pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: recognition


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Presence, Purpose, Plan

Reading: Psalm 139:13-16

Psalm 139:14 – “I give thanks to you that I was marvelously set apart.”

Overall, Psalm 139 is a celebration of God’s presence in our lives. The psalmist celebrates this presence, this touch, that is there with us even before birth in verses 13-16. There is a recognition that God is with us before we make any conscious choice to walk with God. So great is God’s love and care for us!

In verse 13 the psalmist acknowledges that it was God who formed his “innermost parts,” who “knit him together” in the womb. There is a deep connection, an intimacy to these thoughts. In the Hebrew world, innermost parts would include the soul (or spirit.) God’s touch is not just upon the physical aspects of who we are.

We lean into this idea in the next verse. Here the psalmist writes, “I give thanks to you that I was marvelously set apart.” Because he was uniquely and wonderfully made, there is a recognition that God has a purpose for him and, therefore, for each and every one of us. Made in the image of God, our purpose certainly includes caring for one another, for living one another just as God loves and cares for us. This plan and purpose is evident in verse 16 as well: “every day was written that was being formed for me.”

Whether our days are 10 or 10,000, whether our years are a handful or many score, God is ever present in meaningful and purposeful ways. Each and every day, good, bad, and in between, God walks with us, offering love and care. In this we rejoice, joining our thanksgiving with the psalmist’s!

Prayer: Lord God, we thank you today for creating us with your purpose and your plans in mind. We celebrate your presence in our lives. It is a presence that is constant, loving, and caring. Lord, help us to be this for others, being conduits of your presence, love, and care. Use us to bring you into the world and into the lives of those we meet. Amen.


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Was, Is, Will Be

Reading: Luke 20-21

Luke 21:36 – “Stay alert at all times, praying that you are strong enough to escape everything that is about to happen and to stand before the Human One.”

We begin today with the religious leaders questioning Jesus’ authority. He responds with a question for them, asking about John the Baptist’s authority. Trapped, they refuse to answer. Jesus then tells them a parable that reveals his authority. The tenants are greedy. They abuse those sent to collect fruit owed to the owner. Finally they kill the son whom the owner dearly loves. In response the owner destroys the tenants. Jesus then quotes from the Psalms, referencing the stone rejected. It becomes the cornerstone. The religious leaders recognize that the parable is about them. They want to arrest Jesus but fear the people.

In an attempt to orchestrate a charge, the religious leaders take turns trying to trap Jesus with questions about paying taxes and marriage in the resurrection. Pay taxes? Yes, but more importantly give to God what belongs to God. Marriage? Yes, here and now, but not in the age to come. We will all be God’s children in the resurrection. There, God is as here: the God of the living. In response to their falsehood, Jesus condemns the religious leaders for their longing for recognition and honor and for the unfair burdens placed upon the people. He tells them that they’ll be “judged most harshly.” The widow’s gift is then lifted up as both a great example of trust in God and of how the religious leaders’ greed leads people into vulnerability as they struggle to meet the religious leaders’ expectations.

Verses 5-28 of chapter 21 deal with three events. Two sections reference the actual destruction of the temple and city. One part references the time of persecution that will soon occur. And one part references Jesus’ return. Two of three will unfold just as Jesus says. We await his return. Our reading closes by addressing how we are to wait. We are to be aware of the signs and we are to “Stay alert at all times, praying that you are strong enough to escape everything that is about to happen and to stand before the Human One.” May it be so for you and for me.

Prayer: Lord God, today we’re reminded that there’s always been a plan. Since the beginning you were spoken of and destined to come in human form. You came and revealed love lived out. You called us to follow your example. You spoke of a future that we eagerly await. You call us to be love lived out as we wait. Empower, encourage, and strengthen us to daily follow your example. Amen.


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We’ve Been Given Much

Reading: Luke 11:37-12

Luke 12:33 – “Make for yourselves wallets that don’t wear out — a treasure in heaven that never runs out.”

Photo credit: Tyler Milligan

Today’s reading deals with authentic versus surface commitment to God. And it speaks into the worry and doubt and anxiety that is so common in our world today. These two topics relate to one another.

Our words from chapter 11 address the outward and superficial faith lived out by the Pharisees and legal experts. They tithe their herbs but neglect justice and love. They crave recognition and status. They place huge expectations on others but don’t help them and often get in the way of their faith development. These condemnations create deep resentment towards Jesus. But we must ask: Which would be addressed to the faith lived out by you and me?

Chapter 12 mostly focuses on trusting in God’s love and care instead of getting caught up in worry and fear or in the cares and concerns of the world. Jesus reminds us that God cares for and loves us much more than sparrows, ravens, and lilies. Each of these is provided for. How much more will God provide for us, God’s dearly loved children.

Jesus warns against greed, specifically against hoarding or storing up. These inwardly focused acts draw us away from compassion, empathy, and generosity. We are encouraged to release our “things,” to give to those in need. Doing so, we “make for yourselves wallets that don’t wear out — a treasure in heaven that never runs out.” Nothing can take these eternal things away. Jesus sums up why it is so important to be selfless: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be too.”

Jesus also addresses our spiritual readiness. As servants of God we all have roles to play. We are to be diligent and faithful in how we use all of our resources – time, talents, gifts, wealth… “Much will be demanded from everyone who has been given much.” Friends, we have been abundantly and generously blessed by our God.

Prayer: Lord God, yes, you love us far beyond our understanding. And, yes, you care for us unlike any other. Yet worry and fear and earthly concerns can creep in. We can question you. In these moments, remind us of your truths and promises. Speak these into our hearts, Holy Spirit of God. Amen.


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Assurance and Trust

Reading: Psalm 16:1-6

Verse 2: “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.”

Photo credit: Eugene Zhyvchik

Psalm 16 presents the choice we all face. David begins with a request to be kept safe and for God to be his refuge. A refuge is a place that we can go to be safe, to be protected from things that threaten us. David then makes a declaration: “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.” This reveals David’s intention to allow God to reign in his life and it also acknowledges the blessings of God in his life. I’d guess most of us would pray this verse each day, fully hoping to live into and to live out these words.

To me verse 4 is a bit of a reality check. Contrasting with the saints in whom David delights, here he notes those who chase after false gods. From his perspective, this brings sorrow to life. David declares that this is not for him. I’d guess most of us would also like to make this declaration. But for me, and maybe for you, I do find myself chasing after false gods – probably more than I’d like to admit. The desires for recognition and success, for security and for comfort most readily come to mind.

Turning to verses 5 and 6, although David is speaking, I hear God whispering, “I got you.” David recognizes that he is God’s child and that God’s plans and ways do guide his life. This has hemmed his life into “pleasant places.” Yes, we stray, but we live mostly in those green pastures beside still waters. Walking this path of faith and hope, David trusts in his “delightful inheritance.” His journey with God has brought David to a place of assurance and trust. He knows that a beautiful eternity awaits one day. May our journey of faith lead each of us to the same place of assurance and trust.

Prayer: Lord God, I desire to find refuge in you. Protect me from the temptations and pitfalls of this life. Focus me again and again on all of the good things that you pour out into my life and over me. Here, build my trust. And in moments when I doubt or waiver, bring to mind the inheritance that I too know I have as a child of the king. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Holy Spirit. Amen.


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Shine the Light!

Reading: Ephesians 5:8-14

Verse 14: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

Photo credit: Uta Scholl

Returning to Ephesians 5 today we focus on the words at the end. Here we find another metaphor that goes along with the light/good and dark/evil metaphor. Throughout the scriptures sleep has been associated with death or with having a dead faith. Those living in the world, following the ways of the world – they are asleep.

In the last verse we read these words of encouragement: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” This call to live in the light of Christ begins with a recognition that we are in the dark or are asleep. It moves to the choice to leave behind the grave, to exit the life that leads to death. It ends with a promise – the light of Christ will shine on you. I love that these verbs are in the present tense. It is an invitation to walk as a child of the light here and now.

These words bring to mind a contemporary song by Austin French called “Wake Up Sleeper.” He sings of moving from light to dark, from being “held by the grave” to having “a brand new heart.” In the chorus he sings, “Oh sinner arise, leave your past at the door… Christ is alive, death don’t live here anymore.” There is, of course, a connection here to Christ walking past the door of the tomb and into the resurrected life that we all can enter through Christ. It is a wonderful reminder of how Christ’s light shines on us now and one day eternally. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: Lord God, let your light shine! Let it shine all around the world! Let it shine in my heart! Let it shine out into the darkness of the world! Amen!

Link to song: https://youtu.be/AFiwZow4d2E


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The Power to Transform

Reading: 1st Corinthians 1:10-18

Verse 17: “Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel.”

Yesterday we considered Paul’s call to unity in the church. We recognized the costs of bickering and infighting. These behaviors diminish the witness of the church and its members. Paul resisted the temptation to enter the fray, to claim his place. He certainly could have. He had that Damascus road encounter with the risen Christ. He had a deep knowledge of the Jewish faith – he was a Pharisee. Paul had built the church in Corinth from the ground up. His name was known and his letters were read throughout the Christian world. Paul could’ve claimed a place of power and authority for himself.

Many in Paul’s day and many in our day enjoy the limelight. In Paul’s day both rabbis and philosophers sought to gain large groups of followers. Today we ask one another how many friends we have on Facebook or how many followers we have on Twitter… In Paul’s day the powerful attached their names to building projects and social actions. Today we plaster names on everything from buildings to bowl games. These are but two examples of ways people seek recognition and to build popularity and status.

Stepping outside of the popularity contest, Paul states, “Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel.” Yes, baptism was important. It was an outward sign of an inward change. But the inward change came through knowing the good news of Jesus Christ. It was Christ’s life and example, magnified on the cross, that has the power to change and transform lives. Paul knew this with all of his heart. He had experienced it himself and poured all of himself into helping others to experience the power of Jesus Christ. May we do the same.

Prayer: Lord God, Christ, through the cross, changed everything. In one radical act of obedience Jesus reset the power imbalance. No longer would darkness reign. Light and love came into the world and gave all for our sake. Use me this day and every day to help people know the one who changed my life. Amen.


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The Love of God Almighty

Reading: Psalm 80:1-7

Verse 2: “Awaken your might; come and save us.”

Psalm 80 is an expression of lament that calls on God to be God. The words are couched in the Jewish understanding of covenant – God’s no-matter-what love for the children of God. The ‘how long’ feel and questions reflect the understanding that it is God alone with the power to keep the covenant. The great pleas are a recognition of how powerless humanity is and of how powerful and almighty God is.

Experiencing great loss naturally reminds us of these dynamics. For the psalmist and for the Israelites of his day, exile is their great loss and suffering. Their failure to uphold their side of the covenant has resulted in this hardship. They know that the drinking of “tears by the bowlful” is because of their choices and actions. The Israelites need God to rescue them. They need the Good Shepherd to guide them home. They need redemption and restoration from God Almighty.

This cycle of sin and separation followed by repentance and forgiveness is one that is played out again and again in the Bible. It is one played out over and over in our lives. It is in our human nature to struggle with greed, lust, jealousy… It is in God’s nature to love us in spite of and through these times and seasons of disobedience. With this understanding and with the faith and trust that it builds the psalmist can write, “Awaken your might; come and save us.” Because of the covenant love of God, the psalmist can cry out to the Lord Almighty, asking for God’s face to shine upon them, pleading for God’s mercy to save them. We are under this same covenant love. In our brokenness we too can cry out to God. Lord Almighty, come and save us!

Prayer: Lord God, your faithfulness began before creation and it will extend through all generations. Your covenant love knows no bounds, no limits, no exceptions. Hear the cries of your people today. Heal us, restore us, rescue us, redeem us, forgive us. Awaken your might, O God, and fill us with your power and glory. Amen.


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Go, Trust, Hear

Reading: Psalm 138

Verse 3: “When I called, you answered me”.

Photo credit: Alex Woods

David begins Psalm 138 with a declaration of praise. He will praise God with all of his heart and will sing of God before the “gods”. Even in David’s day there were many gods – the false gods of the pagan people all around Israel as well as the gods of this world that the Israelites chased: power, wealth, recognition. To declare one’s allegiance to God in the face of all these other gods is an important statement to make. David goes on to identify God’s love and faithfulness as the focus of his praise. These characteristics of God drive his relationship with God and will drive ours as well.

In verse three David gives us an example of how he experiences these two characteristics. Here he writes, “When I called, you answered me”. When David turned to God in prayer, God was there, God responded. This too is driven by love and faithfulness – both in David’s prayer and in God’s connection with David. We too can experience this intimacy with God. We too can turn to God and enter into his presence. We too can receive answers from God.

In the remainder of verse three we see the result of this intimate connection with God: “you made me bold and stouthearted”. David’s faith grew, deepened, was strengthened. As David did, may we also go to God in prayer, trusting in God’s love and faithfulness, waiting upon his presence. May we have ears to listen and hearts to perceive God’s response.

Prayer: Loving and faithful God, I praise you this day! You are ever attentive, always present. Continue to strengthen and deepen my relationship with you and my walk of faith. Give me patience to trust into your love, to lean into your presence. Amen.


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Audience of 1

Reading: Matthew 23: 1-12

Verse 5: “Everything they do is done for me to see”.

Yesterday we looked at the warning to do as the scribes and Pharisees teach, not as they do. There is a disconnect between what they preach to the people and how they themselves are living their lives. The middle section in our reading today begins with verse five. Here we read, “Everything they do is done for me to see”. This can be a trap we too fall into. Being human, we like recognition. When we do something “good” and no one notices, we feel hurt or let down or we can even question why we did it. Some of the time, we can also be like these religious leaders, waiting for an audience before we do our good deed, insuring publicity or recognition for our actions.

The scribes and Pharisees loved to be seen and recognized. It reinforced both their authority and their ego. They wore large phylacteries and long tassels – two symbols of their deep connection to God. Today, one may give a large donation, thinking the size of the gift will reflect the depth of their faith for others. Some will want it announced in church or published in the bulletin or will want a plaque placed on the item so that all will know of their good and generous gift. The scribes and Pharisees wanted the best seats or places at events or in worship. This prime real estate is where others will notice they are there. In a similar way, they loved to be called ‘rabbi’ – a title that was revered, respected, honored. It pumped up the ego to see all bow a bit as the people acknowledged the religious leaders. The title separated them from the rest of society. It also insulated them from those outside of their religious circles.

Today, some still like to have a title connected to their name – doctor, professor, reverend, pastor, officer… Titles convey power and authority. These titles can be used to gain admittance and to avoid consequences. It is a good thing, for example, when the pastor title gains entry to pray with a dying person during these pandemic restrictions. Yet it would be a bad thing, for example, to pull out my pastor ID card first, instead of my driver’s license, if pulled over for speeding. Titles can be abused, they can separate, they can be used to manipulate, they can be used for personal gain. Jesus is warning us against such things, to check our egos, and to be aware of our motives and intentions.

When we practice our faith, when we offer acts of kindness, may it always be for an audience of one – for the Lord our God.

Prayer: Lord, when I am tempted to shine the light on me, remind me of the call to humble service. When I want others to notice or see what I’m doing, check my pride and remind me of humble service. When I’m drawn to playing the pastor card, remind me of the call to humble service. Thank you, Lord. Amen.


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We Wait

Reading: Psalm 80: 1-7 and 17-19

Verse 3: “Restore us, O God; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved”.

The psalmist is crying out to God. He is pleading for an end to their suffering. You can feel the emotion in the psalmist’s words in verse two: “Awaken your might; come and save us”. The psalmist knows that God can come and relieve their suffering. He also knows that God has not come yet. Advent is very much the season of the now and not yet. This Psalm has that same quality to it as well. This comes across in verse four.

“How long?” is a familiar question when one is in the midst of a time of suffering. The psalmist wants to know how long God’s anger will smolder. There is a recognition of the people’s sin and that it connects to their present circumstances. Yet even then we come to the point of asking, “How long”? It is a question we too ask when living out the consequences of our sin. We can be forgiven by God and even by those we hurt, but sometimes there is an earthly consequence or impact of our sin. Often we want that to end sooner than it does. Even though we too may cry out to God, we recognize why we are where we are.

In just over a week we will celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The light is coming into the world. This too is the now and not yet. We long, but we wait. May we join the psalmist as we wait, crying out to God, “Restore us, O God; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved”.

Prayer: Lord, I wait. I know the light and love is already here. Yet I wait. Join me in the waiting as we walk towards the night that we celebrate the birth. Be with me, O God. This I pray. Amen.