pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

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Reflect the Light of the World

Reading: John 9:1-23

Verse 5: “While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

Photo credit: Savvas Kalimeris

In this week’s gospel passage we continue with the themes of light and dark, of good and evil. The disciples notice a blind man and they ask Jesus, ‘Who sinned?’ Going against the Jewish understanding Jesus says that no one sinned. The man is here to display the power of God. Jesus proclaims that “the night is coming.” He is alluding to the evil that will rise up to orchestrate his crucifixion. It will be a time when his disciples and followers will go into hiding. It will feel as if darkness has won. Continuing on, Jesus says, “While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Right now, Jesus is alive. It is time for the light to shine.

Without any prompting, Jesus makes mud and applies it to the man’s eyes. He is sent to wash in the Pool of Siloam and he emerges with clear vision. The man shares his good news with all who ask – “the man they call Jesus… mud… wash… then I could see.” He tells neighbors and acquaintances and he tells the Pharisees. All are divided but the evidence speaks for itself. The man who was healed now reflects the light of the world to one and all.

Today I ask: How has Jesus healed you? Did he heal some blindness that hindered you? Did he root out some sin that held you captive? Did he heal a hurt in your heart? Did he restore a relationship or situation? What did Jesus do for you?

The blind man encountered Jesus Christ, the light of the world. He was forever changed. His good news was, ‘I was blind but now I see.’ Mine is, ‘I was lost but now I am found.’ Others may be, ‘I was broken but now I am whole.’ We who have encountered Jesus all have good news to share. May we too reflect the light of the world with all that we meet.

Prayer: Lord God, oh how you have changed my life. You’ve shifted my focus from me to you and to others. You’ve turned my greed to generosity, my pride to humility. Now, I’m far from who you want me to be. So I ask that you would continue to love me anyway, that you would continue to shape and form me into who you want me to be. All for your glory, O Lord. Amen.


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Walk in the Light

Reading: Ephesians 5:8-14

Verse 8: “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.”

Throughout the scriptures God and good has been represented by the light. It is first reflected in how God created the world. Light shone into the darkness. Light signals the start of each new day; it brings life to our souls and to the physical world. In contrast, evil and chaos are represented by the darkness. Under the cover of dark we feel that our misdeeds are somehow covered up or are at least less likely to be exposed.

Paul picks up on these themes in today’s writing. In verse 8 he writes, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.” Before choosing to live with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we were in the darkness. We lived for self and to satisfy the cravings of the flesh. When we live in the dark, our eyes adjust and we get accustomed to that lifestyle. But once we come to Christ, the light becomes our norm. The light first illuminates the darkness right around us, exposing the evil in our lives and in our hearts. It can be hard to adjust to being in the light, at first. In general it grows easier and easier to live in the light. Sometimes, however, it is harder. But hard in a good way.

Walking in the light grows easier as we draw more and more upon the power and presence of the Holy Spirit of Christ to lead and guide our lives. Faith becomes the norm that we live by. Faithful living becomes our daily way of living. Here a part of the walk also becomes harder. The light continues to shine, working its way into the nooks and crannies. There we come to see that this or that really is a sin. What was “ok” before is no longer ok. The light reveals that habit or behavior and we come to see that it too must be put to the cross.

As we seek to grow in Christ, may we ever shine the light both within our hearts and out into the world, encouraging a walk in the light of Christ.

Prayer: Lord God, this journey of faith leads us deeper and deeper into our relationship with you. Joy, love, hope, grace – they grow in abundance in our life with you. In the light the refining process continues too as selfish habits and prideful ways continue to be exposed. Grant me the courage to surrender these things to you. Amen.


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There Is Some Distance

Reading: Psalm 23:5-6 – “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Photo credit: Brett Jordan

Moving into these last two verses of Psalm 23 today, we will personalize these, in the spirit of Lent. In the first half of verse 5 the Lord prepares a table for us “in the presence” of our “enemies.” At first I picture them standing a little ways away, watching. But then I realize that Jesus ate with those generally considered “enemies” – tax collectors, prostitutes… So my enemies, they would be sitting at this table prepared by Christ. Some at the table will be seeing this from the other side: What is John doing at my table?!

Then there’s the setting – we are anointed, blessed. The cup overflows as does everything else on the table. There always was and is an abundance to everything Jesus does. There is always more than enough. At this table there is also an abundance of love and grace, empathy and mercy, compassion and forgiveness.

This scene is most often portrayed as a wedding banquet. I envision lots of tables like the one I described above plus a huge table at the front where Jesus sits with a host of people. Could this smaller table that Jesus prepared for us be the entry point to the real celebration going on up front? That is described in verses 6. The house of the Lord, our eternal dwelling place, is where “goodness and love” will overflow every day, all day. And perhaps these must begin to flow at our outer tables so that reconciliation and the restoration of all of our relationships can occur. Only then, when we are made right with all of our brothers and sisters in Christ, only then will we sit with Christ at his table.

I believe the same truth exists right now. If we look at others and consider them an “enemy” then there is distance between us and Christ. “Enemy” is just as broad a term as “neighbor.” If there is anyone that we would love less than the one we truly love the most, then we have work to do here and now.

Prayer: Lord God, I know, I believe that you call me to love unconditionally. That’s how you love me. Help me to bridge the gap, Lord, between how I know I’m supposed to live and how I actually love. Day by day bring me closer to your table of grace. Amen.


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Who Is Our Woman at the Well?

Reading: John 4:5-26

Verses 13-14: “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.”

Our passage in John 4 begins with Jesus alone at the well. A woman comes alone to the well to draw water in the heat of the day. There are a few cultural reasons that this encounter should not happen, but it does anyway. All that matters to Jesus is ministering to this woman, to this lost soul.

After feeling each other out a bit, Jesus says to her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.” In the first part Jesus is saying that this water – the things of this world – they never truly satisfy. This connects into his statement about having had five husbands and now a boyfriend. Significant others are one way we can try and find satisfaction and happiness. Some collect cars or other forms of wealth. Some turn to alcohol, drugs, pornography, gambling, working out… None of these things satisfy our inner thirst for joy, peace, contentment…

Jesus continues, offering her the greatest gift ever: “whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.” In Christ she can find something the world cannot offer: everlasting love, an eternal relationship, a place to always belong, to always have worth. These are the things that the woman needs at her core. These are things we all need. We try and fill our hearts and souls with many things. But only God in Christ can make us complete and whole. There we find the joy, the hope, the peace, the contentment, the meaning and purpose we all need.

The question that sticks with me today is this: Who is the woman at the well in your life, in my life? This was not a chance encounter in today’s passage. Jesus was at the well, waiting just for her. How will you and I make connection with that lost soul that we know?

Prayer: Lord God, by the power of your Holy Spirit, lead and guide me to the well, to connect, to enter into relationship, to draw another closer to you. Amen.


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Personal, Intimate, Intentional

Reading: Psalm 95:1-7

Verse 6: “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our maker.”

Psalm 95 is an invitation to sing and shout, to offer thanksgiving and praise to the Lord our God. The psalmist encourages us to take time to connect with our God, the one who formed and is a part of all of creation. In verse 6 we read, “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our maker.” To me, this passage calls us to prayer. Prayer is the act of spending personal, intimate, intentional time with God. We can and should ‘pray on the fly’ – short prayers for the one in the ambulance, quick prayers for the parent struggling with a child, a fast shout-out for the person whose name pops into your mind. But to cultivate our relationship with God, it requires a deeper, more intense time of prayer.

Our relationship with God is like all of our relationships. If all we ever share with a person is a passing ‘Hello’ at the start of the work day, then that relationship will never go beyond the surface level of ‘acquaintance.’ Some treat God this way all the time. All of us can, actually, at times – when life gets overly busy or really stressed. This is why a consistent, highly prioritized prayer practice is essential to our faith and to our relationship with God. If it is haphazard – in the morning one day, at night a couple days, on the ride to work one day – then it is so much easier to ‘forget’ or to simply let it slip for a day. Or two. Or ten.

When my kids were young – 25 or so years ago – I began the habit of rising early to carve out quiet time with God. It was not easy. It was hard. Yet whether at home or on a mission trip or on vacation, whether healthy or sick, my early morning discipline is something I’ve held fast to. It has become essential to both my daily living and in keeping me closely connected to the Lord. One of two questions for you: What is your prayer discipline? Or… How and when will you develop a daily prayer discipline?

Prayer: Lord God, it is hard to imagine life and faith without our morning quiet time. It feels to me like water or air – something I couldn’t live without. Thank you for this gift of intimacy, honesty, connection. Amen.


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Humble and Contrite

Reading: Matthew 6:1-6 and 16-21

Verse 16: “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting.”

Photo credit: Felipe Correia

Jesus addresses how we are to practice some of the disciplines of our faith in today’s passage. He begins with a warning to “be careful” how we do these things. Jesus addresses our giving, our prayer life, and our fasting. Jesus warms us today about doing these things for show. If we, for example, flash around our cash before theatrically placing it in the offering plate, then we have failed. Impressing people does not translate to eternity. The same is true for how we pray. It should be about talking to God, about being personal and intimate with God. It is not about flashy intonations and flowery words. These too only register with human eyes and ears.

In verses 16 Jesus addresses fasting. As we begin Lent today, let us focus on this section. The warning: “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting.” Today it could translate into complaining loudly to one and all about how much you miss your coffee each day – you know, because you gave it up for Lent. If, on the other hand, you add in a faith practice for Lent, maybe you whine or grumble a lot to your spouse or a friend about the gobs of extra time that God is requiring. As with the giving and the prayer, when we fast or practice another discipline to work on our relationship to and connection with God as a means to impress others, then it is not about God anymore.

With today’s teaching, Jesus was addressing the “hypocrites” – the super religious of his day. When we flaunt or make a big show of our faith, Jesus would have this same word for us. Our friends and neighbors certainly do. With these thoughts in mind, may we choose a humble and contrite journey in Lent.

Prayer: Lord God, use me to model a humble and simple faith. Keep my focus on our relationship and not on how others might see it. May this season be one of personal growth and a deepening of my relationship with you. Amen.


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Seeking Presence, Seeking to Hear

Reading: Matthew 17:4-9

Verse 5: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

Photo credit: Uta Scholl

Returning once again to the mountaintop we are present with the disciples as they experience the transfiguration of Jesus. The physical change in Jesus and witnessing his conversation with Moses and Elijah – life-changing. Peter, James, and John would never be the same. This was an experience that they could draw upon again and again. We too can have these experiences. We are not the same afterwards. My first experience with the presence of the divine happened in a church balcony my junior year of high school during an overnight event at the church. Two others were praying with me for a friend who has been in an awful car accident. As we cried and prayed I felt tangible arms around us. A holy presence surrounded us in that time of need. Suddenly I knew that God was real.

In Peter, James, and John’s experience, they saw and felt something that they had never seen or felt before. Peter wants to build dwellings, perhaps to hold onto the moment. But it could not last forever. From an even brighter cloud God says, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” These words, from this voice, they validate Jesus, they define the holy relationship, they give Jesus all authority. These words prolong the disciples’ experience. In moments of fear or doubt or trial how these words must’ve echoed in their minds, giving them courage or assurance or strength.

The Holy Spirit offers the same to you and to me. If we turn to God, whether in prayer or meditation, coming to God with our need or worry or concern, then we open ourselves up to God’s presence. As we surrender our will, our way, our desires to God, we invite the holy presence to open our ears and minds and hearts to hear what God speaks. In that balcony long ago, I did not tangibly hear God speak but there was an overwhelming feeling that Keith would be okay. There was no doubt.

When we seek God’s presence, when we humble ourselves to hear, then the Lord our God will lead, guide, direct, comfort, strengthen, assure… Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord, I am grateful for each of my encounters with you – those on the mountaintop, those in the valley, those that came upon me unexpectedly. Each has grown our relationship. Thank you, Lord. Amen.


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Growing Deeper

Reading: Psalm 119:1-8

Verse 7: “I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws.”

As we return to Psalm 119 today, we focus in on the joy of living into the will and way of God. The psalmist recognizes the blessing of walking in the way of the Lord. Now this is not a material blessing, but a spiritual blessing. This is not an absence of trial or pain blessing, but the blessing of God’s presence in and through all that life throws at us. The blessing comes in the intimate relationship that we can have with God.

The psalmist has learned that intimacy must be built, grown, developed. Accordingly the author strives to “seek God with all their heart.” It is a total commitment. It is not a “what have you done lately” attitude, nor is it an “I’ll see you the next time I need something” attitude. It is an “I’ll seek God with all of my heart” in the highs, in the lows, and in all in between attitude. It is awakening with an “I love you,” going to bed with an “I love you,” and it is saying “I love you God” with each thought, word, and action throughout our day.

The blessing and the presence of God leads to the joy and thanksgiving expressed in our Psalm. In verse 7 we read, “I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws.” The psalmist seeks to live righteously and according to the will and way of God. Yet there is also a realization that he or she is a work in progress – “as I learn.” There is humility and honesty here. What a refreshing reminder! As fellow works in progress may we too seek God with all of our heart, trusting in God to be faithful and true as we learn to grow deeper in love with the Lord our God.

Prayer: Lord God, there is such joy and peace in your presence. There is security and contentment. There is hope and there is love. There is calm in the storm and elation on the mountain top. Day by day keep my feet on the faithful path. Moment by moment deepen my love for you. Amen.


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A Heart Turned to God

Readings: Deuteronomy 30:15-20 and Matthew 5:23-24

Verse 19: “This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death.”

In Deuteronomy 30 Moses presents a choice: God or not God? It is a choice all people must make. Most people in our modern world come across God. They hear of or know of God and faith. Some are drawn in and accept faith and others reject it. And then there are those who live and die without ever hearing about God or Jesus. Some of these folks sense good within and in the world and they live reflecting this spark of the divine within them. Others in this situation reject the good and choose to live for self. All people choose between life and death, between good and evil.

Moses is presenting this choice to the people of God. They clearly know and understand who and what God is. Moses makes it clear that it is a choice: “This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death.” The choice that Moses lays out is more about the way we choose to live day in and out rather than checking off more of the boxes that represent us keeping each and every law. Faith is not a giant balance scale. It is not a grand race to become “perfect.” Faith is about a heart turned to God. In verses 20 Moses describes the outcome of such a heart: “that you may love the Lord your God, listen to God’s voice, and hold fast to God.” These words ooze covenant love and presence and relationship.

Turning to the Matthew text for today, Jesus connects our relationships with one another into what it means to choose God. In verses 21-37 Jesus uses “But I say…” statements to guide us to look within, to look at what drives our choices, our actions, our inactions. In today’s 2 verses Jesus hones in on the importance of living in right relationship with each other. He places this as a prerequisite to coming before God. He tells us that we cannot be in a place of brokenness or sin with one another and think it okay to come before the Lord in that state. Jesus says, “First go and be reconciled… then come.” Made right with one another then we can come before God. This is a powerful statement. It reveals how much God values community and living in right relationship with one another. Both are revealed in a heart turned to God. May this be our heart.

Prayer: Lord God, where and when I struggle to offer reconciliation, help me. Lead me and guide me past self. Make my heart to better reflect yours, O God. Amen.


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Blessing or Curse?

Reading: Deuteronomy 30:15-20

Verse 16: “For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws.”

Photo credit: Einar Storsul

This week we turn to Deuteronomy 30. This book is part of the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible. These five books establish the early covenants with God and they provide many laws that guide how ancient Israel was to live in covenant relationship with God. The covenant was and is built upon God’s unconditional love for the people of God. The many laws found in these books shepherded the Israelites and provided them a framework for living in right relationship with God and with one another. Covering virtually all aspects of life, these laws were broad and the code was immense.

This week’s passage from Deuteronomy 30 focuses not on the laws themselves, but on the outcome of keeping (or failing to keep) the laws. These words, usually attributed to Moses, were given to Israel as they prepared to enter the Promised Land. Our passage opens with these words: “See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction.” This places faith in a very black and white setting. Continuing we read, “For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws.” Moses calls Israel and he calls us to a daily, disciplined, faithful, steadfast walk with God. I believe to call oneself a Christian, one would expect no less.

The ‘reward’ of following the command? “You will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you.” And the ‘consequence’ if not obeying the command? “I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed.” Blessing or curse? Life or death? These words, this choice, will form the backbone of how the Israelites will understand and will interact with God. They will be the basis for how they will seek to live in the world and will guide their relationships with God and with one another.

These ancient words have meaning yet today. When we walk in God’s ways and love God, we experience life abundant here and we know that life eternal awaits. In all we do and say and think, may we seek the Lord with all that we are. And may our lives reflect a heart lived in covenant relationship with God and with each other.

Prayer: Lord God, your ways are good and you are holy and just. By the power of the Holy Spirit, lead me to walk in your will and ways and to honor you with all of my life. Amen.