pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

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Pause to Praise

Reading: Psalm 105: 1-6

Verse 4: “Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always”.

Today’s Psalm is a song of remembrance and celebration. As a whole the Psalm recounts God’s covenants with Israel and the period in Egypt. It is part of the story of God’s ongoing faithfulness to Israel. The song would be sung as a way to help remember God’s love for his people. Most often it would be a song of worship and praise, but sometimes it also served to lift up their faith and spirit in times of personal or communal trial or testing or suffering.

Verse one begins with giving thanks to God for all that he has done. The charge is to make this “known among the nations”. The next two verses are about singing praises and bringing glory to God. Again, the context is to “tell of all his wonderful acts”. These ideas of making God known among all the nations and of sharing what God has done for us continues to be our charge as we seek to fulfill Jesus’ commission to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19).

As we turn to verse four we are reminded that our faith is not just rooted in the past. The past is our foundation and the future is our hope, but we live in the present. In verse four we read, “Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always”. We remember God’s mighty acts from both the word of God and from our own faith journeys to build upon our foundation of faith. This base allows us to live day by day, looking to the Lord for strength and seeking his presence with an assurance that God will be there for us. We come to learn that the Lord was, is, and always will be present to and for us. Remembering and praising God for our experience with this truth builds up our faith.

As the psalmist reminds us to “remember the wonders… the miracles” that God has done, may we pause to praise God today for the ways he has touched our lives. In our own way may we each rejoice in God’s love today.

Prayer: Loving and merciful God, in the word I find the unfolding story of your love for us. Thank you for the stories and teachings that encourage me, that lift me, that grow my faith. On my journey you have been a constant presence. Yet some points stand out – in a church balcony, in an ER room, in a prayer space. They are easy to identify – milestones. But even in the day to day your love and mercy remember me. They touch my life each day. In the small and mundane, even there I find you. Thank you, Lord. Amen.


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Share the Story

Reading: Psalm 105: 1-5

Verse 1: “Give thanks to the Lord… make known among the nations what he has done”.

Just as today’s Psalm is a method to remember all that God has done for Israel, we too should often recall what the Lord has done for us. The Israelites recounted the stories of God’s love and action and they told them over and over. Each generation and people coming into the faith would know the story of God and faith. In telling the stories they built up one another’s faith and found a deeper connection to God in their own trials and struggles. Our personal experiences of God’s love and action are also important moments in our faith journeys. Such experiences are scattered throughout our lives.

There was the time in my junior year of high school, when we were praying for a friend involved in a horrific car accident, when I felt God’s presence in the church balcony. There was the time about six years ago, when present in the hospital room when a man passed, when I saw a group of lights hovering over us in the corner of the room before his soul flew away. There are other smaller but no less significant moments when God was fully and tangibly present in times of worship, in moments on mission trips, in a prayer room at a Promise Keepers event. Each of these connection points with God built my faith. But they are not just for me. As I recall them and write or talk about them, I am doing what the psalmist is doing. When you remember your God moments and share them with others, you too are building up your faith and the faith of others. We are living into the psalmist’s words: “Give thanks to the Lord… make known among the nations what he has done”.

Many years later Jesus used similar words to give the great commission. Our call, no, our task as followers of Jesus Christ is to share the story. We are commanded to tell the good news of what Jesus Christ has done – both during his ministry and in all the years since – even those that include our lives. As we each consider the wonderful things that God has done, may we each be moved to share our stories of faith. May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the moments when faith has been so personal, when you have drawn so close to me that I could feel you. Give me words to share these experiences with others, helping them to become aware of your presence in their lives. Amen.


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God with Us

Reading: Genesis 37: 1-4 and 12-25

Verse 20: “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him”.

This week we turn to the story of Joseph being sold into slavery in Egypt. This is a foreshadowing of what will happen to the entire nation of Israel. Their path is different than Joseph’s but God’s chosen people will end up in Egypt, finally living as slaves. Without a little background to Joseph’s experience in today’s passage, what we read today seems hard to believe.

Joseph was the baby of the family. He was clearly Israel’s favorite child. Joseph was spoiled and bratty – and he was a tattle tail to boot. He had wild dreams that revealed him ruling over his brothers and even over his parents. And he boastfully shared these dreams with his family. Joseph would have been easy to dislike if you were Reuben or Judah or any of the other brothers. So when the spoiled child who never had to help tend the flocks was observed approaching in the special coat that daddy have him, it was not surprising to hear them say, “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him”. Out there in the middle of nowhere, Joseph could easily be taken care of by his ten brothers.

We do not hear anything from Joseph in this life changing experience. His character is silent during this whole interaction with his brothers and then as he is sold off to the Ishmaelites. Perhaps he sensed that it was best to keep quiet once he realized what was going on. It is not ever good to provoke those considering doing ill to your person. Allowing the brothers time to think results in being sold instead of killed. Perhaps Joseph thought a life was better than no life. Or maybe he trusted that God would work things out. God may have been speaking into his future when the dreams were given to him.

As the story unfolds we come to learn that God was with Joseph when he approached his jealous brothers and God was with him in the bottom of that dry cistern. God goes with Joseph to Egypt and continues to guide his life through many ups and downs. As our story unfolds, God’s presence remains a part of our lives. Looking back we can see how God has guided our story in the highs and lows and in the day to day of life. May we lean into that each day, trusting in God to always be with us.

Prayer: Lord God, looking back I can rejoice as I see your hand at work in my life over and over again. In each event, in each trial, in all moments you have always been present, have always guided, have always led in love. Thank you, God. Thank you. Amen.


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Love Revealed

Reading: Matthew 14: 13-21

Verse 20: “They all ate and were satisfied”.

The miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 reveals God’s love in and through Jesus Christ. God’s love is expressed in many ways. That tends to just be how God’s love is.

First and in spite of sensing his own need to grieve, Jesus sees a group of people with needs and he has compassion for them. It is a great example of the selfless love that God has for us. In love, Jesus always places the needs of others ahead of his own needs. He gets out of the boat and engages the crowd.

Second, Jesus’ compassion leads him to heal many in the crowd. This is why the crowds came. Sometimes when I am interrupted or when my plans are derailed, the last thing I want to do is to fully meet the need of the other. Not Jesus. There is no hesitation and he heals everyone there that afternoon. Jesus’ healing touch shared God’s love with many.

The third demonstration of God’s love comes as Jesus pushes the disciples to deeper faith. For faith to grow one must push the edges, one must step out in faith. Sometimes it is another that must do that for us. Here Jesus plays that role. Like a parent or coach or mentor who challenges us to do more than we think we are capable of, Jesus tells the disciples to feed the crowd themselves. Then he leads them in accomplishing the task at hand. Love sometimes challenges us.

The fourth demonstration of God’s love comes in the depth of the provision. In verse twenty we read, “They all ate and were satisfied”. Jesus did not just take the edge off their hunger so that they could get home to eat. He fully satisfied their hunger.

The last demonstration of God’s love comes in who Jesus fed. He didn’t separate out those with faith so he could just feed them. He didn’t just feed the men – those whom society would deem worthy of being cared for. Jesus fed one and all – even those others treated as less than. Jesus’ love is universal, offered to one and all.

God’s love is selfless and compassionate. God’s love brings healing and sustenance. God’s love will challenge us at times and will meet our deepest needs at other times. God’s love is ever present and always willing to engage even the least of these. May we ever practice this love well in our lives.

Prayer: O God of love, help me to love like Jesus loved in this miracle story. May I give far more than I take. May my heart love all I encounter. May your love within my soul continue to grow and push my faith further. Lead me in love. Amen.


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Daily Soundtrack

Reading: Psalm 119: 105-112

Verse 105: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path”.

Today’s passage centers on knowing God’s words or laws. The psalmist writes of following God’s ways no matter what life brings. For the psalmist it seems especially important to hold onto God’s words and laws in times of suffering and during trials. This tends to be our natural tendency – we pray most fervently when we are desperate or feeling very helpless or powerless. Yet as believers we are called to live out a faith that is more 24/7 than “on demand”.

The section of Psalm 119 that we read today opens with these words: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path”. For some, perhaps many, of us these words trigger a song that one can hear running through our minds. Sometimes when a song gets stuck in our heads, it can be really annoying. But what if we were intentional about what ran through our minds? That is what the psalmist is getting at. His or her desire is to have God’s laws and words ever on his or her mind. Maybe it is this key verse or the song that came from it that is the soundtrack of your day. Maybe it is another verse or passage. It can change depending on your needs day by day. For me, it is Micah 6:8 that I want for a daily soundtrack. What word of God do you need continually playing in your heart and mind today?

Prayer: Lord God, help me to follow your word today. Guide me to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with you today. Amen.


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Daily Choosing

Reading: Romans 6: 12-23

Verse 14: “For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace”.

Paul is writing to the church in Rome because they are struggling with living righteous lives. Sin is present. Some people have even adopted the belief that they can do whatever they want because grace will cover all sin. This passage remains very applicable today – maybe even moreso than the day it was written.

Paul begins by encouraging the followers of Jesus to not let sin reign in their “mortal bodies”. As followers today we understand why this encouragement is so necessary. Sin is ever present in our lives. The world and culture around us promotes sinful choices and indulgent living. When we are younger or just new to the faith the lures of the flesh and the desires of the world draw us towards sin. These things do lose some of their allure as we mature, but other struggles arise. Pride and ego grow and the need to be in control can become struggles. Our tongues remain something we must keep tightly bridled. Things like worry and fear, doubt and anger, jealousy and envy are lifelong battles for many of us who follow Jesus.

Paul reminds those in the Roman church and all of us today that sin should not be our master because “you are not under the law, but under grace”. The law points out our wrongs or sins and it condemns unrighteous behaviors and choices. But under the law our sin remains. The shame and the guilt become co-masters with sin when we allow sin to take root in our lives. Paul reminds us that we are living under grace. As such, sin is not in control. When we confess and repent of our sin, we are freed by grace from the sin and from the shame and guilt. We are made new again.

It is a wonderful and beautiful thing, this grace. One may even ask or think, then why not just choose grace? If it were that easy how good life would be! But sin is a near constant presence, the battle is always just right there. Daily, even moment by moment at times, we must “offer ourselves to God”, choosing to walk in his righteousness. May it be so today.

Prayer: Lord God, in the flesh the struggle with sin is so real, so regular, so present. Thank you that your Spirit is right here within me, reminding, guarding, encouraging… Strengthen my faith, O God, that I may walk in the light. Amen.


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Lead in Love

Reading: John 20: 19-23

Verse 19: “When the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and said, ‘Peace be with you!'”

Following his death the disciples gathered together in their small community and were present to one another. The recent events left them feeling powerless and vulnerable. There was a sense of fear hanging over them. If this could happen to him, it could happen to any of them. If the Jews, the ones filled with power and fears of their own, could flex their muscles and cause this to happen to Jesus, the disciples were well within their reach.

Fear is certainly present in our society today. COVID has created many: fear of dying, fear of sickness, fear or losing a business, fear of financial failure, fear of isolation… Fear is also very present right now in some of our cities and in some of our social groups. Another senseless death has sent another ripple of fear through affected communities. The ripple had become a flood of emotion and response in some places. Even though there is no place for hate in God’s kingdom, it remains something that humanity is struggling with in this world.

As the disciples gathered on the day of Jesus’ resurrection, locked behind some closed doors, he came and said, “Peace be with you”! They were overjoyed. Speaking directly into their fear he said, “I am sending you. Receive the Holy Spirit”. Jesus encourages them to walk into the world tinged with hate and oppression as people filled with love and power. The Spirit would be the source of love and power and strength and hope. It was a presence the disciples would need as they set out to transform the world.

The Holy Spirit continues to lead with love. It is a love for all people, not just for some. It is a love that leads to compassion and understanding and empathy and unity. It is a love that is both culture blind and colorblind. Just yesterday I read a quote from Martin Luther King, Jr. He said, “Protest is the voice of the powerless”. Yes, often it is. The root cause is powerlessness. Feeling powerless leads to feeling hopeless and helpless. In moving forward may the disciples of Jesus Christ continue to allow the Holy Spirit to lead in love. We with power must choose to be voices for those without. For the healing of our communities and of our world, may God’s love lead the way. May it start with each of us.

Prayer: Lord God, the Holy Spirit empowered the first disciples to transform their world. It began with them loving you above all else and then spread to loving one another. The community was based upon love and grace and mercy and compassion and justice. Their love changed the world. Make it happen again, Lord. Empower your disciples today to be change agents once again, leading the way across divides and through barriers. Let love be our guide, bringing healing and restoration. May it begin with me, O God. Amen.


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The Opportunity

Reading: Acts 2: 37-41

Verse 39: “The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call”.

The people that were drawn to the place that the church was gathered feel remorse over their role in crucifying Jesus. Yesterday we felt our role so today we can relate to how they felt. Their question of Peter is, “What shall we do”? Their hearts told them they needed to respond. It is a familiar feeling, isn’t it? We have felt it when we see someone in great need. We have felt it when we have sinned and have felt the conviction.

Peter’s response is basic Christianity 101: “Repent and be baptized”. Leave your old way of life and enter into new life with Jesus Christ. Leave behind your sinful ways and begin to walk as a follower of Jesus Christ. Leave behind not only your sins but the guilt and shame that we often associate with wrong-doing. In this case, Peter wants them to leave behind their remorse for their role in the crucifixion. Only then can they claim their new resurrection life as they begin to walk as new creations in Christ. As they make the good confession and accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, they too will receive what drew them to this time and place – the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Then, in verse 39, we see Peter beginning to understand just what Jesus meant when he gave the great commission. In verse 39 Peter says, “The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call”. The idea of making disciples of all nations and of going to the ends of the earth are starting to settle into Peter. God will continue to work in and through Peter to make the gospel known. Many others will have a hand in sharing the good news – James and John and the other disciples, Paul and Timothy and Silas. The first disciples will teach new disciples. The work will continue on. The list of disciples of Jesus Christ goes on down through the ages. It continues to grow in 2020. The range of the church expands and now the gospel reached around the globe.

Yet there are still places that the good news of Jesus Christ has not yet taken root. One might be just down the street. One might be in the next office over from yours. One might be in the pew next to you when we once again can gather together. Peter took the opportunity to share the gospel as the opportunity presented itself. 3,000 were added to the church that day. May we, like Peter, make the most of the opportunities that God gives us. May we share the promises of resurrection with a world in need of the good news of Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Lord God, help me to share the good news today in whatever form I can. Give me words to speak, prayers to offer, actions to take. Lead me by the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.


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Model That Love

Reading: Psalm 121

Verse 8: “The Lord will watch over your coming and going, both now and forevermore”.

Our loving God created us to be creatures of relationship and community. That is simply how God designed us. The need to belong, the need to feel loved, the need to be valued are all rooted in the relational way that we are wired. Psalm 121 mostly addresses our relationship with God. The psalmist does a really good job of laying out all of the ways God functions in our relationship. The last two verses of the Psalm turn from the temporal towards the eternal. In verse eight we read, “The Lord will watch over your coming and going, both now and forevermore”. God is our present and forever companion. The Psalm and this verse in particular are great reminders of God’s love for us both now and into eternity.

When God chose to become even more intimate, he came to earth as the incarnate Jesus. When God did so, he did not stop helping, caring for, watching over, protecting… In the flesh Jesus modeled what this great love looks like when lived out between human beings. As his earthly ministry unfolded Jesus demonstrated over and over the value of relationship and community. He valued all people and took the time to know them, to be in relationship with them. He fostered a sense of community among his followers that would become the fabric that held the church together. Jesus spent his life loving and caring for and guiding and teaching us what it looks like to love one another as God loves us. In closing he invited his disciples to follow in his footsteps, teaching others to love as he first loved us.

Sometimes this invitation seems like something we have forgotten, doesn’t it? As disciples of Jesus Christ his love is a gift we possess. Because the love of Christ is so deeply embedded in us, we do have the ability to love as he loved. When we do take the time care for one another, to provide for one another, to be present to one another, to serve one another – then we are modeling the love of Jesus Christ that is in us. This day and every day may we model that love so that all the world may see Christ in us. May it be so for you and for me.

Prayer: God of love, may I be love today. May your love so overflow me that it pours out into the lives of others. Amen.


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The Gift

Reading: Romans 5: 12-19

Verse 16: “The judgment followed one one and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification”.

At times I have known people who take the time to be present. After an unexpected loss many years ago my old youth pastor was that person for me. We spent hours together as I worked out my grief. To me it felt like he would’ve sat and listened and talked forever. He made me feel like I was all that there was in the world to him. God seemed to reside in his very being. Have you ever been in the presence of someone like that?

The process that we are invited to walk through in Lent leads us to become more of who God created us to be. Jesus was one who focused right in on whoever was before him and they became all that mattered. In Lent we are called to look within and to search out those parts of ourselves that are selfish and that are focused on the things of this world. These parts of each of us prevent us from being able to truly focus on the other. When we seek to rid ourselves of these things we become more like Jesus and then we will begin to see the other.

In the garden, Adam turned and focused on self. In a moment he stepped outside of a right relationship with God. Sin became part of humanity’s struggle. In verse sixteen we read, “The judgment followed one one and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification”. God did not leave us dead in our sins. The gift of Jesus Christ was given to us so that sin and death would not be the end. Thanks be to God for Jesus Christ, he who gifts us the victory.

Prayer: Father God, you are so, so good to me. I deserve much less but you are so much more. Thank you for your grace, your love, your mercy, your forgiveness – all to make me new again. I love you Lord! Amen.