pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: sin


by Leave a comment

Recalling Faith and God

Reading- ‭Psalms ‭85:1‭-‬2‬ ‭- “LORD, you’ve been kind to your land; you’ve changed Jacob’s circumstances for the better. You’ve forgiven your people’s wrongdoing; you’ve covered all their sins.”

Photo credit: Diego Gennaro

Psalm 85 is a song of remembrance. Although we only read portions today and tomorrow, the whole song remembers both the good and the bad of Israel’s relationship with God. It recalls times of joy and times of sorrow. It thanks God for God’s presence and it begs God for God’s presence. In the general sense, then, it mirrors most of our lives of faith – the days when we are close to God and the days when we feel distant, the times of joy and the times of sorrow. These emotions and feelings are amplified in the holidays.

Like many Psalms and other books of the Bible, Psalm 85 reflects on the story of faith. Today’s two verses celebrate when God’s “favor” was shown, restoring the peoples’ lives. The restoration centers on the forgiveness of their sins. Sin is often what creates the separation and sorrow. God’s love and grace remedy this division. As a people of God and as persons of faith, it is important to remember that God always restores us – both in particular instances and in the continual mercy and grace that always abounds in our lives.

In the spirit of the Psalm, what stories of God’s presence do you recall? What special moments happened at this Christmas or at that family gathering? It is important to also reconnect to the moments when God has been tangibly present in Advent or Christmas Eve worship. Take some time to recall these God moments and the blessings of God for you and your family. And in doing so, be assured that God is with us now and will be with us in our future.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the many ways that you have touched our lives and our faith. As we’ve recalled these moments, we now rejoice in your love for us and for our place in the family of God. We are grateful for our place and for the love and presence that will continue to walk with us each and every day. Thank you, Lord God. Amen.


by Leave a comment

Trust in HOPE

2nd Peter 3:12b-15a – “But according to his promise we are waiting for a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness is at home. Therefore, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found by him in peace—pure and faultless. Consider the patience of our Lord to be salvation.”

As we continue in the week’s Epistle reading, Peter draws us to the big picture, to the promise and hope that one day Jesus will return. The community of faith has given up their old ways of life and have taken on Christ. This decision for Christ has not always been easy to live out. There is persecution in many places and there is the constant pull of the world. All of this remains true for those seeking to walk faithfully today.

In verse 13 Peter offers these words: “But according to his promise we are waiting for a new heaven and a new earth.” Jesus himself said that he would return. That is the promise. But within this promise, it can still be a challenge to live faithfully in the here and now. There are times when our faith is challenged by things outside of our control and there are times when we create the difficulty all on our own. Both are often rooted in sin.

Today is the last day for a local institution that cares for those struggling with the issues of poverty and homelessness. They have long lived and ministered to those that Jesus would call “the least of these.” The forces of this world have once again conspired. The closure is not just or right or holy. Last night a few of us gathered outside the building to remember and share stories and to pray for the future. There was a heaviness that remains on my heart today.

Yet even in grief I can choose to trust in hope. In hope for the salvation that Peter writes of today. In hope for those who will be without come Monday. In hope for those who have failed the vulnerable and powerless. In hope for what God might have in store for our community. I choose to trust in hope because in and through Jesus, one day we will all experience a new heaven and a new earth. There will be no more tears, no more hunger, no more hate. There will be a banquet table where all have a place. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord God, walk with us who grieve today. Whisper your words of love and hope into our hearts again and again today and again in the hard days to come. Wrap your arms of love around us and keep us in your care. Amen.


by Leave a comment

The Glory of the Lord: Love

Reading: Isaiah 40:1-11

Verse 5: “Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together.”

Photo credit: Milo Weiler

Isaiah 40 offers words of comfort to Israel. In the book of Isaiah, chapters 1-39 have detailed God’s case against the leaders and people of God. They have lived in sin. They have been disobedient. They have worshipped idols and foreign gods. The last king boastfully shows off the treasures of his kingdom to some envoys from Babylon. Chapter 39 ends with Isaiah foretelling of the long exile that is soon to come. After this dire prophecy, all hope would be lost.

Many scholars believe that the portion of Isaiah that covers chapters 40-66 was written much later and likely comes from an anonymous prophet writing under Isaiah’s name. Although in our Bibles it seems like the next day as we turn from chapter 39 to chapter 40, we’ve moved from the 8th century BC to the 6th century BC. The exile has happened. Jerusalem and the temple have long laid in ruins. For generations, exile is all they’ve known. Some scholars suggest that God has been silent for these 150 or so years. If all hope was lost at the end of chapter 39, now the people do not even know what hope is.

Now, with that background and context, hear again these words of comfort, these words that promise restoration of Israel. The way will be made by God. “Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together.” The Lord will “gather the flock” that has long been scattered in exile. The Lord will carry them “close to his heart.” As God speaks again to the people, God speaks words of love. Soon these words will take on flesh and dwell among us. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord God, you remind us today of your great love that still overcomes even the greatest sin and still restores even the deepest separation. You continue to dwell with us, offering hope to all who call on your name. Thank you, God. Amen.


by Leave a comment

Change IS Necessary

Reading: Mark 1:1-8

Verse 3: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”

Returning to Mark 1 today we delve a little deeper into the “repent” part of John’s message. Although we tend to place the practices of introspection, confession, and repentance in the season of Lent, these practices also have a place in Advent. They are the focus of our Lenten preparation. They are part of our Advent preparation.

By our nature we are prone to sin. We are naturally selfish and this leads us to be greedy or controlling or lustful or prideful or… These emotions are enablers on our path to sin. So we need to hear the call to repent, even now in this season of hope and peace and love and joy. The call to repent makes us a bit uncomfortable. First, no one likes change, especially when it is forced. And that is what repentance is really about – forcing our naturally selfish nature to be unselfish. And, second, no one likes to hear that they are living wrong, that they are living unfaithfully. To hear this implies a need for a change. And change is necessary.

In Advent we prepare the way in our hearts for the coming of Jesus. In his birth we celebrate the light coming into the world. It is the light of Christ that shines into the darkness of injustice and inequality, poverty and want, isolation and loneliness, grief and anger, violence and war, and so much more. It is the light that beckons us into these places and spaces. This too is part of the call to repent – to help our world and one another to repent of these maladies. In these places and spaces change is also necessary. As we allow the light of Christ to shine brighter in our own hearts, may we also take that light out into the world, bringing healing and wholeness to our broken and dark world.

Prayer: Lord God, may our journey be both inward and outward. As we grow in our love for you, may that love overflow out into the world. As we seek to change within, may we also seek change in our world. In and through us may your light shine brightly, bringing healing within and without. Amen.


by Leave a comment

Be Ready

Reading: Mark 13:24-37

Verse 33: “Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come.”

Photo credit: Nathan Dumlao

In this week’s gospel text Jesus calls us to a constant state of preparedness. He is talking about being ready for the time when we will be judged. Being “ready” would lead to being found worthy of entry into the kingdom of heaven. Trouble is, we do not know when his return (or our final breath) will be. Even so, we are told, “Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come.” In verse 36 Jesus reiterates our need to be prepared as he warns, “do not let him find you sleeping.” To be asleep would be to live with a dormant faith.

Time feels like a key element in our passage. The passage is set in God’s time and we tend to live in our understanding of time. Jesus is calling us to live in the intersection of these two ways to see time. The calls to being on guard and alert and awake are calls to live out our faith in the here and now, every day. We are to guard our hearts from the lies and temptations of the evil one and the world. We are to be alert to both God’s work in our lives and to the places and ways that God is calling us to bring love, compassion, justice… to bear in the world. We are to be awake to God’s presence, guidance, conviction, direction… in our lives.

Overall the call is to be faithful and obedient to God all of the time. Then, no matter when that day comes, whether for our lives or for our world, we will be ready to meet Jesus. May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, it is easy to become lazy, to become complacent, to become self-absorbed. It is hard to always walk the walk, to always live out our faith. Help us to do the hard things. Help us to walk the narrow way that leads to life abundant and everlasting. Amen.


by Leave a comment

Drawn Back

Reading: Isaiah 64:1-9

Verse 8: “Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.”

Photo credit: Rainier Ridao

In ‭Isaiah‬ ‭64, God seems absent to Isaiah and to the people of God. The prophet longs for God to “rend the heavens and come down.” Isaiah longs for the people of God to once again know the God who “acts on behalf of those who wait for him.” When God has been known and then feels absent or withdrawn, one feels that. Life seems abnormal. We’ve all experienced this.

Isaiah recalls that God has indeed “come to help those who gladly do right.” When one lives faithfully and obediently, God is definitely active and present in one’s life. When we are aligned with God’s will and ways, it feels like we are walking closely with God. We too have experienced this.

Continuing on, Isaiah recognizes that the people have remained in their sin. They are “unclean” and right now “no one calls on God’s name.” They are out of alignment with God. They are not even seeking God. It is no wonder that God feels distant and disconnected. We too have experienced this.

Turning to verse 8, we find hope. Isaiah holds to a sure truth: God is present and just waiting to act. God does not abandon us ever. Speaking with hope and confidence Isaiah says, “Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.” God is yet there, ready and willing to shape and form the people back into who God created them to be. The prophet asks God to look upon them once again. Isaiah longs for restoration and reconnection. God is faithful. The people will be drawn back to God. We have experienced this too. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord God, when life leads me to question your presence or your love, when my choices or actions create a feeling of separation – draw me back to you. May the Holy Spirit call out my name; may my faith be rekindled, drawing me back to the only source of true life. Amen.


by Leave a comment

The Cycle

Reading: Judges 4:1-3

Verse 1: “Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord.”

This week we turn to the book of Judges. The judges were individuals, both men and women, that God raised up for relatively short periods of time. Their tasks were to lead, guide, and judge disputes. God would raise up a judge to get the people back to faithful living. This raising up was usually in response to their cry for help. This cry was most often a response to the consequences of their sin.

As today’s passage begins, we read, “Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord.” This is a very familiar refrain throughout much of the Old Testament. The cycle of sin-consequence-cry out-repent-restoration is an oft-repeated cycle. In today’s instance, they are nearing the end of a 20-year consequence. They have experienced cruel oppression at the hands of a foreign power. That is a long time. It shapes and forms that generation much like the Depression and world wars shaped our grandparents and our great grandparents. This same shaping and forming recently happened during the COVID pandemic. While this event was not shaped by a nation’s sin, the impacts were not unlike what Israel suffered under Sisera many years ago. The fabric of community was torn, death and loss and other hardships were a daily reality, loneliness and isolation took their toll. It often felt more like surviving than living. We can relate to Israel crying out to God because we too cried out to God. Why?

Israel cried out to God because of the cycle. They knew that in spite of their sinful choices, God showed up again and again. They knew that God’s love would never fail and they trusted that God’s mercies would be new every morning. In our next crisis or hardship or time of separation from God, may we too cry out. God is faithful.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for your enduring patience with me and with us. Sometimes I think we fail more often than we please you. Oh how we would quickly wear thin on one another if we were in your role! But you never tire of us or weary of our sin. Your love is ever steadfast, your grace ever true. Thank you, O God. Amen.


by Leave a comment

How God Does It

Reading: Joshua 24:16-25

Verse 24: “We will serve the Lord our God and obey God.”

After declaring that he and his house will serve the Lord, Joshua turns the focus to the people. In today’s passage the people respond to Joshua’s declaration with a recounting of God’s power and presence among them. This recounting ends with “We too will serve the Lord because he is our God.” Joshua challenges this statement. Maybe you’ve done this too with that friend who is less than stellar about walking the walk. They’re maybe quick to volunteer but seldom show. They’re great at committing to things but not so good on following through.

Joshua bluntly tells the people that they are not able to serve God. He tells them that God is jealous and holy. He tells them that God will not again and again forgive their rebellion and sin. The people say, “No! We will serve the Lord!” His challenge to their original commitment raises the bar. He is saying they can’t just talk the talk. That’s easy. Joshua then calls them as witnesses against themselves. He is doubling down, asking them if they’re really, really, really sure. Joshua then once more commands them to “throw away” their idols. In turn the people commit to God once again, saying, “We will serve the Lord our God and obey God.”

As I read this passage and note how Joshua questions their commitment again and again, I wonder how God does it. When I’ve struggled with a difficult sin, I come to God again and again with words of confession and repentance. Each time, yes, I’m a little more committed to actually changing. Each time God’s Spirit convicts me a little quicker, a little more deeply. Each time the Spirit increases my resolve, helping me to better walk the walk. How does God do it? Through unconditional love and unending grace. What an awesome God we serve.

Prayer: Lord God, as I consider the wilderness wanderings of the Israelites and as I think about my own wanderings, I am amazed at your continued presence. In my human understanding it is hard to fathom, hard to comprehend. So great is your love for us, so deep is your mercy, so wide is your forgiveness. I am humbled. I bow before you and say thank you, thank you, thank you. Amen.


by Leave a comment

Where We Belong

Reading: Psalm 107:33-37

Verse 36: “There God brought the hungry to live, and they founded a city where they could settle.”

As we continue in Psalm 107 we find a sharp contrast in the two parts of our passage. In the first two verses there is an evil that leads to negative outcomes. In the last three verses this is reversed and good things come to the faithful. We are not sure exactly what this evil/good situation connects to – the flood? a failure in the wilderness? something else? In any event, as is often the case with the living word, we find application for our lives today.

In verses 33-34 there is a “wickedness” present. Because of this, the earth dries up and the crops turn to waste. That which once flowed with life is now dry and thirsty. At times and even in seasons our life can mirror this situation. Because of our sin or busyness or idol chasing we can find ourselves far from God. In this place our soul becomes dry and fruitless. We feel empty as nothing satisfies in this wasteland.

The scene changes drastically in verses 35-37. God’s blessings and presence once again flow as the parched land welcomes flowing springs. In turn, the crops and vineyards yield a plentiful harvest. A return to walking with God brings a blessing – “a city where they could settle.” When we choose to turn from wickedness, when we choose to walk in accordance with God’s will and ways, then our life becomes more abundant, more fruitful. Life is not perfect – there will still be trials and hardships and we will still stumble at times. But walking with God we find hope and strength, peace and forgiveness. It is where we belong. May it be so for you and for me.

Prayer: Lord God, at times I do allow my faith to become dry, to become consumed by the things of the world. Help me to realize this more quickly, to turn back to you more promptly. Once there, Lord, lead and guide me by the power of the Holy Spirit. Keep me true to you. Amen.


by Leave a comment

The Way to Abundant Life

Reading: Psalm 106:1-6 and 19-23

Verse 6: “We have sinned, even as our ancestors did; we have done wrong and acted wickedly.”

Psalm 106 begins by praising and giving thanks to God because God is good and because God’s love endures forever. To praise and give thanks to God for these things is something that we should do every day. The psalmist then notes that we are blessed when we “maintain justice” and when we “do what is right.” Living in alignment with God’s will and ways is a blessed way to live. This is the experience spoken of in verses 4-5. The people of God – when living as the people of God – they enjoy prosperity and joy. What blessing!

The Psalm suddenly turns in verse 6. It gets real honest. Here the psalmist writes, “We have sinned, even as our ancestors did; we have done wrong and acted wickedly.” This is as true for us as it was for the psalmist. Humanity is prone to sin. Left unchecked by the will and way of God, we become selfish and greedy and prideful… We become the one on the throne or we try and surround ourselves with things that make us feel safe and secure. We seek to achieve and gather, these things soon growing into idols. It might not be a golden calf, but it is certainly as temporal and manmade.

We make idols and lose our way for the same reason that the Israelites did: “They forgot the God who saved them.” We do this when we fail to do what the psalmist prescribed in verses 1-6. Praising God for the love and blessings, living out God’s justice and righteousness, and frequently confessing and repenting of our sins – these are the antidotes to becoming selfish, greedy, prideful… This is the way to abundant life, both now and into eternity. May this be the way that we choose to live day by day.

Prayer: Lord God, forgive my wayward and selfish decisions and choices. Strengthen me to change, to grow less selfish and prideful. Replace these with your justice and righteousness. Open my eyes to your works, filling my heart with praise and thanksgiving – for your mighty deeds and for your gentle touches. All praise and glory to you, O God! Amen.