pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: presence


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All Because of Me

Reading: Matthew 5:10-12

Matthew 5:11 – “Happy are you when people insult you and harass you and speak all kinds of bad and false things about you, all because of me.”

As we read on in the Beatitudes today, Jesus invites us to stand for righteousness. Although standing for what is right and just in the world will bring harassment, insult, lies, slander, and worse, to stand for what is right remains the call of the faithful. Jesus encourages us to “be full of joy and be glad” in these times of standing for what is right and just, “because you have a great reward in heaven.”

How might one find joy and gladness when harassed, insulted…? We find joy and gladness in the midst of suffering evil because we are following Jesus’ words and example. In the scriptures we find this lived out again and again. Today Stephen and Paul come to mind. Stephen was stoned to death for proclaiming Jesus as Lord and Savior. He offered joyful praise and extended mercy to his killers as they hurled the stones. Paul writes again and again of joyfully serving Christ even when in chains, after being beaten… The joy and gladness comes through the presence of the risen Christ in the midst of insult, harassment, falsehoods… “all because of me.”

We see this lived out today as people stand against injustice and harassment and false narratives. We see it today as people stand and speak against the abusive power over being applied in the streets of our nation. We see it in our prayers that express our solidarity with those in harm’s way, those who are joyfully being the presence of Christ, placing themselves against these evils. Lord, be present in Spirit, to lead and to guide, to protect and to strengthen.

Prayer: Lord God, in the times, places, and spaces where insult, harassment, and falsehoods are the reality, strengthen and encourage your people to stand and speak for what is just and right and good. For those not physically present, lead and guide the prayers of your people and all else that can be offered as support and encouragement. Heal our land, O God. Pour out your peace and righteousness. Amen.


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Three-Fold Faith

Reading: Micah 6:8

Micah 6:8 – “…to do justice, embrace faithful love, and walk humbly with your God.”

In today’s verse from Micah 6, we find what many call the summary of the Torah or Law of Moses. Others say that this verse is a summary of the good news of Jesus Christ. These three actions seem so simple when taken as spiritual direction. It is when we begin applying this three-fold faith to our lives that we find out how challenging and difficult these three actions are to really live out day by day.

To “do justice” is to live in right relationship with God and with all people. To do so requires us to restore or redeem these relationships when they are damaged or broken. It is fairly easy to do these things with those we love dearly. But to practice justice with our “enemies?” Another prophet calls us to love even these. To “love faithfully” is to maintain and daily live out our commitment to fully love God and to fully love one another. This commitment transcends legal requirements and it goes beyond the place where we begin to experience a cost or to pay a price. A prophet once went to the cross to demonstrate faithful love – loving us to the full when we were yet lost in our sin.

The third part of this three-fold faith is the power that makes it possible to do justice and love faithfully. One must choose to walk humbly each day with God and with one another if one is to meet this challenge. When we place love of self behind love of God and love of neighbor, only then can we walk as Jesus walked. Our world today is so in need of justice, love, and humility. Each day may we strive to be these three actions before God and to the world. May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, grant us the courage, the wisdom, and the strength to daily live out this three-fold challenge. Empower us through your Holy Spirit’s presence to live in these ways, bringing hope and peace, love and justice to a world in need. Amen.


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Shine the Light

Reading: Isaiah 9:1-4

Isaiah 9:2 – “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.”

Once again we return to a text that we read earlier in the week – just two days ago. The passage begins with encouragement: “Those who were in distress won’t be exhausted.” God will be present. The community will be present to one another. Strength and hope will begin with God and will ripple down through the community, touching even those outside of the family of God. As human beings and as people called to follow Jesus Christ, we are called to care for and serve and love all of God’s creation.

The prophet writes these words in verse 2: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.” Today the light is the light of Christ that burns within each of us. The light shines into darkness of all kinds. It shines into the darkness of violence and oppression. It shines into the darkness of injustice and marginalization. It shines into the darkness of prejudice and targeting. It shines into the darkness of grief and death. The light of Christ brings hope and comfort, guidance and direction, peace and presence, healing and new life.

The light of Christ also shines forward. In the midst of darkness, the light declares victory – in both the near and one-day future. The light shines beyond the present difficulties. It reveals the way to a better future. It points towards a place of glory and joy. May the light of Christ shine brightly in each of us. May it sustain and encourage us and those who see the light shining for all people.

Prayer: Lord God, our world needs the light of Christ to shine brightly. So stoke up the holy fire within each of your children. Together may we blaze forth into our broken and hurting world, bringing healing and wholeness, unity and justice, love and peace. Amen.


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We Cry Out

Reading: Psalm 27:1, 4-9

Psalm 27:7 – “Lord, listen to my voice when I cry out – have mercy and answer me.”

Photo credit: Shane Rounce

These ancient words of David are words we can relate to yet today. Just as David faced evil and people who were against him, today we face these same things. Sadly, this is one of the constants in our world. The desire for power over others and the drive to accumulate more and more has always led to the suffering of others. In verse 1 we are reminded of another constant. God has been and always will be a light in the darkness, salvation in the brokenness, and a fortress in the battle against evil.

In this world of division and violence and oppression we are called to be Christ’s light. This is not always an easy task. Just yesterday the Bishop of the episcopal area in which I serve held a Zoom call to discuss the division, violence, and oppression unfolding in Minneapolis and to talk about our Christian response. The church should be as David describes the temple in verses 4-6. It should be a place of shelter and safety, a rock upon which people can stand. But this is not just about the building. The body of Christ must be these things to the world in the reality of life.

A story was shared yesterday of an elderly man who came to the United States long ago, fleeing the violence of his homeland. He became a citizen and a part of society. This elderly man was pulled out of the shower, taken out into the street in shorts and crocs, with a throw over his shoulders, in sub-zero temperatures, to be questioned. Yes, it feels as if “an enemy encamps against” us. Like David and like many others, we cry out for justice. We cry out for peace. We cry out, “Lord, listen to my voice when I cry out – have mercy and answer me.” Lord, we need you now. O God who saves, be with us now.

Prayer: Lord God, we do cry out – some in our hearts, some in our spirits, some with pen and paper, some in the streets. Whatever your answer to our cries, may we hear and respond. May we say or do or pray or go as we are led. May we be used as you will – as a voice, as a presence, as a supporter… As you work towards justice and peace, O God, lead us to be your co-workers in this fight. Use us to stand with and to watch over and to protect the vulnerable and the suffering. Amen.


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Engage Daily

Reading: Matthew 4:18-23

Matthew 4:23b – “He announced the good news of the kingdom and healed every disease and sickness among the people.”

Earlier this week we read and pondered Jesus’ move away from Nazareth, moving to Capernaum in Galilee. This move distanced himself from the threatening worldly powers but it was not an attempt to isolate. The first thing Jesus does in this new place is to call the first disciples: Simon, Andrew, James, and John. Jesus invites them to leave all that they know behind to “Come, follow me.” As these four fisherman respond to the call, Jesus is building a new kind of community, a fellowship of believers.

Today our charge is to alter this invitation slightly, calling to people, “Come, follow Jesus.” This too is an invitation into belonging, into community, into fellowship. In our modern world, one filled with loneliness and division and unease, people are longing for meaning and purpose and for a place to find worth and to be loved. As humans, we need connection. We need to be part of something that matters. So let’s invite others into our circles of faith, whenever and wherever we have the opportunity to engage today.

In verse 23 we gain a model for how to be invitational. Simply inviting others to church is good, but it is not enough. One can be just as lonely, just as lost, just as broken, in a room full of people. Jesus taught a new way of living and being in the world. We have his words. We can share them with others, teaching them and showing them the way of love. We also have the ability and gifts to “heal” others. Through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit we have all that we need to help free others from many forms of sickness and disease. This walking alongside others, sharing the good news, it helps them to strip away all that hinders them, opening the way to the new life that Jesus Christ offers to all people. To this end, may we engage today in this ministry of healing and wholeness.

Prayer: Lord God, open our eyes, free our tongues, guide our steps. As we encounter the hurting, the lost, the lonely, the broken today, empower us to make connections, to meet a need, to share the words of life, to offer words and acts that bring healing and wholesome to people’s lives. With Christ as our model and example, use us today to lift others up as we invite them into a relationship with Jesus and into our communities of faith. Amen.


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How Can We…?

Reading: Psalm 27:1, 4-9

Psalm 27:8 – “Come, my heart says, seek God’s face! Lord, I do seek your face!”

Photo credit: Mitchel Lensink

We do not know the context for Psalm 27. Even though we do not know the cause, we do know that David’s words are a hopeful prayer lifted in the midst of a time of suffering and trial. In our hard times, perhaps these are words that we’ve lifted as a prayer. And today, in places near and far, rural and urban, well-off and living in poverty, these are words that many could or do lift to God as they suffer, struggle, and are afraid. As we consider these words today, may we also consider how we might be an answer to those near to us who lift these words or words like them as a prayer to God.

The Psalm begins with hope and confidence. With God as light, salvation, and protection, what is there to fear? For David, there are evildoers and enemies all around and an army encamped against him. Today, there is war, violence, threats, division, hatred, disease, injustice. People are in hiding, filled with fear – right here in our nation. David seeks shelter in the house of the Lord. If he could but dwell there every day of his life… While our churches largely remain safe places, getting there is another story for many people. For David and for the faithful today, being in God’s presence is a place and space to worship, to find joy, to rest “during troubling times.”

The last verses of today’s reading are a plea to God. David begs for God to hear, to listen, to have mercy. Encouraging himself and others, David implores his faith, saying, “Come, my heart says, seek God’s face! Lord, I do seek your face!” This is a hopeful request to “God who saves.” And again I wonder, how can we as the hands and feet of God bring both presence and peace and tangible help such as food and shelter to those suffering and living in fear today?

Prayer: Lord God, for those of us not facing persecution or oppression or threat, not living in fear, not suffering, move us to action on behalf of those experiencing these things. Use us as you may to restore justice, basic freedoms, safety. For those lacking these things, be present to them wherever they are – in one of your houses or in places of hiding. And through us, may they feel and know your love, your protection, and your peace. Amen.


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Places and Spaces

Reading: Matthew 4:12-17

Matthew 4:12 – “Now when Jesus heard that John was arrested, he went to Galilee.”

Fresh off his experience with Satan’s temptations in the wilderness, Jesus hears “that John was arrested.” John the Baptist’s words of truth had angered Herod and others, which led to his arrest. Speaking words of truth, especially when aimed at those in power, can lead to such results even today. Perceiving the danger of remaining in or around Jerusalem, Jesus “went to Galilee.” In the far northeast of Israel, Jesus sought to begin his ministry in and around Capernaum. In verse 9 this region is described as “Galilee of the Gentiles.” This remote area had been invaded and overrun time and time again, leaving behind a diverse and mixed population.

At times we can seek places and spaces that feel safe or a bit out of the way. This can be for good or for bad reasons. Just starting out at our first real job, for example, we often start at a small company, learning the ropes in this safer and kinder environment. Jesus went to Capernaum. But some of the time we seek refuge or respite in these kinds of places too. After a traumatic event, after an unwanted change, after a time that really tested us, we can seek a place or space that feels safe and often out of the way. Exiting the wilderness, Jesus went to Capernaum.

This small fishing village would become a home base, a safe and secure place for Jesus and the disciples to return to over and over. It was from this place that “a great light” came, proclaiming, “Change your hearts and lives! Here comes the kingdom of heaven.” Finding our places and spaces that allow us to witness to Jesus and his still coming kingdom of light and love, may we carry the light to the people who still “lived in the dark.” May it be so for us all.

Prayer: Lord God, lead and guide us by the power of your Holy Spirit. Whether we are in a dark valley and need your light or whether we are on the mountain filled with your light, meet us where we are at, bring us what we need, use us as you will. Comfort us or send us out to comfort. Strengthen us or lead us out to strengthen others. Fill us with your power and presence. Send us out to be your power and presence. Amen.


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Using Our Voice

Reading: John 1:29-42

John 1:30 – “He who comes after me is really greater than me because he existed before me.”

In John 1, John the Baptist is out in the wilderness baptizing and proclaiming the coming Messiah. Lots and lots of people were coming out to see John. It would’ve been easy to look at the large crowds and to think pretty highly of himself. John the Baptist does not do what most of us would do. Instead he remains humble and serves as God has called him to serve: as the “voice crying out in the wilderness.” John knew that he was not the Messiah (or Elijah or…) He knew he was the voice calling people to Jesus.

In verse 29 John the Baptist identifies Jesus as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” These descriptors fit with part of who the Jews expected the Messiah to be. John can name Jesus this way because he saw God’s word come true as the Spirit descended upon Jesus after he was baptized by John. This presence empowers Jesus to be the one who “baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” With these words, with his voice, John the Baptist clearly identifies Jesus Christ as the Messiah come into the world.

Today our world is filled with many voices. Some are clearly of this earthly kingdom. Some are clearly followers of Jesus who seek to share the good news. Many voices are a mix of these two. They try and sound like Jesus – even using a snippet of his words as a sound bite. Their lives and actions, however , do not look like Jesus at all. And where do our voices fit in this mix? We are called to be like John the Baptist, pointing to Jesus the Messiah, using our voices to carry his message of love to the world, using our hands and feet in humble service to our God. May it be so for all who seek to follow Jesus.

Prayer: Lord God, make our hearts as sure and steady as John’s was. Make our words as true and our actions as pure. In all things and in all ways, use us to point others to Jesus. Amen.


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In Partnership

Reading: 1st Corinthians 1:1-9

1st Corinthians 1:9 – “God is faithful, and you were called by him to partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

The opening of 1st Corinthians reminds those in these churches of some important things. First, they have been made holy and are called as God’s people. Second, they are bound together with the church universal through their faith in Jesus Christ. These truths continue to hold fast today.

Paul then praises these early believers for God’s grace that is evident in their lives and for the knowledge that they’ve received from God. Paul tells them that all of the spiritual gifts necessary for the church to be the church are present in Corinth. I believe that the same can be said of our churches today. God equips us to do the work of God amongst one another and in the world around us. We are gifted to do this work.

When Paul was writing, it was not an easy time to be a follower of Jesus. The Jews and the Romans were both opposed to this new faith. Persecution was common. That is why Paul encourages them, assuring them that God will keep their testimony blameless. Their lives will match their words and vice versa. This is possible because “God is faithful, and you were called by him to partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” The partnership worked then and continues to work today because God is the foundation and is the source of our strength. In this partnership, may we ever be faithful to our call to witness to the good news of Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Lord God, you alone have the power to defeat the things of this world. Some of these things are threatening and dangerous. Some are powerful and violent. Some are sneaky and deceitful. God, lead and guide us, strengthen and empower us, fill us with your Spirit and presence so that we may stand firm and can remain true to you alone, our God and King. Amen.


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God Will…

Reading: Isaiah 49:1-4

Isaiah 49:4b – “Nevertheless, the Lord will grant me justice; my reward is with God.”

Photo credit: Aaron Burden

The second of four Servant Songs found in Isaiah is our focus today and tomorrow. In this week’s reading, the servant speaks in the first person. These words could be Isaiah himself speaking or they could be the words of the servant Israel – an ideal Israel. Or is the prophet speaking as you or me?

The chosenness found in Isaiah 42 continues in chapter 49. The servant was called before birth, formed by God in the womb for this very purpose. As God’s hand continued to shape and form the servant, he or she or we became “a sharp sword… a sharpened arrow.” God’s word continues to cut through our sin and complacency and apathy, calling us to be people bent on righteousness and justice. God identifies the servant as one “in whom I show my glory.” God’s light and love, shining in and through us, reveal God’s presence and glory to the world. It is a high calling.

And it is not always easy to speak truth and to bring God glory. At times we feel like the servant feels: “wearied… in vain… used up… strength… for nothing.” We have given our all, but the fight feels too uphill. We have walked the long road of faith, but there seems to be no end in sight. The injustice, the oppression, the grief, the evils of this world – they appear to be winning. In these low moments, in the depth of the dark valley, we need to remember and cling to the words found at the end of verse 4: “Nevertheless, the Lord will grant me justice; my reward is with God.” God is on our side. God has a plan. God is a God of justice and righteousness. God will triumph over all evil. And if not in our lifetime, then heaven is surely our reward. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: Lord God, there are many days when we walk in your light and love. We feel your presence, strength, and guidance. Our words, thoughts, and actions are pleasing in your sight. May these days be our reminders. Lord, in those seasons when we are worn down and feel defeated, remind us of your presence. Lift us up by the memories of our long and steady walk with you. Renew our strength and focus so that your light might shine into the darkness, whether in our hearts or in our world. Amen.