not my way – all are the work of a humble servant. May it be so Lord. Heal our land.

Prayer: Lord, the wind is howling here in South Dakota. Things are shaking and groaning. It reminds me of our nation right now. The winds can fan the flames or they can usher in something new. Bring a new sense of humble servant leadership to the land, blowing away the chaff. Bless us, O God. Amen.


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Faithful Too

Reading: Psalm 126

Verse 3: “The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy”.

In our Isaiah 61 passage for this week God speaks hope to the people living in exile. In today’s Psalm, the people have returned home, they have experienced that joy. The psalmist recalls, “We were like men who dreamed”. They had heard the words of hope and it felt like a distant future. And then God moved and they were back home. They were filled with laughter and joy when they reflected on what the Lord has done for them. If we pause and give thought to our own journeys of faith, we too will recall times when God rescued us in an amazing or unexpected way. The God of Israel remains active in our lives.

Just as the psalmist writes “The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy” we too can say. Our experiences with a faithful God fill us with joy. It also builds up our faith and trust in God. Life will happen again. And again. Each time, if we turn to God, we will find that God is still faithful. The end or the result might not immediately be what we wanted or desired – that is not what the psalmist is saying. In God’s big picture, in God’s plan, God is in control, looking our for our good. Sometimes it takes years to see how that thing was good, but eventually we will if we continue to remain faithful too.

We can read into the Psalm that something has happened again. Whatever life has brought, the psalmist asks, “Restore our fortunes, O Lord”. There is sadness or perhaps hunger in the family of God. There is also hope and faith and trust in God. From past experiences with God, the psalmist knows there will once again be joy. He knows this because he knows God is faithful. If you are in the midst of trial or suffering, remember that the God of Israel remains active and alive. Turn to the Lord your God. God is faithful.

Prayer: Lord God, I lift up all who are struggling these days. Fill them with your presence, reassure them of your love and care. Bring them joy. In the power of the Holy Spirit may they know you are near. Amen.


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At Work

Reading: Genesis 37: 12-28

Verses 23 and 24: They stripped him of his robe… they threw him into the cistern.

Joseph does not have the best of days.  He heads out to check on his brothers and the flocks and ends up being sold into slavery.  His brothers’ hatred of him most directly leads to this event.  But the hatred did not begin today.  It is something that has been building.  The favored son comes alone, wearing that coat that Dad gave him, and evil thoughts are at hand.  Our text reads, “They stripped him of his robe… they threw him into the cistern”.

We have a tendency to want to blame someone when bad things happen to us.  Sometimes we identity a person or group of people and we cast blame on them.  Sometimes it is an occurrence of nature that causes our hardship.  Sometimes when all else fails, we blame God.  Seldom do we look inward right away to find the source of our troubles or hardship.  Joseph probably first blamed his brothers and then maybe Israel for sending him out alone.  At some points He probably questioned or blamed God.  From what we know of Joseph, it is unlikely that he became introspective.

In reality, many had a hand in what happens to Joseph in our passage today.  Israel has favored and spoiled Joseph.  This day he sends him off alone to a group of brothers who are jealous and dislike Joseph.  Joseph himself has helped build the animosity by sharing his dreams and by tattling on his brothers.  Satan has also been at work, fanning the flames of anger and planting thoughts of murder.

Although God is not mentioned in the text for today, God is also surely at work.  He softens Reuben’s heart and then Judah’s.  The caravan doesn’t just happen to come along.  Yes, in our lives nature, the bad decisions of others, and our own poor choices can cause us hardship and trial.  But in it all, God is still present.  God still has the bigger picture in sight.  His plans for us are ultimately for good and to prosper us.  As Joseph’s story unfolds, trials continue to come yet God remains at work always.  The same is true for us.  As the story of our lives unfold, may we trust into the God who loves us and seeks good for us.