pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: presence


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The Thin Space

Reading: Luke 2:1-20

Verse 19: “Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”

Photo credit: Kelly Sikkema

We begin this day where many of us will end the day – in Luke 2, verses 1-20. In his gospel to the Gentiles, Luke offers the best known telling of Jesus’ birth story. Luke’s gospel was aimed at those outside of the Jewish circles of faith. Perhaps that is why his telling resonates so well with so many. To recount how the “good news of great joy” came first to the shepherds – to those very near to the bottom of the socio-economic ladder – is to remind us all that the good news of Jesus Christ is indeed for all people.

The Upper Room Disciplines devotional for today reminded me of a very similar experience with what author Richard Morgan calls a “thin space.” This is the liminal space where heaven and earth touch and we enter the presence of the holy. We also were caroling in a care facility when a woman who had sat still and silently the whole time came to life and began singing Silent Night in German as we sang in English. The tune and words touched a deep place in her mind and soul. It was a sacred and holy moment to be a part of as we entered that thin space.

Towards the end of today’s passage we read, “Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” After a long journey and first-time labor, after receiving this holy story from the shepherds, Mary soaked it all in. She entered that thin space and seeped in God’s presence. This is my hope and prayer for all who will be drawn to worship and to celebrate the birth of the Savior. As each enters into worship, may each find a sacred space to enter into. There, may they each be touched by God so that the dear Christ child may enter into their hearts this night.

Prayer: Lord God, open the hearts of all who will come today to sing carols and to hear the story. May the words and songs draw them into the thin space where heaven touches their hearts. Amen.


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Recalling Faith and God

Reading- ‭Psalms ‭85:1‭-‬2‬ ‭- “LORD, you’ve been kind to your land; you’ve changed Jacob’s circumstances for the better. You’ve forgiven your people’s wrongdoing; you’ve covered all their sins.”

Photo credit: Diego Gennaro

Psalm 85 is a song of remembrance. Although we only read portions today and tomorrow, the whole song remembers both the good and the bad of Israel’s relationship with God. It recalls times of joy and times of sorrow. It thanks God for God’s presence and it begs God for God’s presence. In the general sense, then, it mirrors most of our lives of faith – the days when we are close to God and the days when we feel distant, the times of joy and the times of sorrow. These emotions and feelings are amplified in the holidays.

Like many Psalms and other books of the Bible, Psalm 85 reflects on the story of faith. Today’s two verses celebrate when God’s “favor” was shown, restoring the peoples’ lives. The restoration centers on the forgiveness of their sins. Sin is often what creates the separation and sorrow. God’s love and grace remedy this division. As a people of God and as persons of faith, it is important to remember that God always restores us – both in particular instances and in the continual mercy and grace that always abounds in our lives.

In the spirit of the Psalm, what stories of God’s presence do you recall? What special moments happened at this Christmas or at that family gathering? It is important to also reconnect to the moments when God has been tangibly present in Advent or Christmas Eve worship. Take some time to recall these God moments and the blessings of God for you and your family. And in doing so, be assured that God is with us now and will be with us in our future.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the many ways that you have touched our lives and our faith. As we’ve recalled these moments, we now rejoice in your love for us and for our place in the family of God. We are grateful for our place and for the love and presence that will continue to walk with us each and every day. Thank you, Lord God. Amen.


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Our Eternal God

Reading: Mark 13:31 – “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”

Photo credit: Tyler Milligan
https://bible.com/bible/2016/mrk.13.31.NRSV

Returning to Mark 13 today on the first Sunday of Advent, time remains a theme. Jesus reminds us today that very little in this life is permanent – “heaven and earth will pass away.” Passings or losses are part of our life. They are a reality of our finite human nature. Even this world, although eons and eons old, is in a steady state of decline. One day even our sun will give off its last warmth and light. This impermanence can give us feelings of instability and fear. If this 58 or 80 or 40 or even 100 years was all there was to life, then no matter how great our years and life, death would only bring deep sadness.

Set over and against this temporary life and world is our eternal God. Although even heaven as we think we know it will one day be no more, the one who created it and sustains it will go on and on and on. Although our substance will likely change, God and God’s words, those words of hope and promise and resurrection and eternity – “my words will never pass away.”

Our eternal God is present with us in the future of this life. The Holy Spirit walks with us daily, guiding us through the highs and lows and all else in between. Our God who was and is and always will be is with us, God’s beloved. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord God, what hope and promise you bring to our finite and limited lives. What peace and love you bring to our hearts. What joy you bring to our souls. Thank you for your everlasting presence with us. Amen.


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Be Ready

Reading: Mark 13:24-37

Verse 33: “Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come.”

Photo credit: Nathan Dumlao

In this week’s gospel text Jesus calls us to a constant state of preparedness. He is talking about being ready for the time when we will be judged. Being “ready” would lead to being found worthy of entry into the kingdom of heaven. Trouble is, we do not know when his return (or our final breath) will be. Even so, we are told, “Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come.” In verse 36 Jesus reiterates our need to be prepared as he warns, “do not let him find you sleeping.” To be asleep would be to live with a dormant faith.

Time feels like a key element in our passage. The passage is set in God’s time and we tend to live in our understanding of time. Jesus is calling us to live in the intersection of these two ways to see time. The calls to being on guard and alert and awake are calls to live out our faith in the here and now, every day. We are to guard our hearts from the lies and temptations of the evil one and the world. We are to be alert to both God’s work in our lives and to the places and ways that God is calling us to bring love, compassion, justice… to bear in the world. We are to be awake to God’s presence, guidance, conviction, direction… in our lives.

Overall the call is to be faithful and obedient to God all of the time. Then, no matter when that day comes, whether for our lives or for our world, we will be ready to meet Jesus. May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, it is easy to become lazy, to become complacent, to become self-absorbed. It is hard to always walk the walk, to always live out our faith. Help us to do the hard things. Help us to walk the narrow way that leads to life abundant and everlasting. Amen.


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The Presence of Grace

Reading: 1st Corinthians 1:3-5 and 8

Verse 5: “For in every way you have been enriched in God, in speech and knowledge of every kind.”

In this week’s Epistle text Paul writes about grace. Most simply put, grace is God’s presence in our lives. Paul begins by asking for God’s grace and peace to be with the Corinthian church. These two things often go hand in hand. God’s presence often brings a sense of peace to our lives. This peace is one of the marks of a Christian.

Paul then offers words of thanksgiving. He begins by offering thanks for the grace that is clearly evident in the lives of the people who make up this community of faith. This presence of God is what makes them stand out. It is that “there’s something different about you” that people notice when they’re around a person of faith.

As the church lives out its witness in Corinth, filled by and guided by the Holy Spirit (that’s God’s constant, indwelling presence), their lives are “enriched.” Paul notes that this enrichment is “in every way.” That’s the thing about grace – it doesn’t come and go. It is with us all of the time. This grace is evident in the ways that the church members speak and think. It is in their words and in the ways that they live out these words. It is in the strength that they exhibit in their lives. People around them notice this presence of God that permeates their lives.

If we too open ourselves up to the grace of God that is always present and is always available to us, we too will be blessed as we are filled with grace. It will fill us with strength and with guidance, empowering us to witness to our faith in Jesus Christ. Filled we too will live in such a way that others notice the grace and peace in us. May it be so today and every day.

Prayer: Lord God, pour out your presence into my heart and into my mind. Fill me with a grace and peace that overflows into the lives of all that I meet today. Equip me to witness well to your love today. Use me to be a connection point to you. Amen.


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Giving Thanks

Reading: Psalm 100:1-3

Verse 3b: “It is God who made us, and we are God’s; we are God’s people, the sheep of God’s pasture.”

Psalm 100 is subtitled “A Psalm. For Giving Thanks.” in my home Bible. It is a fitting passage for today and tomorrow, for collectively offering our thanks for God’s blessings and presence in our lives and in our world. The psalmist begins by encouraging us to “shout for joy” and to “worship the Lord with gladness.” This is an encouragement that we need often.

We need to be reminded because life often happens in ways that can derail our joy and that can dampen our gratitude. Those unexpected twists and unwanted turns can leave us anything but thankful. It is precisely in these times that we need the words of Psalm 100 – especially verse 3.

Verse 3 begins with a reminder and a call: “Know that the Lord is God.” In all and through all and over all, God is God. God does not cause our hardship or difficult situation or unwanted change – these are part of life – but God does desire to be with us in all of life. By making the intentional choice to walk with God, we make our journey lighter, our road less rocky, our valley less challenging… because we are not alone.

The verse continues with these words: “It is God who made us, and we are God’s; we are God’s people, the sheep of God’s pasture.” This verse speaks of the deep connection and foundational relationship that we have with God. We are God’s and God is ours. We are the sheep of God’s pasture. God is our good and loving shepherd. In all and through all and over all, God is with us and we are with God. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: Lord God, I rejoice in your love for us, your family. With joy and with thanksgiving I praise you for your presence in all of life. You chose us before our lives even began. You desire to walk with us every day. May we choose you always. Amen.


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Step Forward and See

Reading: Joshua 3:10-17

Verses 15-16: “Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests… reached the Jordan… the water from upstream stopped flowing.”

If yesterday’s lesson from the first part of Joshua 3 was “come here and listen,” then today’s lesson is “step forward and see.” In verses 10-13 of today’s passage, Joshua tells the Israelites what is about to happen: God will be ahead of you, 12 men will pick up stones for a memorial, the water will be cut off. What is implied is this: we will cross through into the Promised Land. Then, in verse 14, they break camp and the priests, with the ark, lead the way. The ark of the covenant is God’s presence going ahead of them. As they step forward towards the Jordan we learn that “now the Jordan is at flood stage during the harvest.” There is potential in this realization to falter, to doubt, to question moving forward.

We can come to this place in our journeys of faith. We’ve heard the voice or felt the nudge. We’ve been beckoned and have drawn near to hear, to be invited into the plan that God has placed before us. And then that challenge or obstacle appears and it seems huge – “at flood stage.” We can give up or can turn back. Or we can return to what we heard when we drew near, trusting in God’s plan, continuing to move forward in faith.

In the next verse we read, “Yet as soon as the priests… reached the Jordan… the water from upstream stopped flowing.” Yes, see the power of God at work! That step of faith opened the door for God to do an amazing thing. This too is our promise. When we are faithful to draw near and to listen to God, when we step forward in trust, then we too will see the power of God at work. That huge obstacle or giant challenge – nothing to God. With this assurance, may we boldly move forward in faith in the Lord our God.

Prayer: Lord God, you plant seeds and you whisper visions and dreams. You open my heart to acts of mercy, to people and places in need of your experiencing your love and grace. As I draw near and hear your heart for those in need, guide me to step forward, to move out into the world, assured that you go with me and before me in power and might. Amen.


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Where We Belong

Reading: Psalm 107:33-37

Verse 36: “There God brought the hungry to live, and they founded a city where they could settle.”

As we continue in Psalm 107 we find a sharp contrast in the two parts of our passage. In the first two verses there is an evil that leads to negative outcomes. In the last three verses this is reversed and good things come to the faithful. We are not sure exactly what this evil/good situation connects to – the flood? a failure in the wilderness? something else? In any event, as is often the case with the living word, we find application for our lives today.

In verses 33-34 there is a “wickedness” present. Because of this, the earth dries up and the crops turn to waste. That which once flowed with life is now dry and thirsty. At times and even in seasons our life can mirror this situation. Because of our sin or busyness or idol chasing we can find ourselves far from God. In this place our soul becomes dry and fruitless. We feel empty as nothing satisfies in this wasteland.

The scene changes drastically in verses 35-37. God’s blessings and presence once again flow as the parched land welcomes flowing springs. In turn, the crops and vineyards yield a plentiful harvest. A return to walking with God brings a blessing – “a city where they could settle.” When we choose to turn from wickedness, when we choose to walk in accordance with God’s will and ways, then our life becomes more abundant, more fruitful. Life is not perfect – there will still be trials and hardships and we will still stumble at times. But walking with God we find hope and strength, peace and forgiveness. It is where we belong. May it be so for you and for me.

Prayer: Lord God, at times I do allow my faith to become dry, to become consumed by the things of the world. Help me to realize this more quickly, to turn back to you more promptly. Once there, Lord, lead and guide me by the power of the Holy Spirit. Keep me true to you. Amen.


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Home

Reading: Psalm 107:1-7

Verse 6: “They cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.”

Psalm 107 opens with a call to give thanks to God because God is good and loving. And because God “redeemed [them] from the hand of the foe.” God most recently rescued them from exile and gathered the people of God back to Israel. Yes, this is a great reason to bring praise and thanksgiving to God. When has God redeemed or rescued you most recently from a time of exile or wilderness wandering? Pause and offer God a moment of praise and thanksgiving for God’s goodness and love.

Moving into verses 4-5 the psalmist details some of their struggles. The people wandered without a home. During the Exodus wilderness time and during the exile in Babylon, the people were without a true home. They were lost spiritually too, often quarreling with and questioning God. The sense of being without a home raises up insecurities and fears, leading often to an increase in feelings of hopelessness and despair. In the struggle it can feel like our life is ebbing away. This all can, in turn, lead us to a hunger and thirst for God’s presence in our lives. Pause and reflect on a time when you felt this way. When did you feel without a faith home, without an assurance of God’s presence in your life?

In verse 6 we read, “They cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.” In their exile or wilderness or struggle, they got to the point of crying out to God. We too will reach that point. Our efforts have failed. Like it was with Israel, God will come in and deliver us too. God will help us back onto the “straight way,” rebuilding our relationship with and our trust and faith in God, bringing us back home. God is good and loving. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: Lord God, you are faithful and true, loving and forgiving. Time and time again I have cried out to you. Time and time again you are right there, becoming present to me in the exile or wilderness, walking with me through the struggle. I beg you to continue to walk with me as I desire to walk with you. Amen.


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Aligned

Reading: Exodus 33:17-23

Verse 17: “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.”

Today we continue in the conversation between God and Moses that we began on Monday. Just a quick review – in verses 12-16 Moses seeks for God’s presence to be with him and with the Israelites. Today God responds, saying, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.” There are two pieces that drive God’s positive response. First, God is pleased with Moses. Although far from perfect – like us – Moses has sought out and grown in his personal relationship with God. In this process, Moses has revealed himself to God. This is the second reason that God agrees to share God’s presence with Moses and with the people. Who and what Moses is and does is pleasing to God. It opens the door for God to be more present in his life.

Moses next asks for even more of this presence. Presumably Moses is in the “tent of meeting” talking to God. Moses wants more. He wants to see God’s glory. He is asking to see God live and in person. God responds positively again. God will allow Moses to see as much of God as is humanly possible. This response is first because Moses asked and, second, because Moses is pleasing to and known by God.

The first question that comes to mind today is this: Do I want to see God’s glory? And, if so, two more questions: Is my life pleasing to God? And, am I fully known by God? God is all-knowing. So the last question is more a question of whether or not I am revealing myself to God humbly and honestly?

Heart and will aligned with God, may we see God’s glory.

Prayer: Lord God, I say I want to know you and to be known by you. Lord, move me from these easy words to tangible action. Work in me, Holy Spirit, to bring me closer to God, to stand more fully in the divine and holy presence. There, empty me of myself and then fill me up with God’s glorious presence. From there, use me to reflect God’s glory out into the world. Amen.