pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

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God Will…

Reading: Isaiah 49:1-4

Isaiah 49:4b – “Nevertheless, the Lord will grant me justice; my reward is with God.”

Photo credit: Aaron Burden

The second of four Servant Songs found in Isaiah is our focus today and tomorrow. In this week’s reading, the servant speaks in the first person. These words could be Isaiah himself speaking or they could be the words of the servant Israel – an ideal Israel. Or is the prophet speaking as you or me?

The chosenness found in Isaiah 42 continues in chapter 49. The servant was called before birth, formed by God in the womb for this very purpose. As God’s hand continued to shape and form the servant, he or she or we became “a sharp sword… a sharpened arrow.” God’s word continues to cut through our sin and complacency and apathy, calling us to be people bent on righteousness and justice. God identifies the servant as one “in whom I show my glory.” God’s light and love, shining in and through us, reveal God’s presence and glory to the world. It is a high calling.

And it is not always easy to speak truth and to bring God glory. At times we feel like the servant feels: “wearied… in vain… used up… strength… for nothing.” We have given our all, but the fight feels too uphill. We have walked the long road of faith, but there seems to be no end in sight. The injustice, the oppression, the grief, the evils of this world – they appear to be winning. In these low moments, in the depth of the dark valley, we need to remember and cling to the words found at the end of verse 4: “Nevertheless, the Lord will grant me justice; my reward is with God.” God is on our side. God has a plan. God is a God of justice and righteousness. God will triumph over all evil. And if not in our lifetime, then heaven is surely our reward. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: Lord God, there are many days when we walk in your light and love. We feel your presence, strength, and guidance. Our words, thoughts, and actions are pleasing in your sight. May these days be our reminders. Lord, in those seasons when we are worn down and feel defeated, remind us of your presence. Lift us up by the memories of our long and steady walk with you. Renew our strength and focus so that your light might shine into the darkness, whether in our hearts or in our world. Amen.


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Open Eyes, Shining Light

Reading: Isaiah 42:5-9

Isaiah 42:6 – “I, the Lord, have called you… I will grasp your hand and guard you, and give you as a covenant… as a light to the nations.”

Photo credit: Devin Avery

Today we return to where we began the week, turning again to Isaiah 42. Our verses for today are still about the servant, but God’s role is also a focus. Verse 5 establishes who God is: the creator and the giver of breath to all who walk on the earth. These words remind us of God’s power and of God’s control over the world. This power is extended to humankind in the next verse, where we read, “I, the Lord, have called you… I will grasp your hand and guard you, and give you as a covenant… as a light to the nations.” This echoes our chosenness found in verse 1 and it fleshes out how God’s spirit works in our lives. The Spirit leads and protects us as we step forward in faith, seeking to be a light to those around us.

Verse 7 begins with “to open blind eyes.” While this is primarily about being the light to others, sometimes it is our own eyes that need to see. We can overlook our own failures, we can ignore the one God is leading us to, we can be so busy or preoccupied that we don’t see the need right in front of us. At other times we do go where the Spirit is leading us and we are part of God’s work that frees those in prisons and brings light to those in darkness. This seeing and freeing can be from physical places but can also be from emotional, relational, and/or spiritual things. These imprisoning factors are often intertwined and connected. This can complicate the situation or compound the need, but we need to always remind ourselves that nothing is impossible when God is leading, guiding, and working in someone’s life.

Our reading closes with a reminder that while God has done much in the past, God is still at work and will remain at work in our lives and in our world. The “new things” of God are the promise that God will continue to grasp our hand, to guard us, to open blind eyes, and to send us out as a light to the world. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: Lord God, first we ask you to shine your light into the dark pockets in our hearts and lives. Open our eyes to the things that need to die in us, then grasp our hand as we work to uproot these evils. Once made right with you, send us out to be light for others, opening the way for your love to bring healing, making them whole. Amen.


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The Spirit of God

Reading: Isaiah 42:1-4

Isaiah 42:1 – “But here is my servant… I’ve put my spirit upon him; he will bring justice to the nations.”

Isaiah 42 has been identified since the time of Jesus as one of four Servant Songs found in Isaiah. The New Testament writers used these songs as messianic prophecies, identifying Jesus as the servant who suffers. At the time of their writing, though, the aim of these songs was to help Israel understand its servant role, even in the midst of suffering and exile.

In this first Servant Song, the servant is chosen by God. His or her role is defined this way: “I’ve put my spirit upon him; he [or she] will bring justice to the nations.” It is important to note that the spirit of God is much different than the spirit of the world. God’s spirit and the power that it brings works to bring justice to the world. This spirit doesn’t shout and demand respect. This spirit does not trample over others but cares for the weak and the marginalized – the “bruised reed” and the “faint wick.” With compassion and care this spirit will bring God’s justice to the world. This gentle yet strong spirit of God works steadfastly to build a just and loving world.

The spirit of the world cares little for this way of kingdom building. Those with the spirit of the world recklessly force their way, seeking personal gain and glory above all else. In their wake we find suffering and harm. Justice is a good thing, yes – unless it gets in the way of accumulating more and more. The goals of the spirit of the world are more power, more wealth, more status. These aims are about as far from “humble servant” as one could get.

In Isaiah, in any other prophet’s words, and in the New Testament witness, the people of God are called to humble service, gentle leadership, compassionate care for the vulnerable. The spirit of God calls us to be bringers of justice. May we choose to walk as a humble and sometimes suffering servant of God today and every day.

Prayer: Lord God, outside of your word and outside of our faith communities, so much of what we hear and see is guided by the spirit of the world. Although not easy in our current world, lead and guide us to be people of your spirit – humbly serving, seeking justice, protecting the least of these. Chosen by you, use us to shine your light and love into the darkness of this world. Amen.


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Serving Humbly

Reading: Luke 1:46-55

Luke 1:47 – “In the depths of who I am I rejoice in God my Savior.”

In our passage today Mary praises God. Her prayer of thanks contains many of the themes found throughout Luke’s gospel. Considering Mary’s circumstances, these are amazing words to speak. She is barely a teenager. Mary is unmarried yet pregnant. This likely led her to travel to see Elizabeth, perhaps an even more unlikely mother-to-be. Elizabeth has been barren all her life and is very much past child bearing years. Yet she too is pregnant. Both pregnancies have been blessed by an angel’s prophetic words. Mary humbly accepted these words, declaring, “I am the Lord’s servant.”

We see Mary’s commitment in verses 46 and 47. Mary glorifies God “with all my heart” and rejoices in God from “the depths of who I am.” Because God chose her, the lowly has become “highly favored.” This theme continues as Mary celebrates a God who shows mercy and lifts the lowly and feeds the hungry. Recognizing the coming reality of God in the flesh, Mary declares prophetically, “He has come to the aid of his servant Israel.” Mary truly understands the incarnational nature of the one in her womb. Young Mary’s faith is amazing.

While the role we are called to play will never be exactly like Mary’s role, we too are called to humble servanthood. God has a plan and a purpose for each of us in the work of building the kingdom here on earth. Sometimes the call invites us to places or to people who are difficult or challenging. As we play our role, especially in the hard moments, may we choose to trust as Mary trusted, knowing that the Lord our God will look with favor upon all who serve the Lord.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the reminder of how simple faith can be. Playing our roles comes down to leaning into the call, trusting that you are present and will walk with us. When we don’t know the steps to take or the words to say, help us to trust that you know and that your Spirit will guide us in those moments. In this way may we each humbly serve you with all of our heart. Amen.


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Walk Closely

Reading: Matthew 11:7-11

Matthew 11:10 – “Look, I am sending my messenger before you, who will prepare your way before you.”

Returning to Matthew 11 today we learn more about the kingdom of God. In verses 7 and 8 Jesus speaks about who and what John the Baptist was. Those who went out into the wilderness did not see “a stalk blowing in the wind.” Instead they saw a powerful messenger speaking truth to his generation and calling out those who thought they were good and holy but were not. John demanded the true repentance – a change of heart and life – that would yield “good fruit” in their lives. The people did not see someone “dressed up in fine clothes.” Those in fine robes, living in comfort, they were the “snakes” just going through the motions in public, falling far short in their hearts. In contrast, John was all-in for God, walking closely with God, daily pouring all the had into readying people to meet the Messiah. This is why Jesus proclaims John’s greatness at the start of verse 11.

And then there is the rest of verse 11. It connects back to verse 10: “Look, I am sending my messenger before you, who will prepare your way before you.” In verse 11b Jesus speaks to his audience then and now, getting personal. The “least” are “greater” than John because they are humble servants. They are disciples who bring healing and wholeness to people’s lives and to the world. Disciples are folks who are good news and whose words and actions produce good fruit that builds up the kingdom of God. They are folks who speak truth to power no matter the cost. Disciples are willing to enter the wilderness in order to bring others closer to the Messiah. They are you and me.

Prayer: Lord God, begin in our hearts, making us aware of what we need to prune away, building up our love of you and neighbor. Empower us to risk for others and for your kingdom. Encourage us to humble service that yields good fruit and draws others to living out your will and way. Walk closely with us daily so that we can walk closely with our neighbors. Amen.


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Obedience and Righteousness

Reading: Psalm 119:137-144

Psalm 119:144 – “Your laws are righteous forever. Help me understand so I can live!”

In today’s portion of Psalm 119, the psalmist focuses on God’s righteousness. This is one of God’s enduring, unchanging characteristics. In verse 139 we read, “Lord, you are righteous, and your rules are right.” There is a sure connection laid out here. Because God is righteous, all things that comes from God are right, true, tried and tested, and completely trustworthy. The psalmist declares to God that he or she “loves your word.”

These truths are important for the psalmist. As he or she writes, life is not easy. The author feels “insignificant and unpopular.” It feels as if all of those causing the “stress and strain” are like enemies, like people who have completely forgotten God’s Law. This causes anger to rise up in the psalmist. Yet stronger still is their trust in God and in God’s righteousness in particular. The psalmist knows that these truths will endure forever, long after the current hardship passes. Rooting their hope in this fact brings joy even in the midst of the trial.

Today’s reading is in the “Tsade” section of this acrostic Psalm. The Hebrew letter itself is formed from the Hebrew letters Nun and Yod. In the image above the Nun is on the left and bottom. It is bent slightly to represent a humble servant bent in humble submission before God. The Yod is the upper right portion, representing an arm being lifted towards heaven in prayer. Together these images connect obedience and righteousness. Together, the psalmist’s faithful obedience combined with God’s righteousness yields joy and hope in the psalmist’s life. May it be so with you and with me as well.

Prayer: Lord God, we rejoice in your enduring righteousness and in your constant presence in our lives. In the trials, whisper your love into our hearts, drawing us closer to you. In the storms, put your arms around us, assuring us, bringing us strength, helping us to walk in obedient faith and sure trust. Amen.


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Humble Service

Reading: Matthew 23:11-12

Matthew 23:11 – “The one who is greatest among you will be your servant.”

Matthew 23 compares who the religious leaders are with who Jesus calls his followers to be. Earlier in the chapter Jesus says, “Don’t do what they do.” The religious leaders are asking the people to do things they won’t do themselves. Looking at this admonition and the other context verses, I am reminded of the show, “Undercover Boss.” The title implies the premise of the show. A couple of things usually happen on every episode. First, the boss (or the owner) has their eyes opened as they become a new hire for their company. Performing these menial tasks takes them to the core of what it meant to be a servant in Jesus’ day. Remember the disciples’ shock when Jesus washed their feet? Servant! The second regular occurrence is the boss meeting an employee who is more servant than employee. This person’s love and dedication are noteworthy, they stand out. This is what Jesus is talking about when he says, “The one who is greatest among you will be your servant.”

The second verse in today’s passage also is a regular occurrence on “Undercover Boss.” The boss is usually the one who has lifted himself or herself up (in a good way – through hard work…) Often this rising up, though, breeds pride and/or arrogance, as it has in the religious leaders of Jesus’ day. The religious leaders work hard to set themselves apart from and therefore above the people. Opposite of this, Jesus notes, “all who make themselves low will be lifted up.” This is often the case on the show with the employee who is more like a servant. The boss rewards their servant attitude with a nice promotion or a generous raise. While God doesn’t give us promotions or raises when we choose to humbly serve others, there are definitely “rewards” – joy, peace, content… – that come with living our neighbors in ways that stand out. May we choose to serve well today.

Prayer: Lord God, it can be easy to get caught up in ourselves, thinking this task or that job is “below” us. It can be hard to humble ourselves to scrub a toilet or to mow a yard or… thinking “someone” else should do that. This poor attitude soon permeates our spirit. When we struggle in these ways, O God, remind us of Christ’s example. Call us to walk in his servant footsteps. Amen.


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Love of World? Love of God?

Reading: 1st John 2:15-17

1st John 2:15 – “If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in them.”

Photo credit: Kelly Sikkema

In our reading today John contrasts love of the world with love of God. Much like Paul, John sees this as black or white. John begins by stating, “Don’t love the world or the things of the world.” John then gives us a partial list of what these things are in verse 16: the cravings of the flesh, the cravings of the eyes, and pride in one’s possessions. For John Wesley, the cravings of the flesh are our physical sins. These would be things like gluttony, exerting power over others, oppression, sexual promiscuity, violence, abusing substances. The cravings of the eyes are the sins we commit within our hearts: lust, envy, judging… These sins can lead to physical sins. And for Wesley, the sin of pride was revealed as a “quest” for glory. This quest was for possessions and for status, recognition, titles, wealth… The apostle John reminds us that all of these things “are not of the Father.”

At the start of our passage for today we read, “If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in them.” John’s focus in his gospel and in his three letters is ‘love.’ For the disciples, love is the defining characteristic of God and of a disciple of Jesus Christ. Love is antithetical to the sins listed above. Love naturally counters the cravings and pride so easily found in the human heart. Placing ourselves behind God and neighbor, resetting our priorities and decision making to reflect this servant status, results in “the world and its cravings… passing away.” This is a slow and gradual death. It is a hard fought battle. But, living as love, obeying the will of God, focuses our journey on an eternity in love’s presence. May this be so.

Prayer: Lord God, be with us in this battle for our love. Culture and those living for self model loving the world. Our desire to belong and our taught cravings are always tugging us in their direction. Counter these, O God, by the power of your love. Empower us to love as you loved when in the flesh, using us to model your kingdom in this time and place. Amen.


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Stay Strong, Trust God

Reading: 1st Thessalonians 2:9-13

1st Thessalonians 2:13 – “When you accepted God’s word that you heard from us, you welcomed it for what it truly is.”

Paul rejoices in the work that God allowed him and his companions to do in Thessalonica. With great courage and deep love they shared the good news of Jesus Christ. Not only that, but they also shared life together. They lived in and amongst the people. As we turn to verse 9 Paul reminds them of how they worked, supporting themselves, so as not to be a burden to those that they shared Christ with.

Not only did Paul and companions share the words of Jesus with the people of Thessalonica but they also lived out the example set by Jesus. These missionaries were “holy, just, and blameless.” They treated the people as a father treats his very own children. Setting the example, Paul reminds them of how he and his fellow servants of Jesus Christ “appealed to… encouraged… pleaded” with the Thessalonians to “live lives worthy of the God who is calling you.”

Paul then reminds them of their initial response: “When you accepted God’s word that you heard from us, you welcomed it for what it truly is.” Paul is thankful for this acceptance and for how the life of faith then worked itself out in the lives of these new believers. These reminders, these words of encouragement, they are meant to help the Thessalonicans to stay strong in the faith and to continue to trust God. May these words of Paul remind and encourage us to as we reflect on our profession of faith and on our journey with Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Lord God, we too once received the word and made the decision to follow Jesus. We too can think of those who were part of this decision and can think of others who have walked with us on our ongoing journey. This day, Lord, we ask you to keep the fire burning, to strengthen and encourage us to live lives that are holy, just, and blameless. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Amen.


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Followers and Practicers

Reading: Matthew 5:1-12

Matthew 5:5 – “Happy are people who are humble, because they will inherit the earth.”

The Beatitudes are our focus today. This list mostly of “Happy are…” sayings lay out Jesus’ desires for his followers. As I read this list over and over, trying to settle on a key verse, to be honest, it was hard to pick one. In our current world, there is not only a great need for humility but also for righteousness, mercy, peace, hope.

Jesus begins with spiritual matters. Happy are those who are without hope and who recognize their need for Jesus. Also very likely poor economically, trusting in God will bring a joy or happiness to their lives. Those who grieve the spiritual condition of the nation, they will be made glad (or will be comforted) as they come to recognize that God is in control.

Happy are the humble because they are part of the kingdom now and will one day be part of the new creation. Those who seek and long for righteousness will be filled with faith. Yes, God is faithful and true! Living with a pure heart, one will be closely and intimately connected to God.

Those who practice mercy will receive mercy. Those who are makers of peace will be known as children of God. Definitely happy places to be. But all will not be “easy.” In verses 10-12 Jesus acknowledges a reality. Living in these ways are counter-cultural. Therefore, followers and practicers of the way of Jesus will be harassed, insulted, slandered… here on earth. Take heart though! In the end, the kingdom of heaven will be yours. Hallelujah!

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the joy and blessing we receive walking faithfully with you. In all ways, help us to be obedient and steadfast, even in the trials and sufferings. Fill us with your word and Spirit. Fill us with your peace, mercy, and love. Guide us to walk in the humble servant’s footsteps of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.