pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: presence


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Lean In, Trust

Reading: Psalm 79:1-5

Psalm 79:5 – “How long will you rage, Lord? Forever? How long will your anger burn like fire?”

Today the psalmist asks a question we all ask: How long? In almost every difficult situation that we face and endure, we come to this question. Whether referring to the waves of grief that don’t relent or to the job search that won’t resolve itself or to the bullying that your child faces day after day or to the violence and destruction that the psalmist faces, in times of trial or pain or suffering or grief, we ask God: How long?

While we do not ever receive a specific time and date from God that tells us when relief or resolution will occur, we can have a hand in how we walk in and through these dark valleys. We can choose to shout “How long?” with a clenched fist raised against God. Or we can choose to whisper “How long?” with hands open to receive from God. The psalmist models the second option. For us, we must begin where the psalmist began, naming the situation. In this case, the writer names what it looks and feels like in the aftermath of the Babylonians destroying Jerusalem and the temple. The physical scene is horrific. To look at it and to name it begins to move one past the “Is this real?” stage. While painful, acceptance is an important step in our healing process.

The psalmist is also open and vulnerable with his emotions. From his perspective, all has been done to God’s city, to God’s temple, to God’s people. This goes against previous religious understandings and creates disorientation, forcing a new understanding of God and the world. Adding to the trauma is the ridicule coming from pagan neighbors. At times of grief or suffering or pain perhaps you or someone you know has heard, “If you just did (or didn’t)…” These words sting – as if you would have chosen this terrible outcome.

Laying it all on the table before the Lord and others we love and trust is an act of surrender, a practice in humility. Even as the psalmist asks “How long?” there is a leaning into God’s presence, a trust in God to act and move even in this place of death, loss, suffering… In our times of deep need, may we too be open and vulnerable and honest with God and with those close to us. May our hands be open to receive.

Prayer: Lord God, these initial steps can be so hard. We’d rather close our eyes and withdraw. When this is our first step, Lord, help us to feel your hand reaching out, to sense your Spirit surrounding us. Walk with us in love and grace. Amen.


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Tears of Grief

Reading: Jeremiah 8:18-9:2

Jeremiah 8:21 – “Because my people are crushed, I am crushed; darkness and despair overwhelm me.”

Photo credit: Rainier Ridao

In today’s passage from Jeremiah it is difficult to determine if God is speaking or if it is Jeremiah speaking. Our verses today seem to be a mix of the two, with both God and prophet expressing their grief over Judah’s fate. For many years, God’s people have been unfaithful to their God. Their choice to abandon God has led to God’s choice to abandon them to their sin. At times we too can choose to separate ourselves from God. We too grieve God’s heart this deeply.

God seems to be the speaker in verses 19-21. The people are asking a question and implying another that are common in times of loss and pain and grief. Directly they are asking where the Lord is: “Isn’t the Lord in Zion?” This is a question often asked in grief. The second question is implied: Why, why is this happening to us? This is a question that we can ask when lost in our sin as well. When our sin that consumed us leads to a place of pain and suffering, we can forget that our choices brought us to this place. In the disorientation of grief, we do ask “Why?”

For God’s people , the answer is given: idol worship has led to this place. As the prophet that worked to turn Judah back to God, Jeremiah grieves too. In verse 21 we read, “Because my people are crushed, I am crushed; darkness and despair overwhelm me.” The tentacles of grief surround the prophet. He laments alongside the people who are far from God. This is a place we will also find ourselves. Walking alongside others in grief, feeling and taking on some of their pain and sorrow. Our tears join their tears as we offer love and comfort in the midst of their hurt and despair. Doing so, we bring God’s presence into the darkness and despair.

Prayer: Lord God, times of grief and suffering are sure to come – to ourselves, to those we love, to our neighbors. In these times, may we sense your presence and may we lean into your love and strength, whether for ourselves or as we walk with others. Be with us in our tears, O God. Amen.


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Safe, Welcoming, Loving?

Reading: Luke 15:1-10

Luke 15:10 – “Joy breaks out in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who changes both heart and life.”

As today’s passage begins, tax collectors and sinners are gathering around Jesus – “to listen to him.” Jesus often welcomed and loved on such as these, people who were not welcomed or loved by the other group that was present. The Pharisees and legal experts are not there to listen either. They are there to grumble, to complain, and to critique. This second group is unhappy with the “radical” welcome that Jesus offers to all people, especially to these folks that are clearly not part of God’s family.

Many years ago the church that I was a part of had an opportunity to minister to the poor and homeless. The building across the parking lot was purchased with the intent of renovating it to open a day center for this population. Some in the church thought it’d be better to tear it down to have more parking. These voices did not win out. Those typically excluded or kept on the outside found a safe and welcoming and loving place to be during the day, when the local rescue mission was closed.

In response to the religious folk’s hard hearts, Jesus tells two parables. In both, the list thing (a sheep and then a coin) is sought and then found. The finder’s community then celebrates together. In the same way, Jesus says, “Joy breaks out in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who changes both heart and life.” The same sentiment was often said and/or felt at the day center when another person was brought out of poverty or homelessness or addiction or… The same could be said about our churches and about our very lives. Are we and are our churches willing to be safe and welcoming and loving places? Places that cause the angels in heaven to rejoice?

Prayer: Lord God, open our hearts and hands to the needs around us. Lead us to be people who create safe places, who provide genuine welcome, and who love all people deeply. Guide our churches to live this same Christlike faith. Amen.


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Have Mercy, O God

Reading: Psalm 51:1-6

Psalm 51:5 and 6 – “Yes, I was born in guilt, in sin… And, yes, you want truth in the most hidden place.”

Photo credit: Ben White

Psalm 51 was written by David, after his deepest sins and the conviction that followed. We all have these moments – low points in our walks of faith, seasons spent living in the ways of the world, times when our faith feel dry or disconnected from God. In the aftermath of his affair with Bathsheba and the orchestrated murder of her husband, David pleads for God’s mercy, compassion, and forgiveness. He knows that “my sin is always right in front of me.” Perhaps he is speaking of the guilt and shame that rises up every time he sees Bathsheba, remembering his past sins, or maybe David speaks figuratively, acknowledging that sin is always right there at the door of our hearts.

In verses 5 and 6, David writes of this reality. Here we read, “Yes, I was born in guilt, in sin… And, yes, you want truth in the most hidden place.” This is the battle that we all fight. In general, we are fallen, sinful creatures from birth to death. Day to day we strive to live righteous, faithful lives. On the surface, we do have some good days. But those thoughts – those barbs and slings and such that never get spoken – these are the sins in the “most secret place,” in our hearts. This is where the fiercest battle is fought, where our sins run the deepest. Here we do as David did, we sin “against you – you alone.” From this place in our hearts, we join David as we cy out, “Have mercy on me, God, according to your faithful love!” Yes, God, please.

Prayer: Lord God, we ask for your guidance and presence, for your strength and direction in our battles with sin. Moment by moment, walk with us, encourage us, empower us. Second by second, allow your Holy Spirit to speak into our hearts, that most hidden place. And when we fail, O God, pour out your love and mercy. Wash us clean. Restore us to right relationship with you and with one another. Thank you. Amen.


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Practical Atheists

Reading: Psalm 14

Psalm 14:1 – “Fools say in their hearts, There is no God. They are corrupt and do evil things.”

Photo credit: Josh Calabrese

Psalm 14 is a prayer song to God. The psalmist is alarmed by the behavior of the leaders and those aligned with them. Verse 1 sums up the difficult situation: “Fools say in their hearts, There is no God. They are corrupt and do evil things.” For context, in ancient Israel a fool was one without fear and reverence for God. This lack of obedience to God was very evident in how these folks lived their lives. Since the politics leaders were the religious leaders, this practice of unfaithful and even ungodly living was doubly bad. The leaders were living a “practical atheism” – they claimed to follow God’s will and way but there was absolutely no evidence of this in their words or actions.

Some actions and behaviors and words were even in direct opposition to the God revealed in the scriptures. These ungodly leaders were “devouring my people,” taking advantage of the poor and powerless for personal gain. These bad leaders were “humiliating” the plans of the poor, maintaining and even touting the gap between those with and those without. So if you read this Psalm and look at the current treatment of refugees and immigrants, at the “power over” dynamics often on display, and at the general disregard for the common good and think that this Psalm sounds like 2025, I am right there with you. Many of our leaders today are practical atheists.

I also want to be right there with you as I invite us all to look within, to consider when and where and how we live as practical atheists. We do so when we judge or gossip or when we withhold grace and forgiveness. We do so when we ignore the whispers and nudges of the Holy Spirit, turning our backs on the hungry, thirsty, sick… We do so when we see injustice or oppression or abuse… and choose preservation of self over standing with and speaking for the vulnerable, for the least of these. When tempted to these ungodly choices, may we remember what the psalmist proclaimed: God is our refuge. With this faith and trust, may we step forward boldly in faithful action.

Prayer: Lord God, it is easy to point fingers. It is much harder to honestly look within. Guide us, O Lord, to remove the planks in our own eyes before we tackle the specks in other’s eyes. Amen.


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God at Work

Reading: Jeremiah 4:11-12 and 22-28

Jeremiah 4:22 – “My people are foolish. They don’t even know me!… they are skilled at doing wrong, inept at doing good.”

Through the prophet Jeremiah, God tells Judah that “a blistering wind” is coming from the north. God is speaking of the Babylonians – a wind that will not winnow the wheat or cleanse their sins, but one that will bring devestation to the land. This coming empire will fall heavily upon Judah and Jerusalem, taking the city in 586 BCE. In verse 12, God pronounces this sentence upon Judah.

Jumping to verses 22-28 the conversation begins with God, shifts to Jeremiah, and then goes back to God. In verse 22 God says, “My people are foolish. They don’t even know me!… they are skilled at doing wrong, inept at doing good.” God’s people have wandered far away from God, for a long time. This is a sad indictment. It may be tempting this was or is a “then” problem, as in “back then things were awful.” When one looks at the homelessness and poverty on our reservations and in our cities, when one sees the division in our society, when one sees the oppression and mistreatment of vulnerable populations, one could argue that the people of God are still inept at doing good. After all, we live in a “Christian” nation.

In verses 23-26 Jeremiah shares his observations of the devestation. The earth itself shakes, the birds have fled, the cities lie in ruins. While it feels like there is little hope in what the prophet sees, God is still present. In verse 27 God declares that the devestation will not be complete. There will be grieving and darkness, yes. But God will remain at work.

The same is true today. At times we can feel helpless and hopeless. At times it feels like we are near the end. But if one pushes past the headlines and sound bites, there is good being done in the name of Christ: people being fed and clothed, grievers being comforted, widows being cared for. God is at work. There is still hope for God’s people and for our world.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for your consistent walk with us. Thank you for loving us always in spite of who and what we are at times. And thank you for moving us out into the world, into places of hurt and grief and need, being your light and love in the world. Lord, continue to use us, your people, to shine your light and love into the world. Amen.


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Intimately Acquainted

Reading: Psalm 1

Psalm 1:6 – “The Lord is intimately acquainted with the way of the righteous.”

Photo credit: Felipe Correia

Psalm 1 continues the ideas of Jeremiah 18, Luke 14, Psalm 139, Deuteronomy 30, and Philemon: there are two ways to live in this world. One can choose to deny self, to pick up one’s cross, to follow God’s commands, living a holy and righteous life. Or one can choose to live for self, to walk in the way of the world, living an inwardly focused, sinful life. Psalm 1 mostly paints the same black and white choice that we find in most of these other Old Testament passages.

For the psalmist, those who choose to love God’s instruction are “like a tree replanted by steams of water.” There is a hint of the potter recasting the clay here. To be replanted implies new or second life, redemption and restoration. A life of faith, a life dedicated to the Lord, it “bears fruit at just the right time.” David wrote of God’s plans for us in Psalm 139. To follow and live into God’s ways will be fruitful and will connect us to the one in whom we were fearfully and wonderfully made. To be holy is to walk closely with God. In verse 6 the psalmist describes the outcome of this choice this way: “The Lord is intimately acquainted with the way of the righteous.” For the writer and for us, true happiness and joy are found in a close, personal relationship with God.

This close, personal, intimate relationship is fostered and developed and grows when we “recite God’s instruction day and night.” For the psalmist, this was living with God’s will and way ever before him or her. This remains true today. In our lives, temptation is always there, always seeking to draw us away from God. So may we, like the psalmist, daily and regularly study and meditate on God’s word, becoming intimately acquainted with the Lord our God.

Prayer: Lord God, we ask that you would walk with us closely, guiding us and leading us as we seek to walk the path of life. Replant us when necessary, shaping and reshaping us as we wander and return. Each time, draw us deeper into relationship with you, our hope and our salvation. Amen.


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Steadfast, Persistent, Faithful God

Reading: Psalm 139:1-6

Psalm 139:3 – “You are thoroughly familiar with all my ways.”

Psalm 139 is a celebration of God’s presence in our lives and in our world. In today’s reading and in Friday’s reading we focus in on God’s intimately personal connection to and knowledge of us. It is both awesome and terrifying that our ever-present, all-knowing God knows us even better than we know ourselves.

In verse 1 the psalmist states, “Lord, you have examined me. You know me.” David adds, “You are thoroughly familiar with all my ways” in verse 5. It is awesome and wonderful that the God of all creation knows every one of us in this detail. It’s like that best friend that can finish your sentences – except God can do that before we even speak the first word. Because God knows us this well, this deeply, then God has an insight or two about us, about our faith, about our lives, about our plans and schemes.

On my best days, I welcome all of this. As the Holy Spirit speaks into my life, offering both encouragement and direction and critique and correction, the whispers draw me closer to walking as Jesus calls me to walk. But on those other days, I do not have ears to hear or a heart to receive. I bristle at or deny or ignore or reject the words and nudges of the Spirit. But here’s the best thing about God: on those harder days, God doesn’t give up. Because God knows me thoroughly and loves me unconditionally, God is steadfast and persistent. God knows me and has a great plan for me. The same is true for you!

In verse 6 the psalmist writes, “This kind of knowledge is too much for me. It’s so high above me that I can’t reach it.” Yes, all true. Much of God is mystery, far beyond us. But also true: God in Spirit comes to us, seeks us, walks with us, shows us the way. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord God, open our ears and hearts to your voice, to your guidance and direction. Remind us of how much you love us. From there, may we receive all that you offer. Thank you for your faithfulness. Amen.


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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.


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Saul’s and Cyrus’s

Reading: Isaiah 45:1-7

Isaiah 45:4 – “For the sake of my servant Jacob and Israel my chosen, I called you by name.”

As I read today’s passage, I wondered: How many other Saul’s were there? We know about Saul because of his conversion experience and subsequent missionary work that spread faith in Christ far and wide. But how many other overly zealous Pharisees did God use to drive the church outward from Jerusalem?

In today’s text God speaks to Cyrus, the pagan king of Persia. God speaks to Cyrus near the end of God’s people’s time in exile. Israel had first been defeated and dispersed throughout the Babylonian empire. Judah fell to and we’re dispersed into the Persian empire. Cyrus is the third Persian king during Judah’s exile. In verse 1 God addresses Cyrus as “his anointed.” This word translates to “Messiah” in Hebrew and to “Christ” in Greek. God then tells Cyrus that God will “go before you” and will “level mountains” (kingdoms) and will give him “hidden treasures of great riches.” God will greatly bless Cyrus in many ways. But, why? Why not raise up another Moses-type figure?

God’s first purpose is “so you will know that I am the Lord.” Cyrus won’t necessarily come to believe in God but through this experience will certainly know God’s power and presence. The second purpose is revealed in verse 4: “For the sake of my servant Jacob and Israel my chosen, I called you by name.” In about 539 BCE Cyrus will defeat Babylon and issue the edict that allows the Jews to return home and to rebuild Jerusalem, the temple… Cyrus and the world will know “that there is nothing apart from me.” All is under God’s control. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord God, you alone truly rule over all the earth. No one and nothing is outside of your power and presence. Today I thank you for the Saul’s and Cyrus’s – known and unknown to me – that you have used to shape and form me and my faith. Amen.