pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: relationship


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Learn Their Names

Reading: Luke 16:19-26

Luke 16:23 – “While being tormented in the place of the dead, he looked up and saw Abraham at a distance with Lazarus at his side.”

Photo credit: Clay Banks

Reflecting on this passage, John Wesley wrote, “It is no more sinful to be rich than to be poor. But it is dangerous beyond expression.” Wesley lived in England during the start of the industrial revolution. The focus of his ministry was upon the poor – the uneducated, the poorly housed, the miners and factory workers, and others who were being exploited and oppressed by the wealthy. The poverty level was high in the places that Wesley preached, started schools and orphanages, and offered basic but free medical care.

Today’s parable features Lazarus, a poor, sick beggar who is overlooked each day by a rich man. The rich man has more than enough to care for Lazarus but he chooses to not even acknowledge Lazarus’ existence. Perhaps to know him would lead one to care about and for him. As it happens, both die. Lazarus goes to heaven and the rich man goes to hell. In verse 23 we read, “While being tormented in the place of the dead, he looked up and saw Abraham at a distance with Lazarus at his side.” By Abraham’s side, Lazarus has good things. The rich man is tormented in hell. It is only then that the rich man sees and acknowledges Lazarus – but only because he wants something from him. Alas, says Abraham, fates are now fixed. Judgment has come. There is no going from heaven to hell or vice versa.

Poverty continues to be a reality for many people today. Most of us as individuals and certainly we as a nation have more than enough to care well for the Lazarus’ of our day. God’s will and way called for the rich man to care for Lazarus just as God calls out to us today. To be the hands and feet of Jesus requires that we engage those living in poverty, with illness, and in need. This begins with knowing their names. May we learn their names.

Prayer: Lord God, when our relationships with the least of these gets personal, it gets so much more real. So guide us, O Lord, to invest in the lives of those with needs that we can meet. Open our hearts to compassion and love and care. Use us to minister in your name. Amen.


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Take Hold of True Life

Reading: 1st Timothy 6:17-19

1st Timothy 6:17-18 – “Tell people who are rich… to do good, to be rich in the good things they do, to be generous, and to share with others.”

Photo credit: Shane

Continuing in 1st Timothy 6 today, Paul instructs Timothy on how to minister to those Christians who do have wealth, power, status… There were and are people that God has blessed with gifts and talents and legacies that has and have allowed them to be rich in the things of this world. Paul first addresses the dangers of this place in life. One can easily become prideful and arrogant. This often leads to isolating oneself from those who are seen as “less than.” From this place of heart and mind one can place their hope in their worldly riches instead of in God. Some falsely think, “Who needs God when I have all of this?”

Paul’s instruction to Timothy is this: “Tell people who are rich… to do good, to be rich in the good things they do, to be generous, and to share with others.” To do good and to be rich in good works is to engage the world around you. This counters the choices to isolate and to look down on those without wealth, power, status… To do good for others draws us into relationship and here we find our commonality, which leads to unity. To be generous and to share what we have lifts up those without and it grows one’s compassion and empathy, deepening one’s desire to practice generosity. To do good and to be generous draws us closer to God and to one another.

In verse 19 Paul states that these actions lay a “good foundation for the future.” This foundation is an ever-growing compassion and love for neighbor and a continual growth in one’s relationship with God. Living out our faith in these ways allows us to “take hold of what is truly life.” This is loving God and neighbor with all that we have and are. May it be so for you and for me.

Prayer: Lord God, lead us to be people of love and compassion. Guide us to people and places that need to experience these things. Open our hearts and hands to serve you through serving those in need. In these ways, use us to draw others closer to you. Amen.


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Constant Trust

Reading: Psalm 91:1-6

Psalm 91:2 – “I say to the Lord, ‘You are my refuge, my stronghold! You are my God – the one I trust!'”

Psalm 91 is a declaration of divine protection. When the psalmist is walking closely in right relationship with God, he or she is living in God’s “shelter,” is “camping” in God’s “shade.” There is a day and night implication to the images created by these words. This 24/7 idea is also reflected in verses 3-6, where troubles also come day and night. A right relationship with God is a constant relationship, not one where we can pick and choose when to turn on or off our connection to God.

In verse 2 we read, “I say to the Lord, ‘You are my refuge, my stronghold! You are my God – the one I trust!'” This is a wonderful confession of trust in God. Here again we see the 24/7 nature of a right relationship with God. This confession is both a response to God’s promises of shelter and shade, refuge and strength and it is a pre-requisite for God to provide these things in this 24/7 relationship. It’s not that God won’t protect or strengthen a non-believer, but it’s a confession that God is always available to offer “divine touches” to the believer living in right relationship with God. When God is the one in whom we constantly trust, then God is always present in our lives.

Verses 3-6 reveal some times when the psalmist needs God’s presence and protection. We also need saved, protected, and shielded from sickness and disease, from destruction and snares. We too need God to be a refuge in the storms of life and when evil “prowls” and “ravages.” When we turn to God as our first, last, and only hope in times of need, then our God is a God in whom we can trust. God will be our refuge and stronghold. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: Lord God, the longer we walk with you, the stronger our trust grows in you to be all that we need in this life. Encourage us in the moments when the “storms” beat against and threaten this trust. Reach out and pull us close when we are beginning to doubt or to question. Hold us in the shelter of your wings, in the palm of your hand. Thank you, Lord, for your constant love and presence. Amen.


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Glory Revealed

Reading: Psalm 79:6-9

Psalm 79:8 – “Don’t remember the iniquities of past generations; let your compassion hurry to meet us because we’ve been brought so low.”

Photo credit: Tobias Rademacher

As we continue in Psalm 79 today the psalmist asks God to redirect the anger of God that burns like fire. The plea is made to “pour out” that fire on the pagan nations – those that have “devoured” God’s people and have ransacked the land. Then there is a shift. In verse 8 the psalmist prays, “Don’t remember the iniquities of past generations; let your compassion hurry to meet us because we’ve been brought so low.” The psalmist is part of a very, very small segment of the Israelites that remained true to God. It was other’s sins that brought God’s wrath on Israel, in the form of Babylonian conquest.

At this lowest point, living fully in the tragedy, the psalmist still chooses faithfulness and hope in God. To choose otherwise will fracture or possibly remove all faith. There are times when we are negatively affected by past or by systemic or by societal sin. The division in our nation is a good example. Choosing to dwell in and to fuel the fires of “us” versus “them” at every opportunity is living and acting in ways counter to the loving and unifying way of Christ. In this current climate we can choose prayer and God’s presence or we can allow the tide to sweep us along down that evil path.

In verse 9 the psalmist cries out for God’s salvation, deliverance, and forgiveness. These are all found in relationship with God. These are gifts of God that we can receive no matter what is happening in the world around us. While pain and suffering and hardship may come, in prayer we can experience God’s compassion, love, mercy, grace… These gifts of God empower us to remain faithful and to live righteous lives in the midst of this broken world. This is how the glory of God will be revealed. May it be so for you and for me.

Prayer: Lord God, when the brokenness of this world feels overwhelming, when the tide feels like it will surely pull us under, help us to feel your hand reaching out. Gently guide us to step into your presence, prayerfully deepening our relationship with you. In that place, pour out your hope and strength upon us, empowering us to be light and love in the darkness of our world. Amen.


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New Again

Reading: Psalm 51:7-10

Psalm 51:8 – “Let me hear joy and celebration again; let the bones you crushed rejoice once more.”

Continuing today in Psalm 51, David recognizes his separated state. Yes, God has seen his sin and sent the prophet Nathan to break through to David, leading him to see his sin. David knows that God alone can make him “clean.” In verse 7 David asks for this cleansing – for God to purify and wash him so that he is “whiter than snow.” On his own David would remain in his sin and would struggle with the guilt and shame that often accompanies our sin. The same is true for us. We need God’s mercy, grace, and forgiveness to once again be back in right relationship with God.

In verse 8 David is not yet there – not yet redeemed and restored. He longs for these things. We can hear this longing as we read, “Let me hear joy and celebration again; let the bones you crushed rejoice once more.” When we are in this place we too can feel this way. For David, the sacrificial system and the giving of an animal’s life would provide the “means” or payment for forgiveness. For us today, however, Jesus interceded on our behalf. He paid the price, offering himself as that needed sacrifice. In communion we remember this gift formally. But we don’t need to take the bread and cup to be redeemed and restored. Forgiveness comes through a simple prayer of confession and repentance. Jesus then creates a “clean heart” in us, once again walking with a “faithful spirit” within us. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord God, we experience times when we are separated from you because of our sin and its impacts. Sometimes we tarry, wrestling with the guilt or shame. In these times, O Lord, call out to us, pull us into your grace and mercy. Drawn close to you, make us new again, O God. 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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All of the Glory

Reading: 1st Timothy 1:12-17

1st Timothy 1:13 – “I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and without faith.”

Photo credit: Matt Botsford

Paul, as Saul, was one of those anti-Christian people. As he recollects in the first part of verse 13, he used to speak against Jesus and used to attack Jesus’ “people.” Saul was proud of his religion – Judaism. Connecting to yesterday’s idea of “practical atheists,” this is how the early Christians would have seen Saul. He did not understand or even accept Jesus. Saul’s actions and words strongly opposed Christ and his disciples.

Then Saul had his “come to Jesus” moment. In his words, “I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and without faith.” Christ changed his heart. Looking back on his past life as a Pharisee, Paul now sees himself then as “the biggest sinner of all.” This view is from Paul’s new understanding of what faithful living is. He recognized how Jesus came, lived, and died both to set and example of how to live a faithful and righteous life and to save people from their sins. Christ’s “endless patience” was demonstrated in Paul’s life and conversion. Now he lives to be an example of Christ so that others will come to believe in Jesus.

Paul is very grateful that Jesus saved him. This is what leads Paul to offer these words of praise: “honor and glory to him forever.” The gift of relationship that Paul now knows, the gift that that leads to eternal life, is offered to all people. To the Saul’s of the world and to the practical atheists – even those inside of us at times – Jesus Christ still offers new life. As disciples of Jesus Christ, may we bear witness as Paul did, bringing the Lord our God all of the glory.

Prayer: Lord God, as we seek to walk in relationship with you, work in our hearts so that we live in ways that bring you glory and honor. Use us as conduits of grace and mercy, opening others to the possibility of new and eternal life. Amen.


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Changing Dynamics

Reading: Philemon 1-21

Philemon 6 – “I pray that your partnership in the faith might become effective by an understanding of all that is good among us in Christ.”

Photo credit: Sophie Walker

Today’s reading – a short letter containing 21 verses – appeals to a slave owner on behalf of the slave. Paul writes to Philemon, a fellow Christian who is known for his love and faithfulness. Paul addresses his letter not only to Philemon but also to the church that meets in his house. This home church was likely started by Paul and is likely led now by Philemon. Paul writes to both because he is counting on grace to shape both Philemon’s decision and the community that will be affected by his decision.

Paul is sending Onesimus, the runaway slave, back to Philemon, probably with this letter in hand. Paul has been in prison and Onesimus has been like a son to him. He sends Onesimus back not as a slave but as if he was sending “his own heart,” as one who has become “a dearly loved brother to me.” Paul writes this prayer to Philemon: “I pray that your partnership in the faith might become effective by an understanding of all that is good among us in Christ.” Paul hopes that Philemon, a fellow leader in the church and a brother in Christ, will accept Onesimus back not as a slave but as “a brother to you, personally and spiritually in the Lord.” Paul is asking Philemon to change the dynamics of the relationship in a radical way.

How might the Spirit ask you or I to do a similar thing? While the slavery of this distant past doesn’t exist, today many people are enslaved in other ways. Who do we hold imprisoned in stereotypes or in broken relationships? Who do we know that is held captive by addiction or debt or grief or because of continuing unwise or unhealthy choices? What radical steps or changes of heart could we undertake in ourselves to love and free these folks, seeing them as sisters and brothers in Christ?

Prayer: Lord God, just as Paul experienced the life-changing love and grace of Christ, so too have we experienced his love and grace. Move in our hearts today, Lord Jesus, to open us up to changing the broken dynamics, to seeing all as a future brother or sister in Christ. In practicing radical love and grace we will be transformed as we seek to transform our world into the kingdom of God, here on earth. Amen.


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Loving, Obeying, Clinging

Reading: Deuteronomy 30:15-20

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 – “Now choose life… by loving the Lord your God, by obeying his voice, and by clinging to him.”

Photo credit: Nick Fewings

In today’s reading Moses speaks about the clear choice between life and death. On the surface Moses presents this choice as black and white. Throughout the Bible the choice between sinful and faithful living is almost always presented in this way. The reality, though, is that we often live in the gray. But this all-or-none approach applies to most of life. Running a race – you don’t hope to come in third. Applying for jobs – you don’t hope to settle for the job fifth on your list. Looking for a lifelong spouse – you don’t hope for one that’ll probably work out.

As Israel prepares to enter the Promised Land the giver of the Law holds up the ideal: obey the commands, love God, walk in God’s ways. Moses tells them, if you do so, “then you will live and thrive.” This is what we aim for in life – first place, dream job, perfect spouse. It is what we are called to aim for in faith – except we’d define “success” a little differently. In our reading, Moses gives us a great definition: “Now choose life… by loving the Lord your God, by obeying his voice, and by clinging to him.”

Moses, typically the Law guy, gives a description that is more “faith” than “religion,” more about a way of being in the world rather that about how to behave in the world. If we choose this relational walk of faith, rather than checking off a list of rules, then we are less likely to turn away from God or to worship other gods. Walking and living in a relationship with God, we will live and thrive. May it be so for you and for me.

Prayer: Lord God, today we hear the clear choice: choose you or choose self and the world that comes with it. While we do live in between, Lord, help us to choose your will and way more and more each day as we strive to grow closer and closer to you. Empower, encourage, and strengthen us moment by moment as we desire to love you more fully and to walk in your ways more completely, clinging to you always. You are our only hope. Amen.


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Can You Feel It?

Reading: Jeremiah 18:1-11

Jeremiah 18:11 – “I am a potter preparing disaster for you… So each one of you, turn from your evil ways; reform your ways and actions.”

In Jeremiah 18 God sends the prophet to the potter’s house. Using this mental image, this visual, it brings God’s word to life. In ancient times, pottery was used for many things: food and water storage, cooking and baking, cleansing. Jeremiah’s audience would be very familiar with a potter and the work they did. Like Jesus’ many examples drawn from his agricultural society, the potter imagery instantly connects the people to God’s message.

At the potter’s house Jeremiah observes the piece being made. It becomes flawed as it is being formed, so the potter starts over. That’s the thing about clay – until fired in the kiln, if kept properly, it can be reshaped again and again. Extending this idea, God says to God’s people, “Can’t I deal with you like this potter?” While these words can sound a bit threatening, these are really words of grace and mercy. Through Jeremiah and many other prophets, God has warned Judah (and Israel before them) again and again. Yet they continued to displease and disobey God. So God declares, “I am a potter preparing disaster for you… So each one of you, turn from your evil ways; reform your ways and actions.” God so desires for Judah to walk in right relationship with God. Can you feel it?

This potter metaphor applies to our lives as well. When God first created you, created me, God did so with an end product in mind. From the beginning, God has a plan and a purpose for our lives. But along the way we become flawed. We sin, we get distracted, we wander. And there is God, the potter, bringing us back to the wheel, reshaping us again and again. God so desires to walk in a close, personal relationship with us. Can you feel it?

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for your deep and unconditional love for us. Thank you for your mercy, grace, and forgiveness that always returns to the wheel of our life, steadily shaping us into who you created us to be. By the power of the Holy Spirit, may we feel and sense your guidance and direction, taking an active role in our relationship with you. Amen.