pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

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Weeping

Reading: Matthew 2:13-23

Matthew 2:13 – “Get up. Take the child and his mother and escape.”

Today we read the story of a family leaving home and country to find safety. Violence was bearing down on their community. A powerful and violent ruler sought to maintain their grip on power and control. The story from Matthew 2 played out over 2,000 years ago. Sadly, the same kind of story had been played out for thousands of years before then. Even sadder, stories like today’s play out in our world on a regular basis even now.

The wise men (or magi) had alerted King Herod to the “newborn king of the Jews.” Bearing that title himself, Herod was greatly troubled by this news. In today’s reading the angel tells Joseph, “Get up. Take the child and his mother and escape.” Joseph and family flee Israel, escaping to Egypt. Although Jesus is saved, all the children two and younger in and around Bethlehem are killed. All. Weeping and grieving are heard throughout the region.

Similar weeping is heard today in Gaza and Ukraine. In many other parts of the world affected by violent rulers, the cries ring out. In our cities and on our reservations, grief over children lost comes too frequently. Gangs and suicides disproportionately affect places with high poverty levels. We read about what happened 2,000 years ago and we weep for those families. We’re reminded today of what is happening now. Will we do more than weep, O people of God?

Prayer: Lord God, the Herods of the world are still very much alive and in power. Violence and force continue to be the means many rulers use to maintain their grip on power and control. The most vulnerable suffer the most. Raise up in us a holy fire, a fire that drives us to stand with and to speak for the least of these. Empower us to stand and speaks against violence and other evils. Guide us to be people of peace and grace, of love and community. Amen.


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Good News

Reading: Isaiah 52:7-10

Isaiah 52:7 – “How beautiful… are the feet of a messenger who proclaims peace… brings good news… proclaims salvation.”

Our Old Testament passage begins with Isaiah celebrating the long-distance runners who carried important news from place to place. Some think, however, that Isaiah is talking about himself here. Either way, the important part is the message: God is present to God’s people and offers peace, salvation, and much more. Whether in the words of scripture, in a Sunday morning message, or in a devotional, this good news brings hope, comfort, encouragement, strength… to all people seeking to walk in right relationship with the Lord our God. The faithful rejoice when we see “our God’s victory” over the things of this world.

This good news and these victories are not heard or received the same way by all people. When God redeems and restores and saves, this is bad news for those who have enslaved, oppressed, and taken advantage of others for their own gain. When God brings peace and strength to those experiencing violence and war, this is not good news to the aggressors and others who seek to exert power over others. When God proclaims and brings salvation, it is not good news to dealers of illicit drugs and other vices that keep people imprisoned. When God works to end injustices and to right other systemic wrongs, it is not good news to those benefiting from these evil ways. God’s good news is not good news to those seeking to live by the ways of this world.

Just as Isaiah and others spoke of God’s power, justice, and love for all people, we too are called to be messengers of God’s good news. With eyes wide open may we strive to bring good news to all people as we seek to build God’s kingdom here on earth.

Prayer: Lord God, sharing good news with people who are eager to hear and receive is such a joy. Guide us to always do so. In other situations, where your good news challenges or calls for good change, encourage and empower us. Strengthen us, Lord, so we can faithfully walk that hard road of justice and love for all people. Amen.


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The Stump That Rises

Reading: Isaiah 11:1-10

Isaiah 11:10 – “On that day, the root of Jesse will stand as a signal to the peoples. The nations will seek him out.”

Isaiah writes the words that we read today during a time of turmoil and distress. Judah’s revolt had been crushed by Assyria. Yes, God promises vengeance on Assyria – some day. Today, though, as the prophet writes, Judah is deep in defeat. Like the first ray of sunshine after a long and stormy night, Isaiah writes, “A shoot will grow up from the stump of Jesse.” Judah is the stump right now – cut down, left to die. Right now, yes, this is their reality. But it is not their forever. One day a shoot will rise up.

The Lord’s Spirit will rest upon this future king, filling him with “wisdom… understanding… planning… strength… knowledge, and fear of the Lord.” What great qualities for a leader. This coming king will also be a man of and for the people. He won’t judge by appearance or hearsay – no favoritism or sexism or any other “isms.” He will judge with righteousness and equity. He will remove the violent and the wicked. And the peace and harmony and justice that this coming king will establish, it will spread to all of creation. Wolf will live with lamb and calf will feed with the lion. Isaiah’s vision of this coming kingdom is one of great hope and promise.

Today, as I look out upon the world around me, there is much turmoil and distress. Violence and cruel words dominate the discussion in circles of power. Favoritism guides decisions. Division is the name of the game. We need hope. We need to be the people who raise the shoot of Jesse up, speaking words of light and love into the darkness and hate of our world. We need to raise high the will and way of Christ. “On that day, the root of Jesse will stand as a signal to the peoples. The nations will seek him out.”

Prayer: Lord God, in these days, I quickly turn off the news, unable to hear more. I cannot scroll long without becoming wearied. We need to begin hearing a different story. So empower your church, O Lord, to be people who champion peace and harmony and justice. Empower us, O God, to raise up Christ’s light and love amidst the world’s darkness and hate. Use us, shine in us and through us, drawing the nations to seek out our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.


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Light Our Fires, Rekindle the Light

Reading: Isaiah 2:1-5

Isaiah 2:3 – “Come, let’s go up to the Lord’s mountain… so that he may teach us his ways and we may walk in God’s paths.”

These words from the prophet Isaiah are words of great hope. In his words we see the world as God intended it to be and as God calls us to make it. This envisioned world is one of peace and abundance. It is a world where all people have a place of belonging in God’s beloved community.

Isaiah’s words, on the one hand, are specific to Judah and Jerusalem. One day the city of God will be lifted up and nations will stream to it. All who are saved will come to be taught God’s ways. This will lead them to turn swords and spears into plows and pruning tools. Walking in God’s ways will bring an end to hunger and want, to war and hate, to division and oppression. All people in this new place will walk in God’s light.

While this is a wonderful and beautiful vision of a day to come, what if these words were our marching orders right now? What if the people of God lifted up God’s ways of love and grace, compassion and generosity? What if we did that so well that many would be drawn to walk in the ways of the Lord? What unjust systems might change and what forms of oppression and violence might come to an end?

When we truly walk as Christ in the world, then we have the power to transform lives and systems. When we are faithful to Jesus in all aspects of our daily living, then our light will shine forth into the darkness of the world. When we practice and fight for peace and justice as the minimum standard for all people, then God’s kingdom will begin to be manifest here on earth.

Prayer: Lord God, sometimes it seems easier to just envision these words of Isaiah becoming a reality somewhere down the line. To believe that we can make this world into what you desire it to be, well, that’s harder to envision. When we doubt and fear, light our fires of faith. When we are anxious or weak, rekindle the light of Christ within us. Use us, O God. Send us out to change our broken and unjust world into a world of love and peace and justice and abundance. Amen.


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Make Some Noise

Reading: Habakkuk 1:1-4

Habakkuk 1:2 – “Lord, how long will I call for help and you not listen?”

We begin the week with two days in Habakkuk. Today we begin in chapter 1, where the prophet brings his complaint before God. In verse 2 we read, “Lord, how long will I call for help and you not listen?” The wicked Babylonians are growing in power and are moving in Judah’s direction. The prophet sees the injustice and idolatry prevalent in Judah. The prophet questions the collision course that seems to have been set in motion by God. In light of all this, the prophet asks the “How long…?” question.

Living in the last years of Judah’s existence before defeat and exile, Habakkuk sees a lot of injustice in the land. The wealthy and powerful have turned from God and the Law. They are causing harm to God’s faithful, to those trying to live righteously. This creates the violence, strife, and anguish that the prophet names. To Habakkuk, this warping of justice us not right. God must act.

Habakkuk offers us a model, a way to address injustice in our time. In our world today there is surely injustice. As just one example, some children are living in war zones and others are living in places of great poverty. Both lack the basics needed for daily life as God intends it to be: food, shelter, water, health care, education. Often those in power dismiss the injustices done to these suffering innocents as collateral damage or as the price to pay for some “greater good.” Habakkuk saw the injustice in his land and he cried out to God, getting God’s attention, asking God to do something about the injustices. May we too make some noise today, joining a long line of saints who have stood for what is right and just. May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, we do not have to look far or for too long to see injustice in our world. Lord, yes, move our hearts and lips to action, calling on you to act, calling out those who cause injustice. And, God, move our hands and feet to action when we can be a part of the answer to our prayers and cries against injustice. Amen.


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Lean In, Trust

Reading: Psalm 79:1-5

Psalm 79:5 – “How long will you rage, Lord? Forever? How long will your anger burn like fire?”

Today the psalmist asks a question we all ask: How long? In almost every difficult situation that we face and endure, we come to this question. Whether referring to the waves of grief that don’t relent or to the job search that won’t resolve itself or to the bullying that your child faces day after day or to the violence and destruction that the psalmist faces, in times of trial or pain or suffering or grief, we ask God: How long?

While we do not ever receive a specific time and date from God that tells us when relief or resolution will occur, we can have a hand in how we walk in and through these dark valleys. We can choose to shout “How long?” with a clenched fist raised against God. Or we can choose to whisper “How long?” with hands open to receive from God. The psalmist models the second option. For us, we must begin where the psalmist began, naming the situation. In this case, the writer names what it looks and feels like in the aftermath of the Babylonians destroying Jerusalem and the temple. The physical scene is horrific. To look at it and to name it begins to move one past the “Is this real?” stage. While painful, acceptance is an important step in our healing process.

The psalmist is also open and vulnerable with his emotions. From his perspective, all has been done to God’s city, to God’s temple, to God’s people. This goes against previous religious understandings and creates disorientation, forcing a new understanding of God and the world. Adding to the trauma is the ridicule coming from pagan neighbors. At times of grief or suffering or pain perhaps you or someone you know has heard, “If you just did (or didn’t)…” These words sting – as if you would have chosen this terrible outcome.

Laying it all on the table before the Lord and others we love and trust is an act of surrender, a practice in humility. Even as the psalmist asks “How long?” there is a leaning into God’s presence, a trust in God to act and move even in this place of death, loss, suffering… In our times of deep need, may we too be open and vulnerable and honest with God and with those close to us. May our hands be open to receive.

Prayer: Lord God, these initial steps can be so hard. We’d rather close our eyes and withdraw. When this is our first step, Lord, help us to feel your hand reaching out, to sense your Spirit surrounding us. Walk with us in love and grace. Amen.


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Live Out These Words

Reading: Matthew 6:9-11

Matthew 6:11 – “Give us the bread we need for today.”

Today’s reading brings us a portion of “The Lord’s Prayer.” It is just three short verses but, as it was with much of what Jesus said, there is a lot to these words. There are three requests of God in these verses. And there are actions and responses required of us.

Verse 9 reads, in part, “uphold the holiness of your name.” Jesus is asking God to keep God’s holiness ever on our hearts and minds. To uphold this requires much of us. First and foremost we recall the charge to be holy as God is holy. Moment by moment we are charged with being like Christ was in the world: holy, yes, but also compassionate, forgiving, generous, empathetic, present.

Verse 10 asks God to “bring in your kingdom.” This asks God to make earth like heaven, to have God’s will done here on earth. This, of course, requires our cooperation and help. It calls us to love and care for “the least of these” and to stand against injustice, oppression, violence… These evils have no place in God’s kingdom – in heaven or here on earth.

Lastly, “Give us the bread we need for today.” This asks God to provide our daily bread – our physical sustenance – and to provide for our other needs too. This is a charge to trust in God. It is not a prayer for God to help us get what we think we need or to empower us so that we can be self-sufficient. No, it is a prayer of surrender, leaning into God’s care and trusting that this will be more than sufficient.

In all ways may we strive to live out these words.

Prayer: Lord God, guide us today to walk in the footsteps of Jesus, hearing your voice, feeling your nudges. Lead us to be in the world as Christ was in the world – loving others more than self, serving humbly and gently. Deepen our trust and faith in you as we experience your power working in us and through us, transforming us and your world. Amen.


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Shining the Light

Reading: Luke 22:39-53

Luke 22:53b – “But this is your time, when darkness rules.”

On the Mount of Olives, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus goes to God in prayer. This was a place Jesus went to regularly. He invites the disciples to pray too, so that they “won’t give in to temptation.” Moving away from them, Jesus prays earnestly, so much so that he sweats profusely and needs angelic strengthening. His prayer reveals both his humanity and his understanding of his purpose. In this hardest moment, Jesus ponders if the “cup of suffering” can be taken away. Then, in obedience, he prays, “not my will but your will must be done.” He returns to the disciples and finds them sleeping, “overcome with grief.”

At times we will struggle or waver. The thing God is asking of us is hard, maybe feels risky, possibly includes a cost. So we teeter. At times we do step forward. Other times we choose the easier way. In our own way we too “sleep,” giving in to the temptation of non-obedience. As we grow in our faith, as we mature, we come to better understand our purpose in the kingdom of God. While we’ll still fail, the frequency lessens.

The story continues as the mob arrives to arrest Jesus. A disciple starts to defend Jesus. He quickly halts the violence, healing the injury, reminding the disciples of who he is and who he is not. Jesus questions the mob – the swords and the clubs. He reminds them of his daily presence in the temple. The implied question is, “Why didn’t you arrest me there?” Jesus answers this unspoken question: “But this is your time, when darkness rules.” In an isolated place, under cover of darkness, Jesus is arrested.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for this look into Jesus’ humanity, into his struggle. In our battles with obedience, remind us of this moment. May we draw upon strength moving forward, upon grace in failure. Encourage us to be people of the light, shining your love and power into the darkness of this world. Amen.


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Timeless and Eternal

Readings: Psalm 145:8-9, Joshua 6:17-21, Micah 6:6-8, Isaiah 2:4-5

Psalm 145:8 – “The Lord is merciful and compassionate, very patient, and full of faithful love.”

Today we wrestle with the violence of the Bible. It is fairly common in the Old Testament. But the brutality and totality shock us today. While this violence has no place today, the timeless character of God is the lasting truth that we can stand upon today, tomorrow, and forever.

In Psalm 145 we read, “The Lord is merciful and compassionate, very patient, and full of faithful love.” These are traits we associate with God, words enfleshed by Jesus: merciful, compassionate, patient, loving. In the next verse we’re reminded that these good qualities extend to “everyone and everything.” This is the God we know and experience personally.

Then we turn to Joshua 6. These verses are part of the conquest of Jericho, just as Israel is beginning to take possession of the Promised Land. As the walls are about to come down, these are the instructions: “The city and everything in it is to be utterly wiped out as something reserved for the Lord.” That is what happens. All humanity and all livestock – all slaughtered. This atrocity turns out stomachs and rightly so. And it also reflects a common practice in the world at that time. Other people groups also practiced this, known as “the ban.” It was a way of eliminating outside influence and of giving the first fruits of battle to God (or to gods) as a holy and pleasing sacrifice.

In Micah 6 we see God’s timeless desire for humanity. Instead of offering God huge or voluminous offerings, the prophet reminds us that God requires justice, faithful love, and a humble walk. These traits reflect the divine call to love God and neighbor. Turning to Isaiah 2 we get an end game picture. One day war, still a present reality in our world, will be no more. Swords and spears will be turned into tools used to care for one another. All will then walk in the light of the Lord. One day.

Prayer: Lord God, walk with us and guide us as we read and process what happened at Jericho and at other times in the ancient world. Lead us to understand that these events were specific to that time and culture. Draw us to your timeless and eternal: good, justice, love, mercy, peace, grace. Keep these arching over our understanding of you and your word. Amen.


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What a Day!

Reading: Zephaniah 1-3

Zephaniah 3:15 – “The LORD has removed your judgment; he has turned away your enemy. The LORD… is in your midst.”

Zephaniah proclaims the coming “day of the Lord.” Those who are humble and seek the Lord will find refuge in God. Those who relied upon themselves, their idols, their wealth and power – they will have nowhere to turn. Judgment will fall on the surrounding nations and then upon Judah. Zephaniah concludes with hope. He speaks of a time after judgment, when all people will “serve God as one.”

Zephaniah begins with judgment for the “world.” God will “eliminate humanity.” The prophet is likely referring to the small world surrounding Judah. He is speaking of and to God’s people. God’s hand will stretch out against those turning away instead of seeking God. Those in power will be punished for their violence, greed, and pride. It will be a horrible day, a day of “fury… distress… desolation… destruction… darkness.”

God encourages the humble to gather and to seek righteousness. They may be “hidden” on the day of the Lord. Zephaniah then turns to Judah’s neighbors next. Gaza, Ashod, Ekron, Philistia – doom is coming. Moab and Ammon will be made like Sodom and Gomorrah because of their taunting and boasting over Judah. Cush and Assyria will perish. And then in chapter 3 the focus shifts to Jerusalem – the city that wouldn’t listen and wouldn’t accept discipline. God will “rise up as a witness” against Jerusalem, pouring out “the heat of my anger.”

In verses 9-20 we read of the restoration that will follow. All people’s speech will change. They will call on God’s name and will “serve him as one.” Their shame will be removed along with their pride. A humble and powerless people will seek and find refuge in God. The lame and the outcast will be exalted. Judgment removed, enemies no more, Israel will know, “The LORD… is in your midst.” All will be restored. What a day that will be!

Prayer: Lord God, one day judgment will fall. As a God of justice and righteousness there will be an accounting. But as a God of love and mercy, a day of healing and restoration will follow. In the end, the world will be as you created it to be. Thank you, Lord. Amen.