pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

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God Can Bring Life

Reading: Ezekiel 37:1-10

Verse 6: “I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”

We begin this week with one of my favorite passages. The valley of dry bones is symbolic. Israel is in exile in Babylon. Ezekiel is a priest of the Lord, also living in exile. In this foreign land, hope had dwindled away; their faith had become dry. I love this passage because we all get to this place now and then in life. We can have a hard time clinging to hope and to God when we find ourselves too long in the valley.

This valley full of bones that Ezekiel finds himself in is extreme – there were “a great many bones” and they were all “very dry.” They had been there a long time. The time in exile had been long. God asks Ezekiel, “Son of man, can these bones live?” Ezekiel does not judge by what he sees. He chooses instead to be open to the possibility of what God is seeing. He acknowledges that God alone knows. Ezekiel trusts into this.

In those moments when we are in the valley, when we are wondering if there can be life after “this” – may we too try to see as God sees. May we too seek to see into the possibilities of what God might be up to. May we too remember to trust into God, even though our faith may feel dry.

Yes, God can bring life. God directs Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones. He does and the bones come together and are covered in tendons and flesh. Then God directs Ezekiel to call for breath to enter them. As the breath of God, the Spirit, enters these corpses, they rise and stand, “a vast army.” God brings life, even to that which is dry and without hope. May we cling to this hope and to these promises: God brings life, God restores, God makes a way in the valley. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: Lord God, what good news! No matter how dry and far away we feel, you can always restore and give new life. What great news! In times or seasons in the valley, O God, remind us of these dry bones that came to life. Amen.


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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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Washed Clean

Reading: Psalm 32

Verse 5: “I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity… you forgave the guilt of my sin.”

In our Psalm today we find a pattern that we all know intimately and we find the truth that breaks or redeems this pattern. Like David, the author of the Psalm, we are familiar with sin. Some may think that as our faith matures, we sin less. We do, I believe, get a handle on many things that caused us to sin when we were less mature in the faith. However, as our faith matures, we come to understand more as sin. Things that we did not see before as sinful, suddenly it is sinful. For me, for example, gossip was one of those things. At a point I realized that this was sinful and that I needed to control my tongue. And physical age, which tends to parallel our “faith age,” brings with it challenges that often require greater faith – health issues, emotional changes…

No matter our age or the maturity of our faith, David names something that we all struggle with. Strangely it is not the sin itself. If one is truly repentant and seeks God’s help, then God will provide all that we need to overcome that sin. It is the guilt that we can struggle with. I may be able, with lots of help from God, to get a judgmental attitude turned around. The guilt for damage done remains though. This too I need to surrender to God. In verses 5 we find the promise: “I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity… you forgave the guilt of my sin.” When we are honest with God and seek God’s power, then God not only forgives but also takes away our guilt. Now we may have work to do to restore or reconcile that relationship, but the stain or the guilt is washed clean by God’s love.

Fully forgiven, we get to the place that David is at at the end of the Psalm. The guilt and the weight of the sin removed, we know that God’s unfailing love surrounds us. We can rejoice in the Lord. We can experience joy and gladness as we lift our praises to God. What a wonderful Savior. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: Lord God, you seek to walk with us daily. Beside us, you give us strength and courage. Beside us, you welcome our honest conversations and confessions. Through the life given by your son, you cleanse us and free us from the sun and guilt that we bear. Thank you for your mercy, for your grace, and for your great love. All my days may I praise your holy name. Amen.


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The Lamb of God

Reading: John 1:29-34

Verse 29: “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

Photo credit: Milo Weiler

Turning to John’s gospel today and tomorrow, we begin with Jesus coming toward John the Baptist. As he approaches John says, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” These are unique words to apply at this time in Jesus’ ministry. Usually we call Jesus the Good Shepherd when referring to sheep and shepherds. For most of his ministry, Jesus is not the lamb. At the end, yes, Jesus goes to the cross as our perfect sacrifice. We get the lamb references then.

Yet in today’s passage, as Jesus’ ministry is about to begin, John the Baptist identifies Jesus as the Lamb of God. Since the days of Passover a perfect and spotless lamb (or goat) was the offering made to God as the people of God remembered how they were freed from slavery in Egypt. Each and every year the rescue story is celebrated and remembered. To see Jesus in this role immediately identifies him as the one who rescues, redeems, restores, and saves. It is a powerful image to be placed in the minds of the Jews.

Continuing on, John the Baptist offers proof that Jesus is indeed the Messiah, the one who comes to save. John recounts the Spirit coming down and remaining on Jesus after he was baptized. This fulfills what God said would happen. Jesus is the son of God. Not only will he take away the sins of the world, one day the Christ will defeat all evil, claiming final victory as he establishes the new heaven and earth. For the salvation Christ offers and for the final victory yet to come, we say thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord God, today we are reminded of such great news. You came in the flesh to take away our sins, to rescue us from captivity to self. One day you will come again to banish all evil as you create heaven here on earth. Day by day, lead and guide us to make this vision more and more of a reality here and now as we await your final return in victory. Amen.


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Covenant Love

Reading: Isaiah 63:7-9

Verse 7: “I will tell of the kindnesses of the Lord… the many good things God has done… according to God’s compassion…”

Photo credit: Marek Piwnicki

Isaiah 63 comes near the end of the book. The northern kingdom has fallen. Assyria captured Israel and took many away into captivity. Judah escaped this fate but will soon fall to the rising world power, Babylon. That fate, though, is almost 100 years away as Isaiah wraps up his ministry to Judah. Much of this third section, found in chapters 40-66, calls out the people’s rebellion and calls them to repent of their sins. The overall feel is dark and foreboding. Yet there are pockets of hope. One is found in our reading for today.

Even though God is deeply grieved by the people’s rebellion, in today’s text Isaiah reminds the people of God’s faithfulness. In verses 7 we read, “I will tell of the kindnesses of the Lord… the many good things God has done… according to God’s compassion…” While the balance of chapter 63 recalls God’s mighty acts with and through Moses, in verses 8 and 9 Isaiah looks to a future time when God will come as Savior, when Christ will redeem them from their sins. The story of Moses was the ultimate story of rescue and redemption for the Israelites. It was the time when God made a way when there was no way. It reveals the heart of God for the people of God. Again and again God loved them through their rebellion and sin and brought them to the promised land.

That is the story that a people headed for defeat and exile needed to hear again. It is the story we need to hear again and again. The Savior rescues us and redeems us when we have rebelled. With love and mercy we are restored. With kindness and compassion our Savior lifts us and carries us in times of distress. God’s love and presence never fail. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord God, you are faithful and true, even when I stumble and fall. Your love and grace surround me, even when I am selfish and wayward. Your mercy ever extends to make me new again. Your compassion always chases me down. Where would I be without you? I dare not consider the possibilities. Thank you for your covenant love, O God. Amen.


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Claimed and Fulfilled

Reading: Psalm 80:17-19

Verse 17: Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself.”

The second part of Psalm 80 speaks of one who will bring hope to Israel. This is a deep longing in the nation. The Israelites are familiar with God raising up leaders – Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, Solomon, Gideon, Samson, Deborah, Esther, Isaiah, Jeremiah… There is a long list of men and women called by God, guided by the Spirit, and empowered by God to lead. And when you look at the long list of people called and used by God, there is great diversity.

As we read these words of the Psalm, we do so as many have for almost 2,000 years. We read these words through the lens of Christ. We do so because Jesus claimed and fulfilled these words and many others written in the Old Testament. Jesus came from and returned to the right hand of God – to the judgment seat. Christ was the incarnation of God, raised up by God through the Holy Spirit from a virgin and from the line of David.

In the giving of self, of blood, of life, Jesus restored our relationship with God and provided a means for this to happen again and again. In Christ, God’s face did shine upon humanity, revealing the depth of God’s love, mercy, and grace. Through Jesus Christ, we are saved. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the reminder today of how you fulfilled these words and promises for the salvation of the world and for my salvation. Jesus Christ is the hope of the world and the hope of all who love you. Amen.


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Reign of Christ

Reading: Jeremiah 23:1-6

Verse 5: “I will raise up a righteous branch, a king who will rule wisely and do what is right and just in the land.”

Photo credit: Milo Weiler

As we begin this week that culminates on “Christ the King” Sunday, we begin with our only Old Testament reading. Jeremiah begins this passage with a brief word of warning. He proclaims, “Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!” In the next two verses we see that this will not go unpunished. Because God is faithful, though, God will regather the sheep.

Beginning in verses 3-4 God speaks of restoration. God will “gather the remnant of my flock” and will “place shepherds over them who will tend them.” God will begin to rebuild the flock, to restore the people of God. The culmination of this process comes in verse 5. Here we read, “I will raise up a righteous branch, a king who will rule wisely and do what is right and just in the land.” This branch will be Jesus. He will bring justice and righteousness and salvation. He will be the King of Kings and will be “the Lord our righteousness.” All this has come to be. Today all believers seek to live under the reign of Christ the King.

The question for us as we begin this week of “Christ the King,” leading into the season of Advent, is this: How do we reflect the reign of Christ upon the throne of our heart? This is a challenging question. Because we are sheep, we wander. So we need the Good Shepherd to rule in our lives. Living in our heart, Christ calls us to reflect his love, his mercy, his compassion, his justice, and his righteousness to the world. Living as children of salvation, may we faithfully reflect the reign of Christ in our hearts this week.

Prayer: Lord, shepherd me this week, each day, as I strive to reflect you as the king of my heart. When you give me the opportunity may I reflect you well to a world in need. May the light of Christ in my heart shine into the darkness, sharing the path of salvation with all. Amen.


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Great Love

Reading: Isaiah 12:1-3

Verse 2: “Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song.”

Isaiah 12 is titled “Songs of Praise.” Today’s little snippet is about our relationship with God and the battle we have with sin. In a couple of days we will look at verses 4-6, a song of celebration and praise for what God has done and continues to do in our lives.

In verse 1 we read, “I will praise you, O God. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away.” This is a promise – both to the people of God then and to us today. The chapter begins with this line: “In that day you will say…” Isaiah is writing then about a day yet to come. As he writes these words, Israel is suffering the consequences of their corporate sin. At times I’ve been there. In my experience there comes a time when I am sinning that it is no longer fun or enjoyable or whatever. Sometimes it is quick, sometimes it is prolonged, but there is usually a time of regret and guilt. And once in a while, as it was with Israel in Isaiah’s day, there is a time of living with the consequences of my sin. Always, though, God’s great love restores and redeems me.

This is what Isaiah is speaking of in verse 2, where he writes, “Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song.” When God comforts us and begins to draw us back into right relationship we know once again that God loves us unconditionally. Even though I turn my back on God again and again, God is ever there, waiting for me to face up to my sin so that I can once again turn my face to God. Our snippet today closes with these words of promise: “With joy you will draw from the water of salvation.” The depth of God’s love for us knows no bounds. With joy may we praise the Lord today for this great love!

Prayer: Lord God, even though my actions or inaction at times angers you, your love remains unconditional. You wait eagerly for me to turn away from my sin, to turn back towards you. Your salvation washes me clean once again and you invite me to continue my journey as a child of God. Thank you, thank you, thank you for this great love. Amen.


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Oh the Depths

Reading: Psalm 81:1 and 10-16

Verses 11-12: “My people would not listen to me… I gave them over to their stubborn hearts.”

Psalm 81 is a song of celebration, disappointment, and promise. The first verses, 1-2, prepare the people to worship and sing and play. The next verses, 3-7, celebrate how God rescued Israel and led them out of Egypt and through the wilderness. Then, in verses 8-9, God reminds and warns Israel: no foreign gods! We did not read most of these verses.

Verse 10 again promises provision and rescue by God. God longs to care for Israel. But it is not to be so. In verses 11-12 we read, “My people would not listen to me… I gave them over to their stubborn hearts.” They would not submit to God. They followed their own wants and desires. We can almost hear and feel God’s frustration and disappointment. At times we too must make God feel this way. I’ve often thought that God must be shaking God’s head at some of the things I’ve said and done and thought – like a parent with a foolish child.

In spite of all that rebellion and self-centeredness, God still longs to care for and to provide for the children. In verses 13-16 God reminds Israel and us that God will subdue our enemies and fill us with the finest wheat and honey – if one will follow God’s ways. If one “would but listen to me.” God will subdue our rebellious and selfish ways, will defeat our sin, if we will turn our hearts back towards God. Oh the depths of God’s love for you and for me. “Sing for joy to God our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob!”

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for loving me even though I can be selfish and inwardly focused. Thank you for your no-matter-what love that is always ready to restore and redeem me, to care for and guide me. What great love! You are an amazing and awesome God. I love you too! Amen.


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Rejoice and Offer Thanks

Reading: Luke 13:14-17

Verse 16: “Should not this woman… whom Satan has kept bound for 18 long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”

Yesterday we read of Jesus healing the woman. When have you or someone you know been healed of something that has afflicted you (or them) for a long time? What did it feel like to be freed? How did others who saw or experience this react to the freeing? Usually when one is healed there is a joy and an expression of thanksgiving by the person, by loved ones, and even by people who may only witness or hear about the healing.

Today we rejoice whenever someone is healed, whether from a disease or an addiction or a pride or anger or jealousy or… issue. But in today’s passage the synagogue ruler couldn’t rejoice. He was bound up by the Law. More than anything, keeping the Law represented his faith. So he calls out Jesus, albeit indirectly, for healing on the Sabbath. There’s a little hope for him though. He does tell people to come on other days for healing.

Jesus calls the ruler a “hypocrite.” Jesus reminds him that even he unbinds his animals on the Sabbath so that they can find water. He then asks, “Should not this woman… whom Satan has kept bound for 18 long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?” Shouldn’t a daughter of Abraham be unbound on the Sabbath? Shouldn’t she be set free so that she can live? Jesus’ response delights the people. We all love a little joy.

Yet at times we can be a bit like the synagogue ruler. We can see or hear about someone who has been healed or has overcome something that bound them and we can wonder if they deserved it or if God rescued the “right” person. We can be guilty of wanting to limit God’s healing power. We can question the width and breadth of God’s love. When we are tempted to be stingy with or critical of God’s healing power, may we remember the many, many, many ways that God has rescued and redeemed us. May we then rejoice and offer thanks to God for healing another child of God. May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, help me to always celebrate all of the ways that you bring healing and wholeness to all of your children. May joy abound! Amen.