Welcome to the February 2025 Archive. You are welcome to read the entire archive, or find a topic on the list below that is of interest to you. Just click the link, and you will be taken directly to the day it was written. Enjoy, and may you know God's peace as you read His Word.
You are welcome to use these writings or pass them on. All we ask is that in all things you remember the Author and give Him the glory, and remember this vessel which He has used to bring them to you. Peggy Hoppes
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Scripture on this page taken from the World English Bible which belongs to the public domain.
A WORD FOR TODAY, February 2025
February 3, 2025
“Behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. He came in the Spirit into the temple. When the parents brought in the child, Jesus, that they might do concerning him according to the custom of the law, then he received him into his arms and blessed God, and said, ‘Now you are releasing your servant, Master, according to your word, in peace; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared before the face of all peoples; a light for revelation to the nations, and the glory of your people Israel.’ Joseph and his mother were marveling at the things which were spoken concerning him. Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary, his mother, ‘Behold, this child is appointed for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which is spoken against. Yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.’ There was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher (she was of a great age, having lived with a husband seven years from her virginity, and she had been a widow for about eighty-four years), who didn’t depart from the temple, worshiping with fastings and petitions night and day. Coming up at that very hour, she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of him to all those who were looking for redemption in Jerusalem.” Luke 2:25-38WEB
We’ve had some terribly cold weather and some snow this year, although we have experienced worse. The cold weather was not very long lasting, however, and we are already experiencing springtime in Texas. It could be a false spring, of course, since winter often comes with a vengeance here in February. Long range forecasts do not indicate more extreme weather, but we know that forecasts can change. We saw another forecast yesterday, this time from a groundhog named Phil who lives in Pennsylvania. He predicted six more weeks of winter.
People have assembled in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania on February 2 since the late 1800’s. They want to witness the annual emergence of the groundhog who has predicted the end of winter since 1887. I have never quite understood why Punxsutawney Phil is a national icon since the weather in Pennsylvania has little to do with the weather everywhere else. We might have winter in the next few days, but March is too mild for snow. Wildflowers begin to appear in mid-February, too early for us to have six more weeks of winter. The weathermen have a hard enough telling us what the weather will be like tomorrow. How could a groundhog in Pennsylvania possibly know what our weather will be like for the next six weeks?
I suppose this is why a couple in Bee Cave Texas started a new tradition for Texas in 2010. Bee Cave Bob is an armadillo that is part of a Groundhog Day secessionist movement. Founder T. Booth rechristened February 2nd “Armadillo Day,” and stated, “we don’t need no mangy groundhog in Pennsylvania predicting the weather for us.” In addition to weather forecasts, Bob also predicts the upcoming year’s partisan lean. Bee Cave Bob predicted an early spring. For what it’s worth, Phil has a success rate of about forty percent, while Bee Cave Bob’s is much higher. If you do a search, there are dozens of groundhogs and other critters around the country that claim to predict the coming of spring.
The tradition of Groundhog’s Day is associated with the European celebration of Candlemas. There are songs and poems connected to Candlemas which talk of weather traditions. Including this old British proverb, “If Candlemas be fair and bright come, winter, have another flight. If Candlemas brings clouds and rain, go, winter, and come not again.” These traditions were carried to the United States by early immigrants and have continued to this day. That’s why we watch a groundhog in Pennsylvania give a weather report. Of course, the accuracy of most of the animals is less than admirable, because no matter what the tradition says, spring will come in due season.
The idea that any animal can predict the weather goes even further back, to ancient myths around animals coming out of hibernation. If the animal came out on some specific day to find sunny weather, it took it as a sign that there would be bad weather later in the year. But if it came out of its hibernation to a cloudy day, then it stayed above ground in expectation of spring. This usually happens around early February. Christians in Europe associated these ancient myths with Candlemas.
Candlemas is a special Christian celebration that recalls the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple and the recognition by Simeon and Anna the Jesus was the promised One. Simeon was a righteous and devout man who had the Holy Spirit on him. We do not know his age, but he is portrayed as an older man, white haired and wise in appearance. God made him a promise: that he would see the salvation of Israel before he died. One day a couple with a young boy came into the temple to dedicate their son. Simeon saw the boy and knew God had fulfilled his promise. He praised God and said, “Lord, you now dismiss your servant in peace.” Simeon’s purpose was to see the Light, which is Christ, and once he saw Jesus he could rest in peace. We do not know what happened to Simeon after that day. I have always assumed he died immediately, but it really does not matter. Here we see the fulfillment of yet another promise.
Perhaps in a way Simeon did die that day. The nation of Israel had certain expectations about the type of Messiah that would come to save them. Simeon was in the temple that day, not because he was waiting for the Messiah but because the Holy Spirit led him there. Imagine his thoughts when he realized he was seeing the salvation of God in the flesh of a poor infant child. Could the Messiah, the king of Israel that will bring salvation to the Jews, really be found in such a humble being? What were his expectations of the promise? Did he believe with unwavering doubt or did he go forth with the same question we have heard throughout the birth story? “How can this be?”
Anna also knew God’s promises. She never left the temple, spending all her days and nights worshipping and praying. When she saw Mary and Joseph’s child, she praised God and told everyone who was waiting for the fulfillment of God’s promises that she had seen the Redeemer. How many did she tell? Why weren’t there more people who knew that Jesus was the one for whom they had been waiting?
We anxiously await the predictions of the animals, especially when we’ve suffered a harsh winter, but can we really trust them? Israel had predictions, prophecies, from the Old Testament pointing toward the day the Savior Messiah would come. People like Simeon and Anna were given personal promises that they would see that day. They trusted those promises and waited with hope. On the day Jesus was presented at the Temple according to the Law of Moses, they saw the fulfillment for them and praised God that they saw God’s salvation as it was manifest in the flesh and blood of Jesus.
Winter may or may not be past, but it doesn’t really matter in the greater scheme of things. What does matter is that God came seeking those He loves, bringing forgiveness and healing and transformation. He came to make all things new. Like the coming of spring, the coming of Christ ensures new life. We might not be able to depend on the prediction of a groundhog or the weathermen, but in God we can have hope and peace. On Candlemas we remember the divine presence in the Temple, and we look forward to the spring. It will get here when the time is right, just as God comes to us in His time and His way, according to His promises.
February 4, 2025
“I command you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdom: preach the word; be urgent in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort with all patience and teaching. For the time will come when they will not listen to the sound doctrine, but having itching ears, will heap up for themselves teachers after their own lusts, and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn away to fables. But you be sober in all things, suffer hardship, do the work of an evangelist, and fulfill your ministry.” 2 Timothy 4:1-5, WEB
Reality TV. Although it is fictional, with scripted conversations and forced dramatics, reality television also has elements of truth. The hard part for the viewer is that we see just forty-five minutes of a week’s worth of filming. It is heavily edited, even to the point that you can’t even be sure the people are who the producers have made them out to be. In some cases, the people on the show are even actors that have been chosen for the role. Some reality show contestants find their way onto multiple shows, using the format as a way toward fame and (hopefully) wealth.
I confess that I have watched some reality television. I really liked the shows where an expert helps a business owner fix their failing business so that it will become successful. On the show “Kitchen Nightmares,” chef and restauranteur Gordon Ramsey focused on restaurants that are usually heavily in debt and often empty. In many cases the chefs lost their passion but could not see what was wrong. They often insisted that the experience is good for their customers, that they had the best food. They never understood what was wrong and were in such denial that they couldn’t hear the truth when Gordon pointed it out. I haven’t watched for a few years, but I’m sure the show still works on this premise.
In the hour-long program, Gordon teaches the owners and chefs how to run a successful business. He helps them create a better atmosphere, menu, and food. He often acts as a counselor, helping families find forgiveness and peace, healing hurts and rebuilding the trust that was lost as the business failed. It was always interesting to see how Gordon found and fixed the problems, and then taught the owners and chefs how to do things right from that moment on. In the end we see a wonderful new restaurant with hope for success in the future. Other experts help hotel owners, bar owners, and owners of other businesses, creating success out of failure for many.
These shows are difficult to watch. The hosts, including Gordon Ramsey, are opinionated and harsh. They don’t walk on eggshells when there is something to be fixed. They tell it like they see it. The hard part to watch, however, is how the owners and workers respond to the opinions of those they’ve called in to fix their problems. The expert is there to help them, and usually only has a week to make a difference, so he can’t waste time. He has to be blunt; he has to force change in his time, not theirs. They can’t wait for them to discover their own problems. They have had years to do that, and despite their failure still can’t see, or refuse to see, why they are failing. Some of them argue with the expert, insisting that they are right, that the problem isn’t with their ideas but with everyone else. They have excuse after excuse. They hate the experts and hate their ideas. Gordon often threatened to leave during many of the episodes, drawn back by a sense of duty or compassion and the pleas of those in the restaurant that know he is right.
These are reality shows, and they are not as unscripted as we would like to think. I often wondered if the food was really as terrible as Gordon made it seem. During the shows, he sends back just about everything. He pokes and prods at the food, some of which looks horrible, but did it really make him gag? He watches a service so he can see the process and he searches for problems with the building. The customers who are present often send back the meals and complain to Gordon about the business. “I used to come all the time, but...” Again, I often wondered if those same customers would have been so critical if Gordon Ramsey were not at the restaurant. They might be disappointed, and they may never return, but would they actually complain so loudly if there weren’t television cameras in their faces?
The lesson we can learn from these shows is that part of the blame for the failure of businesses is that customers do not help. They get upset but they don’t say anything; they just leave unhappy, never to return. An honest word to the chef from multiple customers might have helped them see what they were doing wrong, long before they needed the help of an expert. I don’t know if it helps, but we can do so with grace and kindness, hoping that they will accept our words and are encouraged. While we don’t want to ruin a business, if conditions warrant, it might be up to us to report dangerous situations that will force owners to see the reality of their failure and make changes that can turn things around for their business.
I understand the attitudes of those on the reality television shows. We do not like to hear we have done something wrong; we don’t accept critiques about the things we believe that we do well. We don’t like to change because of someone else’s opinions. And yet, sometimes they are right. Sometimes we need to hear the truth so that we will repent. We may not like it, but by listening to the honest opinions of our neighbors, we might just find that we do have something that needs to change. We have a responsibility to help one another. Is someone trying to help you, today? Is someone speaking a hard word of truth into your life that you need to hear? Paul teaches us to listen, because we aren’t always right. There is a time and a place to be humble so that we’ll learn how to live a better life for God’s sake and for the sake of those we are called to serve.
February 5, 2025
Lectionary Scriptures for February 9, 2025, Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany: Isaiah 6:1-8 [9-13]; Psalm 138; 1 Corinthians 14:12b-20; Luke 5:1-11
“When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything, and followed him.” Luke 5:11, WEB
Have you ever felt that you aren’t heard when you speak? I am sure mothers of teenagers know exactly what I’m talking about. As my children matured, they became responsible for chores around the house. One of their tasks was to take their clean clothing to their rooms after they were washed, dried, and folded. I like to do all the laundry on a specific day of the week, and they knew it was laundry day. When I finished one day, I told them to get their laundry. They answered, “I’m busy. I’ll be there in a minute.” I trusted that they would complete the task and went on to other work. Later that evening they wished me a good night, passing the clean laundry to find me, then went to bed. It wasn’t until I went to bed that evening that I discovered neither one of them took their clothes. “In a minute” never means in a minute, it means “when I get to it,” and we all have moments when we forget. Would any of us become parents if we really knew how frustrating it would be? Would we think twice about being parents if we knew how often our words would be ignored?
It was even worse for Isaiah. He received a call from God which was accompanied by this caveat, “Go, and tell this people, ‘You hear indeed, but don’t understand. You see indeed, but don’t perceive.’ Make the heart of this people fat. Make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and turn again, and be healed.” God sent Isaiah not to make people listen, but to turn their hearts away from God! He was sent to make them NOT want to hear what God had to say. God wanted their hearts hardened so that they would not turn to Him.
Israel was fickle. Over and over again they turned from God to worship other gods and ally themselves with other nations. They often set God aside to satisfy their own desires. Over and over again God sent prophets to speak the Word into their lives to turn them around and bring them back into His presence. Over and over again they turned back to God for a season, quickly returning to the old ways. God was trying something new through Isaiah: the people would suffer the consequences of their unfaithfulness, but God is merciful and always promised restoration, giving them hope despite their struggles. The exile was God’s way of showing His people what life was like without His presence so that they would never want to turn to other gods again.
I sometimes wonder if life might have been better without the frustration of having teenagers that do not hear, but I will never regret having children. My vocation as a mother is the greatest blessing of my life. As with all things in human existence, I had to learn how to do what was best, to find a way to raise them to be responsible adults. It started with having them do their own laundry. It took time for them to learn and remember, and there were moments when they realized that the clothes they wanted, or needed, were not clean. It wasn’t easy for them to make the adjustment, especially since teenagers (and young adults) rarely have enough time, get through an entire cycle of laundry, but sometimes we have to cause a struggle to set our children on a good path. That’s what God was doing with Israel. He hardened their hearts for a season so that they would appreciate His grace.
Martin Luther understood vocation as living out our faith in the world, no matter the circumstances in which we find ourselves. There was a mistaken notion that serving God in and through the Church was a higher calling. Life in a monastery or convent, being a priest or a bishop, was considered more important, more spiritual, and more holy than life as a farmer, carpenter, housewife, or father. Luther’s doctrine of vocation went against the attitude that religious life was more holy or pleasing to God than ordinary life. He once said that a washerwoman and a bishop were of equal status as long as both were faithful to their calling to serve Christ and others in their daily life and work.
In the scriptures for this week, we get a peek into the stories of some of the biblical characters that served God. Isaiah had an incredible vision. Peter witnessed a miracle. We even get a glimpse of Paul’s call in the letter to the Corinthians. These three tell amazing stories of unusual circumstances that put them in a place to serve the Lord. Most pastors, however, do not have such powerful and life-changing stories. As a matter of fact, most of them will tell you that the decision came after a long period of discernment during which they argued and avoided God until it was finally clear in their hearts and their minds that God was indeed calling them to ministry.
People outside church ministry don’t really think about God calling them to their work; most would not even consider their work a “calling.” They might choose their career because of family, following a father or mother into the same line of work. Some look at what jobs are available or financially lucrative in their time or place. Some choose careers that can best exhibit their talents or intelligence. However they come to make their career choice, it is unlikely that they have experienced some vision or miraculous call from God.
Isaiah, Paul and Peter’s callings were extraordinary situations. In their stories, however, we see that God called ordinary men out of ordinary circumstances to do extraordinary things. None of them believed that they could do what God was calling them to do; they did not think they were worthy. They were sinners and did not think they could possibly be the one whom God wanted to accomplish the task. As a matter of fact, they feared for their very lives because they had come face to face with God.
But that’s what vocation is all about. We are called to live out our faith in the world so that we come face to face with God in ways we would never expect. As we live out our vocation in ordinary and extraordinary ways, the world sees the One from whom all good gifts come. The higher calling is not working in the church or becoming a minister. The higher calling is serving God in whatever circumstances we find ourselves. Our journey will bring us not only face to face with God, but with our unworthiness, our failures and our doubts. We will face the reality of our sinfulness, but God has a word for us. To Isaiah He said, “Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away, and your sin forgiven.” To Peter He said, “Don’t be afraid. From now on you will be catching people alive.”
When He calls our name and asks, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” we need only remember that God will give us everything we need to accomplish the work. His call will probably not be to something extraordinary, but to an ordinary job in an ordinary workplace. Yet, our calling is always extraordinary because it comes from God. We are to live out our faith in the world with our eyes on the Lord so that all the world will see Him and come to believe.
Every Christian is to live out their faith in daily life using their particular gifts and talents in service to God. While it is hard to see holiness in the ordinary, God has called us to see Him in the ordinary and to live out our faith in the every day. We might have to struggle as we grow into maturity, learning to understand our place in God’s Kingdom, but God has promised us that He will be with us through it all. He doesn’t want to hear “in a minute,” He wants us to answer “Yes,” and obey. We will fail, but He gives us hope in His forgiveness. It does not matter if you are a bishop or housewife, just do everything in faith and commit it to God and you will see Him do extraordinary things.
The Harlem Globetrotters have been around for nearly a hundred years. They are an American exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater, entertainment, and comedy in their style of play. They play exhibition games all over the world against deliberately ineffective opponents, and therefore always win. They’ve been to San Antonio many times, and we went to see them a few years ago. I’m not much of a sports fan, so I was sometimes bored and distracted, but the show made me laugh hysterically when the players were goofing off.
“Showtime” Gaffney was a Globetrotter for fifteen years, and his antics kept my attention. Showtime was not necessarily a spectacular basketball player. As a matter of fact, there were other players on both teams that did much more impressive feats of athletics during the game. Showtime drew our attention because he was the vocal member of the team. He wore a microphone and was able to keep our attention wherever he intended.
During the show we attended, the Globetrotters played against the New York Nationals, and their biggest problem was that they were too distracted by Showtime’s antics. While Showtime did his thing, the other Globetrotters ran circles around the opposing team until they ended up scoring points before the other team knew what was happening. On at least a few occasions, the ball and points were stolen from the team by Showtime’s silliness. Showtime kept us laughing hysterically, interacting with the audience, picking on the referees, talking to team members on the sidelines, stealing munchies from people on the sidelines. He hid behind the goalpost, getting the crowds to clap along with him to the music. He stole a woman’s purse and carried it around for a while until it ended up on the shoulder of one of the opposing team members. When the referee asked where they got the purse, Showtime blamed the other team. Kids were asked to throw the ball and elderly ladies to dance. He managed to get more than a few kisses and throw water at a large portion of the audience.
While our attention was on Showtime, it was not on the ball. This made it easy for the Globetrotters to razzle and dazzle the Nationals and score. The antics were all part of the fun, which is why we went. The game itself was not terribly exciting, but the show made us laugh. Our daughter was not enthused to attend the event, but even she managed to smile during the evening.
The psalmist says, “I will bow down toward your holy temple.” Some religions emphasize bowing in the direction of a specific place during prayer. This may seem like a useless practice to those of us who know God is everywhere, there is some benefit. It is a tangible reminder to the faithful to keep our eyes on God, though the things of this world often distract us from doing what He has called us to do. The witness we bear to the world by our attention toward God will give God glory and honor Him. As we keep our eyes focused on God, whether we do so by facing a place or by doing all that He has called us to do, the world will see Him and know that He is God. Otherwise, we might be distracted like we were by “Showtime” Gaffney and miss the ball.
Our daughter was far more interested in visits to theaters to see plays. We have attended multiple events at a theater in San Antonio which has a beautiful and ornate stage façade. The building is worth any visit. They say there is not a bad seat in the house, and that might be true. Some of the seats are certainly better than others, but each has their advantage. Orchestra seats put the participant closer to the action, right at eye level of the stage, but it is easier to miss something on a distant part of the stage. Balcony and mezzanine levels are much higher and farther away, you can see the whole stage, but the actors are much smaller, and it is harder to catch the details. It is a great experience to visit the theater wherever you sit for whatever kind of show.
Different types of stages are used in different venues for different purposes, but no matter the kind of stage, there is one thing they all do: they ensure that the audience will have the best experience possible. The right state offers the right acoustics and line of sight. The right stage does not allow pressing crowds which are uncomfortable for both the actors and the audience. I’ve been in a pressing crowd, and it is not enjoyable. It can even be dangerous, and no one gets much out of it. It is hard to see and hear what is happening. That’s what happened to Jesus; He was unable to preach because the crowd was pressing in on Him. Those who were just a few feet away could not even hear His voice. He solved the problem by getting into the boat which offered better acoustics so that Jesus’ sermon would reach everyone.
When Jesus finished speaking, He told Peter to go out into deeper water and let out his nets. Peter started to argue, “Master, we worked all night and caught nothing,” he said, but trusted Jesus, “...but at your word I will let down the net.” When they tried to pull in the net, they found it so full of fish that they could not lift it, so they called another boat to help. What would you do? How would you react if Jesus touched you in a very tangible, miraculous way? Peter was a fisherman; he knew everything about fish. Jesus was a carpenter; He knew little or nothing about fishing. Yet, Jesus told them to cast their nets, and they found them full.
Did they want more or were they simply awed by the work of God, so much so they didn’t even consider stopping. After all, they were doing what Jesus told them to do. Despite the incredible success of their fishing trip, Peter did not focus on their great catch but on what was happening. He was so awed that he dropped to his knees to ask for mercy. “Go away, I’m no good.” Peter realized that this miracle was an invitation, but it was an invitation to something that he did not really want to do. He did not feel worthy to do it. Jesus gave him a word of encouragement, so he and the other disciples left everything to follow without really knowing what they would face as disciples of Jesus.
Paul’s letter to the people in Corinth had to deal with multiple problems with the young church. There was a problem in Corinth. The worship services were not being conducted in an orderly manner; the worship did not glorify God. This included the misuse of tongues. Paul was not suggesting that the use of tongues should be rejected; it can be a powerful form of prayer. However, he was teaching Christians to speak God’s Word in a manner that would be understood by others so that the church would be edified.
How many times do we expect people to understand what we are saying, even when we are saying it in a way that they cannot understand. Even if we speak the same language, we can become confused by the various uses of certain words. This is certainly happening in the political discourse in our world today. It even happens in conversations between different types of Christians. We have difficulty having any sort of conversation because we do not even agree on the definitions of the words we use. Too many people use words with their own definitions, making it impossible to understand one another. God is not glorified if we muddy the conversation with confusing terms. It is good for us to ensure that we mean what we say and say what we mean, using language common to our neighbors so that they will understand.
Paul understood the importance of the spiritual gift of speaking in tongues and he rejoiced over his gift of tongues. But he also understood that it is a self-serving gift unless the spiritual language could be translated for others. We are to use our gifts to build up the church and edify one another. A prayer language can be vital to our own spiritual growth and maturity, but we should also seek gifts that will lift others in their faith.
How do you think Isaiah felt when he found out about the work he was being sent to do? Do you think he had second thoughts? Was he like the parent that wonders if they should have had children once they became teenagers? Do you think he doubted that he could do the work? Do you think he thought the whole idea was ridiculous? “Why do I have to convince them to reject you? I’d much rather convince them that you are forgiving and merciful and just.” He didn’t vocalize these doubts or misgivings, but if he’s human like you and I, he probably thought them.
Peter’s experience was similar but different from Isaiah’s. He spent the night fishing on the lake with his companions and they did not catch anything. It was a wasted night; they were tired and ready to go home to rest. Jesus entered the story and their lives were changed. Peter was a fisherman. He knew about fishing; he knew it was a bad day on the sea and that it would be better to just try again another day. Jesus was not a fisherman; Peter was more qualified, but he agreed to try again. Their luck was so great that they needed a second boat, and even then, they nearly sunk under the weight. The sign was so out of the ordinary that he could clearly see what Jesus was saying. Peter realized that he was looking into the face of God, hearing the voice of God. Peter and Isaiah’s experiences were so astonishing so that there was no doubt that they had experienced the presence of God. Isaiah and Peter were called to something extraordinary.
Peter and his companions dropped everything and followed. I wonder how long it was before they began to question whether they made the right decision. They believed, but they didn’t believe. They understood, but they didn’t really understand. Jesus had a powerful message of love and hope and peace, but He also spoke harshly, warning sinners of the coming judgment. The perceived promise of a position in a palace near the throne of a king was exciting, but the risks were great. How many times did they say to themselves, “What was I thinking?” It isn’t hard to see ourselves in the apostles. It didn’t help that so many of the people heard Jesus without really listening. When Jesus called them to follow, they answered “In a minute,” but never really lived in faith.
We are going to have doubts and uncertainty when it comes to the work God is calling us to do. Sometimes our calling seems ridiculous. Sometimes it seems impossible. Sometimes we insist that we are the wrong person for the job. This is especially true when we discover the people to whom we are sent might hear but they won’t respond as we hope they might. God has a plan and will make it work, even if it means hardened hearts. Sometimes our listeners need to suffer the consequences of their unfaithfulness, but we can rest on the promise that there is always hope for restoration. Exile can be God’s way of showing people that life without His presence is so unpromising that they will never want to turn to other gods again.
Our task is simply to live in the faith which by God’s grace we have been given. We might experience something extraordinary, like a vision of God in heaven or the tangible evidence of God’s power like a boat load of fish. More often, though, we are ordinary people doing ordinary things for God’s kingdom. Whatever our circumstances, God is calling us to believe, to live in His grace, and to share what He has given to us. He might just call us to something specific like Isaiah, Peter, or Paul. However, we learn from this week’s passages that the work we do will not bring us a position of honor or glory. Instead, the visible manifestation of God’s power will bring us to our knees. We will clearly see our own unworthiness. We will also see God’s mercy and His grace. He won’t let us do His work alone. He will be with us, giving us everything we need.
We are to go forward into the ordinary and the extraordinary with hearts filled with thanksgiving and praise. As the psalmist sings, “In the day that I called, you answered me. You encouraged me with strength in my soul. All the kings of the earth will give you thanks, Yahweh, for they have heard the words of your mouth. Yes, they will sing of the ways of Yahweh, for Yahweh’s glory is great!” As we keep our eyes on God, He will guide our footsteps and lead us into the work He has called us to do. Perhaps we will find, someday, that there is something extraordinary for us to do. It might even seem ridiculous to us. But let us never forget that God’s grace is made manifest in His will and purpose for our lives. The greatest calling is not to be a powerful prophet or a prolific apostle, but to serve God in the ordinary and ridiculous opportunities to share His love with the world, following Him wherever He might lead.
February 6, 2025
“I turned around, and my heart sought to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity, and that foolishness is madness.” Ecclesiastes 7:25, WEB
I had a friend when I was a youth that was in many ways just like me. Her name was Peggy. We belonged to chapters of the same organization. We had similar interests and hobbies. We lived a few hours apart, but we had regular opportunities to get together and have fun. We didn’t have a chance to be friends for very long because my friend was killed by a drunk driver. I was devastated the day I heard about the accident. She was just sixteen years old, a new driver, and driving to a job she really enjoyed. The drunk driver hit her so hard that she died instantly (the only silver lining), her car was unrecognizable, and so was she. Peggy was not the first person I knew who died, but she was the first who was killed by the actions of a selfish, stupid, useless human being. Her death was very hard on me; I was depressed for a while, and though I never seriously contemplated suicide, I wanted to die.
A few years later I had a similar encounter, but obviously mine ended much differently. I was working in New Jersey, traveling to different parties to do quality control for a mobile disc jockey company. I was making a left turn, at the green arrow, right in front of a police station. A drunk and drugged driver ran a red light and hit my car. The car spun around several times before it came to a stop in the middle of the intersection. You can’t guess what might have been, but I believe that my seatbelt saved my life. I had an unopened can of soda on the seat beside me which flew into the dashboard and exploded. That could have been me. Thankfully, the driver hit my rear passenger fender, and though I was quite shaken by the accident, I was able to drive away from the scene. The other driver was arrested by an officer that just happened to watch the accident happen right in front of him.
There was a Budweiser commercial starring Helen Mirren. It was one of my favorites, perhaps no surprise when you hear what she was advertising. She is one of my favorite actresses and she was so perfect for the part. “Hello,” she said, sitting in a fancy restaurant. “I’m Helen Mirren, a notoriously frank and uncensored British lady.” She went on to talk about how she just couldn’t understand how anyone still drives drunk. “If you drive drunk, you, simply put, are a shortsighted, utterly useless, oxygen-wasting human form of pollution, a Darwin award-deserving selfish coward.” She finished her rant with a word of grace, “Now, the chances are you’re a fun, solid, respectable human being. Don’t be a pillock.”
You may have been a little offended by my calling the drunk driver who killed my friend a “selfish, stupid, useless human being.” It is true that we should not call people stupid. It isn’t very nice. It isn’t very considerate to say they are selfish or useless. Isn’t it funny that the lovely and sophisticated Helen Mirren used all three of those words in the commercial? She used a much nicer word for “stupid” (mostly because most Americans don't have a clue what the word “pillock” means). As much as we probably should not use words like “stupid,” it is the perfect word to describe those who drive drunk.
We must be careful about the language we use, particularly when describing another human being. Sometimes, however, it is important to call a thing what it is, as we saw so eloquently in the Budweiser commercial. Despite being inconsiderate language, Solomon used the word “stupidity” in today’s passage. A duck is a duck and a person who drives drunk is definitely a pillock. We might think that our sin, no matter what it is, does not harm our neighbors. A majority of drunk drivers somehow make it home in one piece without causing an accident that steals someone we love from this world. Most people who drive buzzed really are fun, solid, respectable human beings. However, we are reminded that all it takes is one moment to change our lives forever. Don't be stupid; instead, seek wisdom and live accordingly, for God calls us to live for the sake of others.
February 7, 2025
“The wilderness and the dry land will be glad. The desert will rejoice and blossom like a rose. It will blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing. Lebanon’s glory will be given to it, the excellence of Carmel and Sharon. They will see Yahweh’s glory, the excellence of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, and make the feeble knees firm. Tell those who have a fearful heart, “Be strong! Don’t be afraid! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, God’s retribution. He will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. Then the lame man will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute will sing; for waters will break out in the wilderness, and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water. Grass with reeds and rushes will be in the habitation of jackals, where they lay. A highway will be there, a road, and it will be called “The Holy Way”. The unclean shall not pass over it, but it will be for those who walk in the Way. Wicked fools shall not go there. No lion will be there, nor will any ravenous animal go up on it. They will not be found there; but the redeemed will walk there. Then Yahweh’s ransomed ones will return, and come with singing to Zion; and everlasting joy will be on their heads. They will obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.” Isaiah 35:1-10, WEB
We have to learn to see. When a child is born, her vision is blurry, and she can only see in black and white. As time passes and her body develops, she begins to see more of the world around her. The first thing she really recognizes is her mother. Her eyes are able to focus more clearly on objects that are eight to twelve inches away, where her mother spends so much time, particularly during feeding, A child learns her face better than anyone else’s. As the child grows, she begins to see more of the world, and she learns to recognize the things around her. As her vision develops, her understanding of her world also develops. Her sight does not improve only because of physical development; she also learns to see.
This was never more obvious than it was in the life of a man named Michael May. Michael was just three years old when his eyes were injured in a chemical explosion. He lived an incredible life as a blind man for forty-three years. He was an athlete that broke records in downhill skiing. He worked for the CIA. He became a successful inventor. In March 2000, Michael May went through a revolutionary stem-cell surgery that gave him back his sight.
It was a miraculous experience for him. He was given a gift that many of us take for granted. Even if our eyesight is less than perfect, at least we have always been able to use our eyes as they were created to be used. After years of blindness, Michael’s eyes, and his brain, did not work as normal from lack of use for so long. His brain changed, and his visual development from the first three years of his life were lost. Even though the surgery gave him his sight, he had to learn how to see again. His progress was tracked by doctors, and they learned a great deal about visual development from his case.
He was interviewed a few years after the surgery to see how he was doing. Despite the joy he had in finally seeing his loved ones, he still had difficulty recognizing them. He also had trouble understanding the world in which he lived. He was still using a cane like a blind man because he could not recognize the difference between a shadow and a curb. He said that skiing was actually easier when he was blind. All of a sudden there was too much information distracting him, making him tense. “In skiing, you don’t want to do that. I was falling all over the place,” May said during the interview.
There are several stories of Jesus healing blind people in the scriptures. In Matthew 9, Jesus gave sight to two blind men. In Matthew 12, Jesus gave sight to a man who was blind and mute because he was demon possessed. Luke 18, Matthew 20, and Mark 10 talk about Jesus healing the blind outside Jericho. There are other instances in Matthew where Jesus is said to have healed a number of blind people (Matthew 15:29-31, 21:14).
In Mark 8, Jesus healed a blind man. In that story, Jesus spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him. In that story, the man did not immediately see clearly; men looked like trees to him, perhaps as the world looks to a child when they are developing their sight or as Michael saw the world in the time after his surgery. Jesus had to put His hands on his eyes again, then he could see. Healing does not always happen immediately.
John (chapter 9) gives us a much longer story, not only of the healing of a blind man, but of the trial the newly sighted man faced by the authorities after he was healed. They were trying to find some way to accuse Jesus. This story is unusual because Jesus spit in some dirt to make clay to put on the man’s eyes, then he sent him to the Pool of Siloam to wash. The man did as he was told and came back seeing. The problem for the authorities is that Jesus made the clay on the Sabbath, a work that was not allowed in the Law.
What makes this final story most miraculous is that the man had been blind from birth. He didn’t even have the physical development of Michael May, which was limited because he was only three at the time of the accident. We think of these healing stories as if the blind had just been wearing a blindfold, so when Jesus gave them sight they already had the information in their brain to understand what they were seeing. We can’t see when a blindfold covers our eyes, but we can see again when the blindfold is removed. Michael May did not see so easily when his “blindfold” was removed. Though his brain had changed, he still had mental memory of the things of this world. He knew a tree was a tree. He knew red was red. What did the man born blind know? Jesus gave the blind man a whole knew world and the faith to believe in Him.
Isaiah speaks the promise of the incredible things the Messiah, Jesus, would do, but the stories in the New Testament show us that these incredible things happened in many and various ways. Sometimes healing seemed to come miraculously, immediately. Other times the miracle took time. It was not always easy. As a matter of fact, any type of surgery is painful, and recovery takes time. The healing offered isn’t always what we expect, or even hope, it to be. We don’t know what happened to the all the people in the scriptures that Jesus healed. The blind were given physical sight, did they gain spiritual sight, too? Did they believe in Him in the long run?
Michael May has had a long and interesting life. It hasn’t always been easy. He’s had struggles and successes. He’s seen joy and pain. Isn’t that how life is for all of us? Our physical sight might not need to be healed, but we have a spiritual sight that only Jesus can fix. By His grace, according to the promise, Jesus opens our eyes and ears, gives us feet to dance and voice to sing. The water of grace flows freely in dry places, and new growth comes to deserts. We are called to follow as He leads us on “The Holy Way,” having saved us from sin, death, and the devil. It doesn’t happen immediately; it takes time as we learn and grow and mature in the faith He has given us. We see a little at a time until the day when we are welcomed into eternity where everything will be clear. Then we will live forever with gladness and joy!
February 10, 2025
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and Mammon. Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothing? See the birds of the sky, that they don’t sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you of much more value than they? Which of you by being anxious, can add one moment to his lifespan? Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They don’t toil, neither do they spin, yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won’t he much more clothe you, you of little faith? Therefore don’t be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘With what will we be clothed?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first God’s Kingdom and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore don’t be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day’s own evil is sufficient.” Matthew 6:24-34, WEB
I worked in retail before I was married, first as a clerk and then as a manager. For a while the company I worked for was upgrading and renovating. They updated the merchandise, redesigned the displays, and replaced the old furniture in many of their stories. A team of people were assigned to the store and they completed the work in a matter of weeks, then they moved on to another store. I was involved in some of the renovations, and it was a part of my job that I really enjoyed.
I was single, with no life beyond my job, so I didn’t mind working the extra hours necessary to continue in my position while also helping at the renovations. For a period of about three weeks, I worked the equivalent of two full time jobs. I was easily putting 75-80 hours a week, not including my commuting time which was more than an hour each direction. I didn’t t take a day off in those three weeks, and I guess the strain was beginning to show because the manager of my regular store told me one day, “Go home, take a day off.” I don’t want you to work at either place tomorrow. I went home and rested and was able to get back on the job with renewed energy and enthusiasm.
I enjoyed my work, especially the renovations, and I wondered if I could become a full-time member of that crew. But I was committed to a job, and I had to give my time and energy there. After that three-week period, I only went to the other store occasionally, and when that store was finished, I didn’t follow the team to the next one. I had to give my time and energy to the place where I belonged.
It felt good to be needed. I appreciated the encouragement I received from the renovation team and from my manager. I appreciated the money I got for working two full-time jobs. But I learned that I could not be my best at two jobs. I had to focus on one so that I would be healthy and focused. I was torn because I liked the work I was doing, but I knew that I was not doing anything as well as I should have been. I couldn’t t serve two masters.
In today’s Gospel lesson, Jesus speaks in rather extreme terms by saying that you have to either hate one and love the other. I didn’t feel that way. I had reason to like both jobs. I was a little tired, sure, but I was happy during that period. When we read this story, I think we have a difficult time accepting that we can’t love two seemingly opposite and opposing things. I know many people who love their jobs and also love God. I know plenty of people who are committed to their faith but also committed to the work they do. What could Jesus possibly mean by this passage?
His message hits home with me, though: we should not worry about our lives. That’s the key to understanding what He means by these two masters. What is our focus? Do we continue to work because we love our job? Or are we working for something else? I certainly appreciated the huge paychecks I received during those three weeks. I enjoyed my job(s) but knowing that I was going to receive overtime pay for those extra hours got me out of bed and onto the road for that hour long commute on my day off.
We serve the master that meets our needs, but we do not always understand which master is the right one. We work those long hours, take those extra shifts, fill our schedules so that we will be successful in our work. We may love it. We may be doing the work that God has called and gifted us to do. We may be truly happy in our circumstances. We may even praise God for the opportunities. But when that job becomes the focus of our life, when the work we do becomes what we trust to keep us safe and fed and warm and clothed, then we have lost touch with the reality of faith. Even if we acknowledge our God in worship and prayer, we are not loving Him when we depend on ourselves and our work for our daily bread.
This is where it gets hard. We know that God isn’t walking door to door with baskets full of fish and bread to give to all the Christians in the world. We eat with the money we earn from the jobs we do. Yet, it is easy to fall into the false assumption that God helps those that help themselves. When we believe this, we rely upon ourselves and our own strength, loving what we have and do rather than what God has already given and done for us.
Jesus’ words see extreme in this passage, but the point is well made: when we love our work first, we forget about God. When we trust the things we do and our own abilities, we do not trust that God will provide. When we put in two full time jobs to make a few extra dollars, we do not look to God for our daily bread. We put the wrong provider first.
Jesus says, “Do not worry.” Well, I’m a worrier. I admit it. I have to honestly say that there have been times in my life when I have stressed over how we will manage to make it day to day. We’ve had to say “no” to things that we want to ensure we would have what we need. I confess that at one point I even borrowed money from my children’s savings accounts to pay my bills. Thankfully we overcame those struggles, and they were paid back with interest. However, I was worried and wondered what I could do to make things better for my family.
When we worry about what tomorrow will hold, or even how we are going to make it through today, we need to remember what Jesus said in this passage that we should put God first. We might have to do something to help ourselves through our troubles, but Jesus reminds us not to worry about anything. We are to trust God when we do not know how we are going to get through this day. We are to let go of our worry and fear so that we will rely on the Master who can make all things right and will be with us through it all.
February 11, 2025
“Sing to Yahweh a new song! Sing to Yahweh, all the earth. Sing to Yahweh! Bless his name! Proclaim his salvation from day to day! Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples. For Yahweh is great, and greatly to be praised! He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but Yahweh made the heavens. Honor and majesty are before him. Strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. Ascribe to Yahweh, you families of nations, ascribe to Yahweh glory and strength. Ascribe to Yahweh the glory due to his name. Bring an offering, and come into his courts. Worship Yahweh in holy array. Tremble before him, all the earth. Say among the nations, “Yahweh reigns.” The world is also established. It can’t be moved. He will judge the peoples with equity. Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice. Let the sea roar, and its fullness! Let the field and all that is in it exult! Then all the trees of the woods shall sing for joy before Yahweh; for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, the peoples with his truth.” Psalm 96, WEB
I love art. I confess that I have not spent enough time in my study recently, but I try to stay connected with people who are creative. I attend a craft retreat every year. I meet with a group of artists about once a month for fellowship and workshops. This month we will gather for lunch and share a piece or more of our work. We love to see what others are doing, and sometimes we get ideas for our own work.
I used to belong to a group that met once a week to paint together. There was no teacher, but we helped one another. The group was very diverse with many different talents and techniques. A few of the artists used oil paint, others used watercolors. The group I am in now has even more variety, with artists who work with jewelry, sculpture, pastels as well as paint. I am both an artist and a crafter, so many of my paintings include materials besides paint, like silk flowers, paper, and found items that will make the piece interesting. The advantage of these groups is that they help keep me accountable. They want to see what I’m doing, so I am spurred into working when I really don’t feel like spending time in my studio.
It is so easy to get caught up in the busy-ness of life, setting aside our time to be creative. After all, it doesn’t seem very important in the scheme of things. Yet, there is value to our work. The paintings are beautiful and share our vision of the world. I share my faith through my work, and even if the subject matter is not blatantly religious, I hope that others will see beauty and peace, hope and joy through my paintings. Most of my work is donated to organizations for fundraisers, so it also acts as an example of grace and generosity. The artists with which I gather encourage one another, with positive comments and critical ideas.
Do we always like each other’s paintings? I have to admit that I don’t like all of them, and I’m certain that many of the other artists do not always like mine. I tend to be more abstract and many artists tend to interpret their subjects more literally. At one gathering I attended one woman said, “I just can’t think like you.” And I responded, “And I can’t think like you.” But that’s ok. Both types of paintings are beautiful and are needed in a world where people see and think differently. The paintings that touch one person might not touch another, and vice versa.
Unfortunately, throughout history there have been times when people thought it would be best to destroy art because it was deemed offensive or even heretical. During the 17th century Reformation in England, rioters often destroyed the intricately carved statues in the cathedrals and churches, claiming that they were idols and against God’s law. Stained glass windows were broken, and paintings were destroyed. The same thing happened in the ninth century.
February 11th is the feast day for Saint Pascal, who was pope in the early ninth century. Fanatics in the Eastern churches destroyed pictures of Jesus, Mary, and the Saints because they were seen as idolatrous images. They even murdered those who tried to save the art that were used to encourage faith and worship. Pascal loved religious art and tried to end the violence, but did not succeed. We remember him for the work he did trying to promote artistic expression in other regions, and for rebuilding church that he filled with beautiful art.
We might not like all the art that is produced, and some might even be offensive. We don’t think about idolatry in the same way as they did in those previous times, but we have our own understanding of the world and some of today’s art does not fit that picture. We live in a time, unfortunately, when so many people are offended by everything that is different than they expect, we should be careful about what we choose to destroy. Some art is not beautiful. Quite frankly some art is offensive, however it is not our place to choose what should be destroyed. God can use the beautiful and the not so beautiful to share a message of grace and mercy with the world. St. Pascal reminds us to encourage artists of all kinds, for in art, religious and secular, whatever the materials or techniques, God might just have the very word we need to hear today.
February 12, 2025
There’s a meme going around that has a caption, “I’m this old...” with a picture of a person holding a pile of papers with directions from an online mapping website. I laugh because those online sites are not that old. I’m so old I remember Triptiks from the automobile club. Well, to be honest, I’m old enough to remember using paper maps to get to my destination. I do admit that I use my phone GPS almost every time I’m in the car these days, not because I don’t know where I am going but because you never know when you’ll run into traffic situations that require a detour. And in Texas (and many other places) right now, there’s always a chance you’ll need to take a detour.
The problem with using digital mapping is that it isn’t always right. There is major construction happening on several roadways along the routes I travel regularly. It will be good when the whole project is finished (2028!), but it is really problematic right now. Roads are often closed, but since the closures are temporary, the GPS doesn’t know it. The closed roads make for traffic jams on those that are open. One part of the project was completed in December with the opening of a new exit ramp, and it took GPS about three weeks to recognize there was a new and better way to get through the junction of two major highways.
We had company for Christmas, and as the day for their homebound trip approached, our nephew showed us a pile of printed maps and directions. The directions didn’t make any sense to him, so he asked if I could look over them and give him some ideas. The directions didn’t make any sense to me, either. I sat with my own GPS to analyze what it intended and realized that it was taking them around traffic issues of the moment when he printed the maps. That’s the problem with trying to map a plan far in advance: the computer is up to the minute and circumstances change at different times of the day. I gave him my recommendation to get to where they were going but told him to watch his GPS in real time just in case there are any issues.
One of the things we learned in England is that you find the most fascinating things when you are lost. We almost always found a fascinating historical site or a beautiful view when we made a wrong turn. We also learned that it was better to follow signs than to try to follow a specific route. It is hard to tell on British maps which road is which: many of them are unnumbered or the drawn lines are deceiving. In Cornwall we found that the “roads” going in the right direction were little more than dirt tracks through cornfields. So, we learned to follow the signs, always heading toward the next city in our path. When we took a wrong turn at one roundabout, we would find an exit off the next roundabout headed in the right direction.
Those mistakes led to some of my favorite adventures. We never knew what exciting thing we might see around the next corner. It can be frightening to get lost; you never know what might happen along the way. I have heard horror stories of people who took a wrong turn and ended up in dangerous situations. If a driver happens into the wrong neighborhood, they might find themselves victims of robbery or violence. It is not unusual to hear wintertime news reports about someone who got stuck in a snow drift after turning onto the wrong road. I have had some experiences in unknown neighborhoods and bad weather. Being lost might mean being late for an important appointment. So, it is important to know which way to go. Relying on our own wits or mistaken maps can lead to horrible circumstances.
Unfortunately, when it comes to living our lives, we often try to follow our own wits or rely on mistaken “maps.” Go into any bookstore and you’ll find shelves filled with self-help books, most of which are based on one or two “successes.” Are they really reliable? We buy into self-help schemes with the hope that the program will work, but usually find that there are disadvantages. “Self-help” means relying on self while ignoring the help of neighbors. Most of all, “self-help” means relying on anything but the One from whom all help flowers.
When we try to do things on our own, we turn our back on God. When we trust in mapping sites, we get lost; when we turn our hearts and our eyes off God we get lost. Jeremiah wrote that a person whose eyes are not on the Lord will be like a shrub in the desert that misses the stream when it comes. This is an interesting image, since a shrub cannot move toward the water even if it can see when it is coming. Desert storms cause flash floods as the rainwater fills the dry creek beds. Though the shrub can’t move from its spot, desert plants have learned to take advantage of the brief moments of water when they come, because as soon as the storm clears the water will be gone. So, Jeremiah reminds us to keep our eyes on God so that we will always see His mercy and grace. Otherwise, we will try to handle things on our own and get lost along the way.
There are often many different ways to get from one place to another. There are several different roads that help us go through or around the road construction that causes so much traffic. The direction we choose often depends on the time we are traveling and the final destination. I’ve had people ask me how to avoid the problems, but so many of my choices have twists and turns that are hard to describe. I try to find the easiest, straightest route, even if it is a little out of the way, to help them avoid the construction. GPS will often give several options, sometimes saying one way will take longer. I often mumble to myself, “Why would I take the longer route,” but then I realize that the other might be more stopping. Sometimes it is worth going out of the way to avoid the dangers of frustrated drivers.
I’m not always right. Sometimes it turns out that my choice leads me on the road that has significantly more traffic or lots of extra stop lights. Sometimes there is a school or an extremely busy intersection that makes it difficult to pass. Sometimes I come across a one-way road or other barrier that was not well marked on the map. One day I went the back way to avoid the highway construction, only to discover my short cut was also closed, leading me to a detour I did not expect. Sometimes my choices make my trip longer, especially if I get lost along the way. There may be many different ways to the same destination, but there is usually a best way, a path that is safe and quick and easy.
Faith in Jesus Christ sets us on a journey. That journey is not necessarily safe, quick, or easy. God does not build a superhighway to heaven and place our feet on a particular road. We often come to crossroads in our life, times when we have to make a decision about which path to travel. The roads will lead to the final destination, because by God’s grace the faith we have been given in Christ Jesus will always take us to the Promised Land. However, the road on which we travel might be more difficult, with more roadblocks or twists and turns. If we choose the wrong spouse or the wrong job, we might have to deal with heartache or distress that was unnecessary. If we make the wrong choices, we might just miss out on the special blessings which God had waiting for us on the right path.
There are many things in this world that try to guide us in the way they want us to go. We are tempted by people and their expectations. We are led by our desires and our lusts. It is amazing how many studies I’ve done recently that come down to the reality that there are two ways, two doors, two highways. We are constantly facing choices, and the scriptures warn us to be wise and discerning about the way we will go. In today’s psalm, the psalmist warns the reader to not walk, stand, or sit in the ways of the wicked. He says, “Do not follow the advice of those who would set you on the wrong path. Do not conform to the ways of the world. Do not join in the wickedness of those who are traveling their own way.”
So, how do we know? How do we make the right choices about the direction of our life and the path by which we should journey? As we delight in the Word of God, meditate on His law day and night, our hearts and our footsteps will be guided in the ways of righteousness and truth. As we spend time in the scriptures daily, we have God’s Word emblazoned on our hearts and in our minds, so that when it comes time to decide, we will be guided by Him rather than by the temptations that surround us. God knows the path He has planned for us, and He will guide us if we allow Him. Online maps and GPS might not always be reliable, but God is.
His way is not always easy, however. Sometimes His plan is designed to strengthen us for trials, to build up our faith, to give us experiences that will glorify Him. We all face disaster in our lives and somehow we find the strength and courage to bounce back. Illness is overcome; loss is regained. Most people are able to take adversity and make their lives better for it. It usually takes the help of others – a word of encouragement or an offer of support. Disaster is not permanent, though it may seem like it is. There is only one thing that cannot be overcome with perseverance or resilience, death. Only in Christ do we bounce back from the death of our flesh, though there are those who do not think this is important or even possible.
Thomas Edison was one of the most prolific of all the inventors, having patented more than a thousand inventions throughout his lifetime. He focused on communication, developing telegraphic equipment, transmitters, and receivers. With the money earned from successful inventions, he set up the first large-scale industrial research laboratory. He is also known for his work with incandescent lighting and generators. He only made one significant scientific discovery, but he did not find practical use for the finding so he did not pursue it. It is thought that his success was due more to perseverance than any special insight. He is quoted as saying, “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.”
In December 1914, his laboratory in West Orange, New Jersey caught fire, destroying millions of dollars’ worth of equipment and research. The record of his life’s work was wiped out. Edison’s son found his father watching the burning building. “My heart ached for him,” Charles said. “He was no longer young and everything was being destroyed. He spotted me. ‘Where is your mother?’ he shouted. ‘Find her. Bring her here. She’ll never see anything like this again as long as she lives.’” The next day as he walked through the charred remains of his work, Edison said, “There is great value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Thank God we can start anew.” Edison was not a young man at the time, but he knew that we can always bounce back better than ever.
Charles Edison thought the fire was the end of his father’s career, but Thomas knew that there would be a tomorrow. Those who look forward with hope to what can happen after disaster find themselves stronger and better for living through the adversity. There are those who are truly devastated by illness or fire, who just can’t seem to overcome. When it comes to death, the difficulty is even greater because death is permanent. Those with no hope face the loss of a loved one with emotions that are impossible to overcome like mourning, fear, regret, anger, hatred, and confusion. While we experience those emotions because death is difficult for those left behind, those who believe in Jesus Christ have His strength to help them triumph. If there is nothing, no way to bounce back after death, then our faith is in vain. But we know that Christ has been raised and in Him we too are raised to a new life. All our mistakes are burned away, and we start anew in the eternal kingdom of God, to live and love forever.
There is an anonymous story about how to live a good life on the right path. “A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit an old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress at work and in life. Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups: porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite. The professor told them to help themselves. When all his guests had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: ‘If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and, in some cases, even hides what we drink. All you really wanted was the coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups, and then you began eyeing each other’s cups. Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money, and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of Life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us. God brews the coffee, not the cups. Enjoy your coffee! The happiest people don’t have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything. Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.”
Our Gospel passage for this week does not present a very pleasant life. This passage, often referred to as “The Sermon on the Plain” is a brief summary of what we find in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount which is found in Matthew. Jesus tells us what it means to be blessed, also translated “happy.” Can we really say, “happy are the poor, the hungry, the weeping, the hated, and the persecuted”? Can we really say we would be happy in any of those situations?
I love the story “The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein. In the story a tree loves a boy to the point of willingly giving him everything she has. Each step along life’s journey, the boy thinks that if he has just one more thing - money, a home and family, a boat - he will be happy. In the end he is old, tired, and still sad. All the tree has left to give him is a stump on which he can rest. There they found happiness together.
Happiness or blessedness is not about having the fancy cup, a lot of money, the best home, or material possessions. We are truly happy when we are content to live and serve God with our whole hearts no matter what “cup” holds our life. It is hard to rejoice in suffering, and we should never seek suffering just so that we can appear to be one of those who are blessed. We are blessed when we are content and rejoice in the life which God has given to us, serving Him with our hearts, our hands and our voices. We know that there is more to our hope than happiness. Blessedness is found when we rest in God, when we trust in Him.
The construction that I most have to navigate is creating a better functioning junction between two major intersections in my town. It isn’t every complicated. The entire project is adding lanes to a highway, making it wide enough to handle the high amount of traffic in our constantly growing city. This exit that has already opened is really high, so high many people who are afraid of heights won’t even drive on it. I love it because the view from the top is spectacular. There are junctions that are a mass of roads coming from many different directions, highway super-junctions that I call “octopuses.” These intersections are a confusing collection of suspended roads, with a dozen or more bridges all in one area. The exit ramps tangle together like an octopus with too many arms, or as some people suggest, like a bowl full of spaghetti. Too many of these roads seem to be headed in no particular direction. I have wondered if anyone even knows where all the roads go; I mean, can anyone stand in the middle of these super-junctions and point out which road is which?
These super-junctions happen in big cities where major highways meet. The roads are suspended so high and piled on one another because they do not have the land to build enough roads to hold all the traffic. We hope our mini-octopuses will ease some of our traffic woes, giving more people room to drive from place to place. Unfortunately, it will not take long before all those roads are filled with too many cars and we will have to find a new way to ease the traffic congestion.
The problem in many big cities is that there is no space for new roads. The highways run right through the center of town, with skyscrapers on either side. Though there was no room for growth, more roads were needed. Instead of tearing down the buildings, city planners built up, adding a second “story”, necessitating a choice: do I go up or down? In my own city, I know which is better for my destination. I know to go up if I am going one way, or down if I am going another. It is more difficult in other cities.
This decision is not a question of life or death, although it could be. If I take the wrong level when traveling to a certain exit, I have to cross several lanes of traffic in a very short period of time. During a busy time of day, this could mean missing my exit or causing an accident with unsafe driving.
We make decisions every day. Most decisions are inconsequential like what we are having for dinner and what clothes we will wear. Yet even those decisions mean something. The Corinthian Christians existed between two points of view: the pagan and Jewish lifestyles. Though they were not Jews, they were expected to live the way Jesus and His first followers lived. Pagan practices were inappropriate for their newfound hope and faith. Though their salvation was not dependent on their actions, the grace of God was given to transform their life. Salvation was a blessing that was given so that the person of faith would be a blessing.
It is interesting that this scripture from Paul comes to us so close to Valentine’s Day. We often think of the love at this time of year in terms of romance, and yet Christian love is so different. It is not a love that follows the heart, for the heart can be deceptive. It is a love that trusts in that which will lead us in the right paths. Unfortunately, the right path is not always the easiest path. The lives of those who trust in God are not peaches and cream. As a matter of fact, Jesus warns His apostles that they will face persecution, suffering, and pain. Our scriptures for this week offer two ways to go: the path of blessing and the path of woe. Blessed are those whose trust is in the Lord, no matter the circumstances. We may have to navigate many obstacles like we do on those roads under construction, or our path may seem like a confusing mess, but in Jesus Christ we will find rest, peace, and joy.
Jesus turned the world upside down. “Blessed are the poor, the hungry, those who weep and those who are hated.” He said that we should expect to be excluded, insulted, and rejected. This was not the direction anyone wants to take with their life, and it is hard to rejoice and leap for joy under those circumstances. Persecution is frightening, disappointing, and disheartening. Most people react to rejection with a change of heart, doing whatever is necessary to be accepted and loved. We want to be successful, as so many were healed that day on the plain, even if we have to conform to the expectations of those around us. This is the wrong path.
Instead of conforming to the expectations of the world, the disciples would have to choose another way. They would have to trust in God, not man. In our scriptures, blessedness or happiness has nothing to do with satisfaction. Instead, it is about contentment. We can be poor or hungry and blessed, not because we are satisfied but because we know that God will provide everything we need. We can weep and still be happy because our joy is established on something beyond our circumstances. We can be hated and still rejoice because we know that there is a love that conquers the world, and that love is ours through Jesus Christ our Lord. We can trust Him because He will always lead us on the right path.
February 13, 2025
“Blessed is the man who endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord promised to those who love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God,’ for God can’t be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed. Then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin; and the sin, when it is full grown, produces death. Don’t be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, nor turning shadow. Of his own will he gave birth to us by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. So, then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger; for the anger of man doesn’t produce the righteousness of God. Therefore, putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with humility the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror; for he sees himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of freedom, and continues, not being a hearer who forgets, but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does. If anyone among you thinks himself to be religious while he doesn’t bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, this man’s religion is worthless. Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” James 1:12-27, WEB
I like to use my photos to make memes with cute or inspirational sayings to post onto my Facebook page to encourage my friends. Sometimes they are funny, sometimes they are spiritual, and sometimes they are timely. Sometimes I purposely take pictures of the center or in monochrome so that they will make good backgrounds for these posts.
It isn’t always easy coming up with the words to add, though. I often pick scripture passages or quotes from poems, but I sometimes just use something out of my head and heart. I was working on one for Valentine’s Day using a photo I took once while wildflower hunting. It was a picture of a prickly pear cactus that has a pad shaped like a heart. In the meme, I wanted to focus on how hard love can be sometimes but that it is worthwhile. I typed in one thing that sounded good. I had a specific meaning in mind.
However, before I posted the meme, I realized the saying was completely inappropriate. Many people would have taken the words in a way I did not intend. I thought it was funny, but I knew that I could not post it on my page. I reworked the words and found a better way to say what I wanted to say. It was not as funny, but it was wholesome and inspiring. I was tempted, but rejected the inappropriate meme to use something that would uplift those who would read it. The new saying made for a better Christian witness in the world.
I read a story by Henry Ward Beecher about an encounter he had with a very ugly fellow. The man’s wife and daughter became Christians during a revival and Henry went to visit them after the event. The man became irate, threatened Henry and warned him never to enter his home again. Henry promised that he would only do so at his request. It was a small town and they two encountered one another over and over again. Despite having been so maliciously attacked, Henry treated the man with grace and compassion. He even worked to get him elected to the city council. The man didn’t understand but eventually approached Henry. He invited Henry into his life and into his house. Henry said, “Now I might have thrown stones at him from the topmost cliffs of Mount Sinai, and hit him every time, but that would not have done him any good. Kindness killed him. I won his confidence.”
We struggle with temptation and sin every day. It is part of our human character. However, just because we are tempted does not mean we need to sin. We can stop ourselves, think twice, and act in a different way. We are His witnesses, and as such we need to try to do everything in a way that will draw the world to Him. Satan doesn’t always tempt us with things that are obviously bad, but it is not enough to just avoid those things. We are called to live like Christ, to live in a way that glorifies God.
February 14, 2025
“Now after these things, the Lord also appointed seventy others, and sent them two by two ahead of him into every city and place where he was about to come. Then he said to them, ‘The harvest is indeed plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray therefore to the Lord of the harvest, that he may send out laborers into his harvest. Go your ways. Behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. Carry no purse, nor wallet, nor sandals. Greet no one on the way. 5 Into whatever house you enter, first say, “Peace be to this house.” If a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Remain in that same house, eating and drinking the things they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Don’t go from house to house. Into whatever city you enter and they receive you, eat the things that are set before you. Heal the sick who are there and tell them, “God’s Kingdom has come near to you.”’” Luke 10:1-9, WEB
I love Texas. We are so blessed for having ended up here. Oh, it isn’t perfect. No place is. The weather can get rather warm in the summer. Storms can be extreme. There are those who would say that Texans are arrogant; perhaps it is true, but it is hard to be humble when you live in the best place in the world. (I’m being facetious.) Texas is thought to be barren, but you wouldn’t say that if you visited the Hill Country in spring when the wildflowers cover the fields with every possible color. The food is a delightful blend between barbeque and Mexican. The people are friendly. The variety of places to visit is incredible. That’s why I want people to come visit me. I want to take them to see the Alamo and the River walk. There are painted churches and German settlements. There is history, art and nature to see and experience. I love it so much that I want to share.
I love to visit churches. Some of my most profound religious experiences have happened in incredible worship spaces in England. I enjoyed our visits to churches during our trip to Germany. One of my favorite places to take visitors to Texas are the painted churches of the Schulenburg area. As an artist, I enjoy looking at the art in the architecture, furnishings, and objects used to decorate the space. The cathedrals of Europe are filled with items of spiritual and historical significance and meaning. There is a church in Fairford, England that has an extraordinary set of Medieval stained-glass windows, which were saved from destruction during the Reformation and World War II. The builders of the painted churches wanted to remember their European homelands, so they painted the walls, altars, and arches of their simple buildings with colorful patterns and images. These spaces, and many more for their own unique reasons, are breathtaking.
One of the things that many people do not realize about Texas is that it is made up of incredibly diverse ethnic groups. You expect to find Hispanics and Native Americans, but German, Czech, and Polish immigrants established communities in central and south Texas. The town where we go to church has the oldest German band outside Germany! There is a tiny town named Dubina that has one of the painted churches, and it was founded by Czeck immigrants from the Northeastern part of Moravia. They came to Texas in 1856. The word “dub” in Czeck means “oak grove.” They were headed toward Iowa, but decided to settle in a spot studded with oak. They built their first church in 1877. The first church was destroyed by a hurricane in 1909, but they were hearty folk and rebuilt. The iron cross which had been fashioned by a freed slave and blacksmith Tom Lee, was found among the rubble of the first church and reinstalled on the new steeple. The church was named Saints Cyril and Methodius Church. It is one of the prettiest painted churches I have visited. They do not have records that identify the painter, but the walls are covered in vines, oak leaves and angels with shy blue ceiling and walls. The walls were whitewashed in the 1950’s but were restored in the 1980’s.
Today is the day we remember Saints Cyril and Methodius, relatively unknown saints. You might think on this Valentine’s Day I might talk about Saint Valentine, but there’s something special about the story of these Byzantine monks who were brothers known as “Apostles to the Slaves.” They were born into a prestigious senatorial family in Thessalonica early in the ninth century. They were well educated but gave up their wealth and status to become priests. They were sent to be missionaries and converted many to the Christian faith. Prince Rastislav of Moravia asked for teachers who could teach the Christian faith to his people in their own language. The brothers were chosen. They invented a new alphabet, the “Cyrillic alphabet” which made it possible to translate the scriptures and liturgy into Slavonic. Their mission was successful as they spread the faith by sharing the Gospel with the people. Some in the Church were suspicious of their use of vernacular language, but their methods were eventually approved after a trip to Rome. Cyril died in Rome on February 14, 869. Methodius returned to Moravia and acted as a missionary to the Hungarians, Bulgarians, Dalmatians, and in Carinthia. He was again persecuted for his use of the vernacular, but his methods were again approved, and he was made an archbishop. He ministered in Bohemia and Poland, and then Moscow to establish a new diocese. He was imprisoned for three years by more critics but was again supported by the pope and restored to his position. With the help of others, translated the Bible into a language known as Church Slavonic. Methodius died on April 6, 885.
It is no wonder that the Czech settlers who built their church in Dubina chose these two saints for the name of their church. Today’s scripture passage is the appointed text for the feast day for these missionary brothers. On this day of love, we are reminded by the stories of Saints Cyril and Methodius that the greatest way to show our love is to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with whomever God puts in our path, doing everything in our power and ability to make it possible for them to hear the scriptures and experience the liturgy that guides our worship of God. The message of grace is shared in Word through the reading of the Bible and the worship of God’s people, filling those who hear with faith, hope, and peace. Like Cyril and Methodius, our Lord Jesus sends us out into the world to minister to others so that they will see the love of God and believe.
February 17, 2025
“Hear, my people, and I will speak. Israel, I will testify against you. I am God, your God. I don’t rebuke you for your sacrifices. Your burnt offerings are continually before me. I have no need for a bull from your stall, nor male goats from your pens. For every animal of the forest is mine, and the livestock on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the mountains. The wild animals of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it. Will I eat the meat of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? Offer to God the sacrifice of thanksgiving. Pay your vows to the Most High. Call on me in the day of trouble. I will deliver you, and you will honor me.” Psalm 50:7-15, WEB
Sir Samuel Romilly once attended worship with Marie Antoinette and France’s King Louis XVI, then wrote his impressions of the experience. The attention of the entire congregation turned to them, focusing their energies on getting a peak of the spectacle. The women attendants were fancily dressed, each trying to catch the eye of the king who laughed and acted as if he were at a party rather than worshipping the true King. The people paid no attention to the priest, even at the most sacred moments of the mass. The worship that day was of a man, King Louis, and the glitz and glamour of the life of the rich and famous.
We are disturbed by this story because we can’t believe that they could have had such disrespect for God by dishonoring the act of worship, but don’t we also sometimes focus too much of our attention on the wrong things. I confess that my own worship can be half-hearted on Sunday morning. Sometimes it is because I’m busy taking photos for our social media, but often it is because I’m distracted by the worries of the day or happenings around me. I love that we have children in the congregation, but they can be noisy. I would never suggest that they should not be there, but I do turn my attention from the pastor to watch them. I smile at their cuteness, but am I paying attention to God when I’m giggling with the little boy in the row in front of me?
I’ve heard a story about a man who had a dream about worship from the perspective of heaven. An angel took him into a church one Sunday. Everything was normal, the people were singing with the musicians and listening to the ministry speaking God’s Word, yet there was no sound. When the man asked what this meant, the angel answered that it was how worship sounded in heaven, for though the lips of the people were making the motions; their hearts and minds were elsewhere.
This is not a modern problem; it has been this way throughout every generation.. Even the ancient Jews did not know how to worship God as He desired. They gave their sacrifices according to the rules, presenting offering of bulls and lambs in the hopes that the LORD would accept them and bless the people. Yet, it is never enough to just go through the motions, God expects true spiritual sacrifice. He wants our hearts. He wants our attention. He wants our whole lives, not just a few minutes of singing or our presence on a Sunday morning.
The people were giving burnt offerings and sacrifices to God, but they were not giving Him their heart. Though we do not kill bulls or lambs in our modern worship, what sort of offerings are we giving Him? Do we grumble when we write our weekly check? Do we moan as we roll out of bed on a Sunday morning? Are we like the people at the service attended by Sir Samuel Romilly, checking out the clothes of our fellow worshippers rather than listening to God’s Word? Is our worship silent in heaven because we are thinking about the cares of this world, or turning our attention away from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ because we are playing with the child in the pew in front of us? Just like the Jews in days of old, it is almost as if we think that God needs our bodies there at worship, but we will use that time to accomplish other things.
We are also reminded that our worship should not be limited to an hour a week; we are to worship God beyond the church doors. God desires that we live lives of praise. He’s not impressed by the things we give Him because the whole world is His. True worship begins by trusting Him above all else, joining with other Christian with singing songs of praise and thanksgiving that is heard in heaven because it comes from hearts of faith. God is the Lord God Almighty, Creator, Redeemer, and Comforter. True spiritual worship that God blesses focuses entirely on Him, not only during a worship service but at all times.
February 18, 2025
“Having therefore such a hope, we use great boldness of speech, and not as Moses, who put a veil on his face so that the children of Israel wouldn’t look steadfastly on the end of that which was passing away. But their minds were hardened, for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains, because in Christ it passes away. But to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face seeing the glory of the Lord as in a mirror, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:12-18, WEB
We all have a hard time dealing with loss. Some loss is harder than others. I miss my mom and dad and think about them often. I remember them on special days, like their birthdays and anniversary. I also remember them on their death day, even though they have both been gone for decades. I often wonder about these memories. They weren’t happy. I’d rather remember their lives, but somehow those final moments have stayed with me all these years.
It is interesting that most of the saints are remembered on their death day. This may seem odd to those who do not believe in Jesus, but for Christians, the death day is considered their “heavenly birthday,” and so despite the sad and sometimes horrific stories of their deaths, we rejoice with them that they have finally entered into eternal life with the Lord.
Today is the death day of Martin Luther. As a Lutheran, my tradition remembers Martin Luther several times throughout the year. He is remembered on November 10th, his birthday (also my dad’s birthday.) He is remembered on October 31st when he nailed his Ninety-five Theses on the door of the Wittenberg Church. These remembrances make sense because they celebrate his life and his accomplishments, but why remember his death? We remember because the deaths of the saints teach us how to die with hope and peace, and even joy.
My husband and I took a tour or Germany a few years ago and followed in his footsteps. He lived a complicated life, but lived to serve the Lord and the people the Lord loves. As is true of many of the things attributed to the heroes of our faith, we have to take the museums and displays with a grain of salt. Most of them are copies or recreations. As a matter of fact, the buildings where Luther was born and died are not the originals. They’ve been rebuilt and furnished as close as possible to what they may have been. Letters and other precious objects are too valuable to display so they are kept securely to protect them. So, copies have been produced, often displayed in multiple places. These recreations tell the story. It is interesting to note that Eisleben, where Luther was born and died, was one of the first cities to embrace Luther's connection to the town, pioneering “heritage tourism” as far back as 1689.
Death was a major part of life in Medieval times. Children often died before their first birthday. The plague and famine took too many well before old age. There was a fascination with death, and Martin Luther’s final moments had particular interest for the world. Numerous artists recorded his death in sketches and paintings. His sons wrote letters to document his death, including his last words in which he quoted John 3:16. Interestingly, Luther refused the usual deathbed rituals like confession and Holy Communion. He relied entirely on Christ and spent his last hours in prayer preparing himself for death. He regarded other preparations as superfluous.
Luther was in Eisleben to settle an inheritance dispute among the Mansfeld miners. His health had never been great, but in the end, he complained of cramps in his chest. He was surrounded by many of his dearest friends. Elector John Frederick insisted that Luther be buried in the Castle Church in Wittenberg, so after laying in state in Eisleben, his body processed “home” to Wittenberg. He was escorted by city leaders and tearful crowds, laying in state in churches along the way. The bells in every village rang for him. They arrived in Wittenberg on February 22. From the gate, the funeral procession moved toward the church with Katie, their children and other relatives, students and faculty from the university, and many citizens. The service was often unheard above the weeping of the congregation. The places and objects that tell Luther’s story are still pilgrimage sites today.
Our own deaths will probably not be remembered the way we remember the saints and other heroes of faith like Martin Luther, but someone will remember those final moments and the lives we lived. When we are finished doing whatever it is we have been called to do in this world, we will be gathered with the Lord our God in eternal life. On February 18th Martin Luther received His reward, entering into the glory which God had promised. Until that day, he lived in what Paul called “the ever-increasing glory” as God transformed him daily by His Word and by His sacraments. We are called to live the same type of life: not on the mountaintop reveling in the glory, but at the foot of the mountain getting down and dirty with the work of God s kingdom, sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ in word and deed according to God’s gracious calling on our life.
February 19, 2025
Lectionary Scriptures for February 23, 2025, Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany: Genesis 45:3-11, 15; Psalm 103:1-13; 1 Corinthians 15:21-26, 30-42; Luke 6:27-38
“For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his loving kindness toward those who fear him.” Psalm 103:11, WEB
Since Easter is a movable feast, based on the lunar calendar and the phases of the moon, as well as the spring equinox, landing close to the Jewish holiday of Passover, which Christians we is when Jesus was crucified. Since Easter moves, so does Ash Wednesday, since we count back forty-six days. We observe Lent for forty days between Ash Wednesday and Easter, not counting the six Sundays during that period. The earliest date for Ash Wednesday is February 4th and the latest is March 10th. This year Ash Wednesday is March 5th. The late date affects the length of the season of Epiphany, which lasts from four to nine weeks. The final Sunday is always the celebration of the Transfiguration of Jesus. This means that the Seventh Sunday of Epiphany does not happen very often.
This means that though the texts for this week are familiar, they aren’t heard together very often. What do they have to say for us today? What do these texts do to help us prepare for the next season? After all, we are just days away from Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent. As we leave the season of Light and enter the season of repentance, we are reminded to be humble, to know our salvation is not dependent on our own works, and that as recipients of God’s grace, we are to share that grace with mercy and not judgment.
We have a reputation to protect, not our own but God’s. How do our words and actions impact the people who hear and see us each day. John Bunyan knows how it can positively impact a life. He is the writer of the Christian classic “A Pilgrim’s Progress”, but he was not always a Christian. He described himself as a lost and profane man before his conversion. One day when he was in Bedford, he crossed the path of three or four women discussing their faith. He was drawn to listen to their conversation, and though he did not understand he stayed for a time. The women talked about faith, the miserable state of their nature, and how God came to them with love and forgiveness in the Lord Jesus. John could hear the joy in their words and voices.
He eventually continued on his way, but their words did not leave him. Their words and witness changed his life. He wrote in his book “Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners,” “Therefore I should often make it my business to be going again and again into the company of these poor people, for I could not stay away.” John Bunyan was repeatedly drawn into the company of those women because they spoke the Gospel of truth in words of praise and thanksgiving. They may have even been singing hymns or reciting Psalms.
Our witness is not always so wonderful. I like to watch “The People’s Court”, and I’m constantly amazed at how the litigants are willing to admit the worst of their faults on national television. In an episode I recently watched, the litigants talked about their drug use as if that lifestyle was normal and trustworthy. The judge never judges these aspects of their testimony unless it directly affects the case, but I can just see her shaking her head at the foolishness of the admissions because their words and actions definitely affect their lives in negative ways.
She is often harsher with those who claim to be people of faith. On another episode, two Christian women were fighting each other over something trivial. Their words and actions were not Christ-like. The case involved a plaintiff who ran a non-profit organization dedicated to her son who had been killed by gang members. The defendant was a woman who called herself a prophetess. They met because they thought they might be able to merge their ministries to get more accomplished together rather than separately.
The meeting did not go well. Afterwards, the defendant posted awful things about the plaintiff and her son on social media. The plaintiff then showed up at the defendant’s church and made a scene. The defendant called child welfare on a friend of the plaintiff. The judge was incensed at the actions of both women. How could Christian women act this way toward one another? “What do you think God is thinking now?” she asked both litigants. She passed her judgment on the case but reminded them that they would both face an even greater judgment.
The plaintiff won the case. The defendant lost her countersuit because the judge found that her losses were the consequences of her own actions. Despite losing, the defendant left the courtroom with a holier-than-thou attitude and preached some word about God. We never really found out went so wrong at the first meeting, but the events that followed were not the way Christian women should act in the world. Both were wrong, but in a court of human law it is the job of the judge to judge between one sinner over another. In God’s court, of course, we are all sinners and those who are set free are those who trust in God. Both women had reason to confess and seek God’s grace for their words and actions. The plaintiff seemed humbled by the judge’s words, the defendant not so much.
The judge turned to the defendant and said, “You might be doing 99% good, but you have done 1% evil. That’s all of us, we all sin.” She was kinder to the plaintiff, but her comments remind all of us that we are sinners in need of a savior. The Gospel is our only way out of the bondage to sin and death. We might look at our neighbor and think that they are somehow worse than we are and that they deserve our wrath, but the reality is that even if we are only 0.0000001% sinner, we are still tainted sinners. We will all face the greater judgment that comes from God. The worst part of this court case was not the argument between the women, but that their witness to the television audience did not glorify God.
The women in John Bunyan’s story shined the light of their Lord Jesus, those on court television vehemently claimed to be women of faith, but they did not live their faith.
Being a Christian is not an easy thing. I confess that I’ve had my own moments when I did not live up to the expectations of my God. A few years ago, I ordered something online that I needed in a timely manner. I paid the most expensive shipping cost to guarantee arrival by a certain day. When I tracked my package the day before it was due I realized that the box was still far away; I knew it would not arrive on time. I called the company, quite upset about the situation and spent a long time on the phone, angry and yelling about the situation. The woman on the other end of the line was kind, quiet, and apologetic, admitting that she was frustrated by some of the problems they were having in the company. She asked me to write my concerns in an email so that she could share them with her manager. She said, “These are the very concerns we keep trying to bring up to management and they won’t listen.”
I calmed myself when she reminded me that they were a Christian company. It was not that I thought I should treat them better because they were Christians; I realized during our conversation that I was not being a good witness. I should not have been yelling at a lady on the phone that was not at fault. It didn’t matter whether she was a Christian or not. It didn’t even matter if she knew I was a Christian. I knew I was not living up to the expectations of my Lord.
Think about your life, your work, and your neighborhoods. Even the most kind and loving people know someone that drives them crazy for one reason or another. It is a fact of life; we don’t get along with everyone. Personalities clash. Unfortunately, like those ladies on the court show, these relationships often go beyond quiet disregard, and the people become enemies. They attack one another verbally, physically, or emotionally, thinking this is the only way to overcome the differences.
We live in a world where people are constantly watching. They watch social media. They watch interactions with neighbors. They watch when we treat a server poorly or yell at a cashier. They are especially watchful when they know you are a Christian. As Christians, we have a responsibility to stand above the crowd. It may not seem fair, but the world expects more from us, and it is in walking that extra mile and in the giving of our cloak as well as our tunic that they will really see the sacrificial nature of our love. They wonder, “What is it that makes these Christians so willing to love their neighbors?” It is then that they will be willing to listen as we tell them about Jesus. If we live as they do, and do business as they do, then there will be nothing that sets us apart. For the love of God changes our hearts and our minds so that the life we live is different than the world.
We are given faith, and transformed to be Christ-like, loving even our enemies. This doesn’t just mean avoiding them so that we will not treat them poorly, Paul says we are to speak well of our enemies. Jesus took it a step further, teaching us to do well for our enemies, serving them with grace and mercy. Sadly, we live at a time when there is not much goodwill between people who disagree. I spend a lot (perhaps too much) time on social media. It is one of the places where I share my writing. It has been hard because so many people have become so passionate about their point of view that they have no consideration for people who see the issues differently. I’ve seen people, Christians, who use inappropriate language, who tell lies or half-truths (they often believe), who call other people names just for having a different point of view.
I know a lot of people who have chosen to disconnect, for good reason. People are harsh on the World Wide Web. I’ve been “unfriended” based on something I liked or shared. I have made conscious decisions to stay out of the battles. I don’t really care what people think of me, but how can I be a good witness to the love and mercy of God if I hate them with inappropriate language, lies and half-truths, or name calling? We can’t take Jesus to the world if we separate from it, and sometimes our separation comes not by our choice, but because others reject us based on our witness. We can be witnesses like the women in John Bunyan’s story, or we can be witnesses like the litigants on the court show. They might reject us either way, but we can rest in the hope that God will use our good witness to His glory, but He’ll never be glorified if we hate our enemies.
It is natural for us to want to separate from those who we do not like in this world, but Jesus Christ gives us the gifts to overcome our natural tendencies so that we can be more Christ-like in the world. When our flesh wants to hate, we are commanded to love. When our mouths want to curse, we are commanded to bless. This is a difficult thing. Just like trying to find a good word about those whose opinions differ from ours, saying nice things about our enemies is not something we are naturally able to do.
It’s a scary world out there sometimes. Natural disaster threatens our well being. We fear for our children, with drugs and gangs abundant in cities and rural areas. We fear poverty, hunger, sickness and death. We fear accusation from the enemy. Yet, we should not fear because God is always faithful.
Today as you face those things about this world that bring fear, concern, worry, anger, doubt or pain, always remember that you are a beloved child of God. Though the things you fear may touch your life, the Lord God Almighty will be your refuge and your strength. He is the only One to fear, and that fear is one of reverence and awe for what He is able to accomplish. God gives us everything we need to prepare for all our circumstances, even when they seem to be out of control. In the name and by the blood of Jesus Christ our Lord, we are in the hands of God and trust in His faithfulness to see us through. It’s a scary world, but we live in another and can know true peace, hope, and joy.
Can you imagine what Joseph must have been feeling when his brothers came in search of food? After years of experiencing fear, concern, worry, anger, doubt, and pain, somehow Joseph knew true peace, hope, and joy, so much so that he could forgive and seek reconciliation when faced with his “enemies.” I would not have blamed him if he had just kicked them out of Egypt forever.
He didn’t.
If only we could look at our enemies with the same grace and mercy of Joseph with his brothers. He had every right to be upset. They sold him into slavery, after considering murder. They lied to their father, who mourned his death. Joseph was not perfect; he was immature and perhaps even arrogant, the favored son from Jacob’s beloved wife Rachel. The brothers were jealous because he was showered with gifts, including a richly ornamented robe. Jacob’s favor made him conceited. It is no wonder that they wanted to be rid of him.
Joseph had dreams; he had strange and unusual dreams that seemed to speak of his being a powerful ruler over his brothers. Another dream showed his mother and father under his realm. His brothers became so jealous that they schemed to get rid of him. While they were in the field grazing the sheep, Joseph went out to see if all was well. His brothers thought they should kill him and pretend a wild animal did it, but Reuben convinced them to just sell him as a slave. Joseph ended up in Egypt. He suffered through many trials, but eventually Pharaoh had several dreams that Joseph was able to interpret thanks to God’s intervention. They were promises for good years from the fields followed by warnings of years of famine. Pharaoh gave Joseph the power to lead Egypt during this time, to prepare with the feast so that they wouldn’t starve during the famine. With Joseph’s guidance, the Egyptians saved enough grain through the good years that they were able to help feed the world during the bad.
Joseph’s brothers traveled to Egypt to purchase food for their family. They interacted with Joseph but did not recognize him. The dreams were fulfilled. Joseph did not immediately reveal himself; he had a plan to restore his relationship with his family. His brothers went home but returned again for more grain, since the famine lasted many years. They met again with Joseph; he treated them well but hid a silver cup in his brother Benjamin’s bag. The guards discovered the silver cup was missing and Benjamin was held for theft. Judah pleaded with Joseph to let the boy go so that Jacob would not perish at the thought of another lost beloved son. Joseph’s loneliness and his longing to see his father was so great that he revealed himself to his brothers. He wept and kissed them with love and mercy.
You are surely familiar with the rest of the story. Jacob and his family moved to Goshen where Joseph took care of them. When Jacob died, Joseph’s brothers feared that he would take revenge. They pleaded with Joseph to be merciful, to remember their father and spare their lives. There was no need to beg. Joseph had forgiven them long before they asked. He understood that God used his life and even his suffering for His glory. He could not hate his brothers though they acted like enemies. This merciful action showed the great love he held for them despite the evil he suffered at their hands. They could have been enemies, but Joseph loved them through the grace of God. Our Father did the same when He sent His Son Jesus Christ to win forgiveness for those He loves. He gives beyond measure in love and mercy.
Can we be so gracious to those who hurt us? That’s certainly what God expects from us, and we will see that mercy will be returned to us.
Mercy is about being compassionate, forgiving, and kind. We deal with so many evils in our world that mercy is difficult to understand and even harder to express when our enemies seem to have the power to destroy our lives.
We are called to be merciful, and our heavenly Father gives us the strength, courage, and wisdom to do so. Our Lord Jesus Christ paid the highest price to give us the forgiveness that only He can give. He died for us even when we were His enemies so that we would be forgiven and set free from our lives of sin and debt to God. It isn’t easy, but we begin by sharing God’s grace with our neighbors, whoever they are, even if they are people who have harmed us. We are not to seek revenge, but rather reconciliation by doing good to them. The love of God will manifest in the mercy you give, showing your life to be one as a child of God. God was kind and merciful to each of us, sinners and His enemies, forgiving our sin for the sake of His Son.
Those women on the judge show knew that they were strangers in a foreign land, Christians living in a fallen world. They knew that they had been saved by the grace of Jesus Christ, but their story played more like a reality show. They did not live as God has called them to live, loving their enemies and treating all their neighbors with mercy. The judge was correct when she said that they’d face a greater judgment one day. The question that all of us need to ask is whether or not we really trust in God’s salvation. Have we been transformed by His mercy? Are we living forgiven, recognizing our own sinfulness? Are we willing to forgive; are we willing to see our neighbors including our enemies through the eyes of Jesus? We are just two weeks from Ash Wednesday, when we’ll begin the period of repentance called Lent as we prepare for Holy Week and Easter. Are you willing to humble yourself and accept that you are as much a sinner as the one you call an enemy? Even if your sin is only 0.0000001% of your life, you are still a tainted sinner.
When people overhear your conversations about God and faith, what do they hear? Do they hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: His love, forgiveness, healing, and redemption? Do they see your life as one they would want to emulate, one of praise and thanksgiving to God? Can they hear the joy in your words and voice? If someone overheard your conversations today, would they stay to listen? Would they want to return?
What about your actions? Do you live according to God’s Word, treating your neighbors with mercy and grace? Does the way you live glorify God? We do not know who might be watching us. We are called to praise God in our words and our actions, remembering that His promises are real. John Bunyan has touched the lives of millions with his story of Christian’s journey to eternal life. It all began because a few women were discussing their faith in praise and thanksgiving. Whose life will you touch today? Our impact may not reach so far, but God will bless you for being a magnet in His kingdom through your words and your deeds.
God is faithful to all His promises. The transformation we will experience will be complete when we leave this world to dwell in God’s eternal glory forever, but that transformation began the day we believed in Jesus and became a Christian. This means that our life should look different than it did the day before. Our life is meant to look like Joseph’s, full of forgiveness for those who harm us.
Eventually we will die in the flesh, but that is not our end. We are raised with Christ into something new, to live forever in His presence and praise Him throughout eternity. We do not have to wait, however, for that day when we will dwell with Christ because we dwell with Him today. So, let’s live like Joseph, loving our enemies because God has a plan and can use the worst of times for His purpose. We are examples of His grace, blessed to be a blessing. We are saved to love our enemies and do good to those who hate us, to bless those who curse us and to pray for those who mistreat us. He has created and redeemed us to glorify Him in this world by the words we speak and the ways we act. We can do so with peace because He is faithful to all His promises. It begins with singing praise and thanksgiving to the God who has dealt with us according to His loving kindness. Who knows? Your words and acts of praise might just be the very witness to God’s grace that someone needs so that they will begin to believe and be saved.
February 20, 2025
“Now Moses used to take the tent and to pitch it outside the camp, far away from the camp, and he called it “The Tent of Meeting.” Everyone who sought Yahweh went out to the Tent of Meeting, which was outside the camp. When Moses went out to the Tent, that all the people rose up, and stood, everyone at their tent door, and watched Moses, until he had gone into the Tent. When Moses entered into the Tent, the pillar of cloud descended, stood at the door of the Tent, and spoke with Moses. All the people saw the pillar of cloud stand at the door of the Tent, and all the people rose up and worshiped, everyone at their tent door. Yahweh spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. He turned again into the camp, but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, didn’t depart from the Tent.” Exodus 33:7-11, WEB
God was angry with His people. When Moses was on the mountain receiving the tablets of the commandments, he was gone for a very long time. The people began to lose hope of his return. They lost trust in the God who delivered them because they were afraid. They didn’t know what they would do without Moses because he was the one who talked with God. They turned to Aaron and begged him to build a golden calf so they could pray and worship as they had in Egypt. Unfortunately, as Moses was receiving the Law that said, “You shall have no other gods,” the people were turning to a false and powerless god.
Our God is a jealous God. He was angry and told the people to go on their way without Him. He remained faithful to His promise; He would give them the land He promised to their forefathers, but He would send an angel to lead the way. “I will not go up among you, for you are a stiff-necked people, lest I consume you on the way.” He was being merciful because He was protecting them from His wrath. He did not abandon them, but they had to suffer the consequences of their sin: they would not experience the blessings granted to God’s faithful people.
The people mourned their sin and loss. They looked to Moses to intercede for them because they knew he had a personal relationship with God. Whenever the pillar of cloud descended in front of the door of the Tent, the people turned toward it from their tents and worshipped. They knew God had not abandoned them because He continued to speak with Moses, face to face as a man speaks to a friend; they learned to trust that God was willing to listen to Moses. He interceded for them and because Moses found favor in God’s sight, He answered their prayers.
The people of Israel were afraid to have such an intimate relationship with God, so they were happy to let Moses be the one who spoke to God face to face. We, however, do not need an intercessor. We all experience times, however, when we feel that God is far from us. We feel abandoned, that He is not listening, that He is refusing to answer. Sometimes we think this is happening because God is angry at our sin and that He must stay away to keep us from suffering from His wrath. However, Jesus Christ bridged that gap; He made us right with God in a way we would never be able. He received the wrath that we deserved, making it possible for us to speak with Him as a man speaks with a friend. Jesus proves to us that we can trust that God is faithful to all His promises. He listens to our prayers, and He always answers. We might not get the answer we want, but we can rest in peace knowing that we will always get the answer that is good, right, and true.
February 21, 2025
“For this cause, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that you may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner person, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, to the end that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be strengthened to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth, and to know Christ’s love which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to him be the glory in the assembly and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:14-21, WEB
On this day in 1828, the Cherokee Phoenix was published, becoming the first newspaper published by Native Americans in the United States and the first published in a native language. The Cherokee syllabary was created in the 1810’s by Sequoyah. That first issue was published in both English and Cherokee in New Echota, the capital of the Cherokee Nation, which was in present-day Georgia.
The paper was offered for free for those who could only read the Cherokee syllabary, but it also became a major form of communication for the Cherokee nation and the rest of the United states. It was a time of upheaval for the Native Americans, as settlers moved into native land the tribes were pressured by the government to move farther west. They wanted the tribal governments to be discontinued, and their traditional land surrendered.
The name of the publication the “Cherokee Phoenix” was chosen as a symbol of renewal, using the image of the mythical bird that rose to new life from ashes of fire. The first editor was Elias Boudinot of the Cherokee Phoenix; he published editorials that criticized white settlers wanting Cherokee land and that addressed the issues which Indians across the United States and its territories faced related to assimilation and removal from their traditional homelands. The first issue included a story about Sequoyah’s invention of the syllabary. A Christian missionary named Samuel Worcester cast the type for the Cherokee syllabary, which he used to translate the Bible and publish the pages of the Phoenix. He defended Cherokee sovereignty at a time when many people were fighting to remove them to Indian land in the Midwest.
The Cherokee Phoenix tried to build support for the nation in print for several years, but the forced displacement of about 60,000 people called the “Trail of Tears” began in 1830. The Cherokee removal in 1838 was the last forced removal east of the Mississippi and was brought on by the discovery of gold. The relocated peoples suffered from exposure, disease, and starvation while en route to their newly designated Indian reserve. Thousands died from disease before reaching their destinations or shortly after. Unfortunately, the program that forced Native Americans also caused violence as the tribes rebelled. Too many people died, and we saw the worst of human nature on display from every side of the issue.
Elias Boudinot thought displacement was inevitable and tried to protect the rights of the natives by treaty. He eventually resigned as editor of the Phoenix because his views were opposed by most Cherokee people. The new editor had an opposing opinion and fought displacement with the paper. The paper stopped printing in 1834, and the printing press was confiscated in 1835 to prevent further publication. The Cherokee land was claimed by the government as the people were forced to move to Oklahoma. The paper has been published intermittently over the years and is now published on the internet as well as in print. Much of the original content has been digitized so that we can go back and read the debates that happened in that time.
The displacement of the Native Americans from their territorial lands was a horrific moment in United States history. As we look back at those moments, we see that people who had different opinions about the situation had the best interest of their people at heart. It led to pain and death. Even Christians were caught up in the debates, on both sides, some helping to get the word out and some trying to do what they thought was best for the people. Many Cherokee people and those from other tribes were converted to Christianity. Some will claim that like the “Trail of Tears” they were forced. Others will claim that the Holy Spirit worked in their hearts to give them the faith to believe in Jesus and the courage to move. Greed and oppression caused so much pain, but many of those involved in the debates had everyone’s best interests at heart. Should things have been different? Yes. Did God use the debates of that age to change lives? Yes.
Can God use our debates today to change lives? Yes, He can. And He is. Our descendants will look back at this time and see the horrific ways we (and yes, I mean “we” because we are all sinners in need of a Savior) have acted. But the reality is, those who think differently, who join us in debate over the issues of our day, really have their point of view because they believe they have the best interests of those for whom they fight at heart. We are wrong in some way. We all fail. We all need forgiveness, not only from each other, but from the God who will use our disagreements to His glory. Somehow. That’s where our hope dwells, in the reality that God can do the impossible. He can bring faith out of tragedy. He can bring peace, even while the world around us is messy. Thanks to Jesus Christ, we can glorify God in our disagreements because we can trust that God will make all things right according to His good and perfect Word.
February 24, 2025
“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil. Cling to that which is good. In love of the brothers be tenderly affectionate to one another; in honor prefer one another, not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, enduring in troubles, continuing steadfastly in prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, and given to hospitality.” Romans 12:9-13, WEB
My mom had a friend, in a roundabout way she was sort of a relative, that my mom could call on the spur of the moment to go out and have a piece of pie. They would sit in the restaurant for hours, talking about their lives, complaining about their husbands, sharing their hopes and dreams. She was a very good friend to my mom, and my mom was a good friend to her. When this woman was having marital difficulty, my mom was there to give her support, to comfort her and to give her advice. This is a special kind of friendship that not everyone is blessed to have.
A news report several years ago stated that the number of people who had someone with whom they could confide was about seventy-five percent. This might seem like a good number, but it means that twenty-five percent did not have anyone. Even fewer people have someone they could call a best friend. We may have family for support, there’s something about having listening ears that are apart from our greatest stresses that help us through tough times. I have known this kind of loneliness; my childhood best friend lives far away and a woman I considered my best friend died a few years ago. Thankfully, I have regular lunch dates with a few others. Are they the kind of friends like my mom's? I don't know, I hope so because that kind of relationship is so important.
A more recent study concluded, “People can be surrounded by others and still feel deeply lonely. The lack of quality relationships is just as big a problem as the lack of quantity.”
Studies since the pandemic have shown that loneliness is epidemic in the United States. Today’s loneliness is perhaps deeper because we have become so attached and dependent on technology, and though we spend time “with” people, we do so online, which is not enough. Many companies have opted to allow remote workers, which is convenient and cheap, but it has removed an important part of our life together. While hugs might not be appropriate in a work setting, there’s something about a handshake. We look different on the screen. It is flat and cold, and though we might laugh together, it is hard to experience the warmth and connection of being in the same room.
Loneliness is a major health concern. Loneliness may be the surface manifestation of troubling feelings like anxiety, depression and a lack of meaning and purpose. Without people on whom we can rely, we begin to think that we are not important. This isn’t just because we do not have someone to help us, but also because we do not have anyone that we can help. It might seem like we should be past the effects of the pandemic, but people are still afraid. They are more reliant on social media and get caught up in unhealthy conversations. They’ve put aside the activities they used to enjoy, more likely to stay home.
Teachers will tell you that this is affecting our children. When we closed schools to protect their health, we knew it would take some time for the students to catch up with the educational expectations for their age, but teachers are finding that after five years, it is still very difficult to teach in the classroom. Children can’t focus without a screen. They get more screentime now, which has increased the risk of anxiety, depression, and aggression. They have fewer social skills and increased behavior problems.
Experts suggest that months or years of virtual learning have caused absenteeism to double. Online learning caused students and parents to be apathetic about school. Too many thought attendance online was optional, and that has carried over into in-school attendance. This is not only true in public schools but has been a problem in private schools. Another problem teachers describe is that students have lost the ability or desire to use pen and paper for their work. This might not seem important, but the tactile use of materials and equipment is better for learning. An article I read sums up the problem, “Issues like screen addiction, permissiveness, absenteeism, and over-reliance on digital learning are the lasting effects of the pandemic. Until we address these, we can’t begin to make the crucial changes that will make classrooms manageable and learning possible again.”
We may not think that any of this is related to loneliness, but these issues are affection the connections we have when we work, learn, play, eat, live together in the world. We’ve lost the strong community that we once had, like my mom had with her friend. We’ve lost the strong relationships that come when people are able to spend time with others, wherever our life takes us. We have lost the art of building the quality relationships we need to be the best we can be. Hopefully those of you who regularly read these devotions have a strong community of faith, but I am sure even those relationships are lacking. The church is a microcosm of the world, same problems with the hope that we have the solution.
The answer, of course, is Jesus. I wonder what life was like for Jesus. He had a close circle of friends, but they often did not understand what He was trying to say. Jesus was never alone, but I wonder how often He was lonely in the crowd. His friends could not really identify with Him. The people looked to Him for their support and courage, but did He have anyone to whom He could find support and courage? Perhaps He didn’t have a human friend with whom He could confide, but He did have that kind of relationship with God, His Father.
Righteousness is about having a right relationship. It is about trusting and having faith that tomorrow is secure. Righteousness in our homes means having a right relationship with our spouses and children. Righteousness in our neighborhoods means having a right relationship with our neighbors. Righteousness in our cities and states and country and the world means having a right relationship with the people who live with us there. We are righteous when we do what is right so as to build a relationship rather than destroy. The Hebrew understanding of righteousness is, “upright, just, straight, innocent, true, and sincere. It is best understood as the product of upright, moral action in accordance with some form of divine plan.” The divine plan always takes us toward stronger relationships with one another, toward community.
The study quoted above also found, “Encouragingly, the solution people endorsed most, including lonely adults, is available to almost all of us: ‘taking time each day to reach out to a friend or family member.’” Now is the time to get out of ourselves. Be the person in whom your friend can confide. Join a group that shares an interest. Volunteer somewhere you can make a connection with another person. Be open to that one person who might be your best friend, who will answer at the spur of the moment to go have a piece of pie. The study suggests that “Helping others is often the best remedy for helping ourselves.” Reach out to someone today. Listen to them. Shake their hand. Hug them. Breathe the same air. If we are going to follow Jesus, we need to be like Him, first having a right relationship with our God. Then the rest will fall into place. We can be the friend our neighbor needs and we’ll find that there are people who can be the friend we need, too, so we won’t be so lonely.
February 25, 2025
“Yahweh’s law is perfect, restoring the soul. Yahweh’s covenant is sure, making wise the simple. Yahweh’s precepts are right, rejoicing the heart. Yahweh’s commandment is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of Yahweh is clean, enduring forever. Yahweh’s ordinances are true, and righteous altogether. They are more to be desired than gold, yes, than much fine gold, sweeter also than honey and the extract of the honeycomb. Moreover your servant is warned by them. In keeping them there is great reward. Who can discern his errors? Forgive me from hidden errors. Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins. Let them not have dominion over me. Then I will be upright. I will be blameless and innocent of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, Yahweh, my rock, and my redeemer.” Psalm 19:7-14, WEB
“Dirty Laundry” is a song by Don Henley that was released in 1982. I often think about this song when I watch the evening news. “I make my living off the evening news; just give me something, something I can use; people love it when you lose, they love dirty laundry.” Another stanza sys, “We got the bubbleheaded bleach-blonde, comes on at 5; she can tell you about the plane crash with a gleam in her eye; it’s interesting when people die, give us dirty laundry.”
I don’t like to watch the news anymore, although there has always been bad news, and it seems like the producers like to lead the reports with the most shocking or emotionally depressing news. The first fifteen minutes is filled with death and violence, natural disasters and brokenness. The stories are followed with threats of arrest and lawsuits. The news reporters have interviewed people who survived these horrible events and the families of those who died. The questions are designed to bring out the most emotion – pain, anger and hatred. Lots of dirty laundry. We see the worst of human behavior in those first minutes, then the anchors talk about how depressing it is to report all that sadness.
They often banter about their hope that the next segment will be lighter and uplifting. Unfortunately, even those stories often show a darker side of life. To them, the “lighter” side of life means sexuality or inappropriate humor. For instance, one story was about how Broadway shows were beginning to use more nudity. The reporter flashed the camera, beginning the story wearing only a white robe. At the appropriate moment, the producers scrambled the picture to hide his nakedness and the reporter opened the robe. Those who were interviewed talked about how their nakedness made them feel vulnerable, how it was important to the show and how much they have matured in their craft because of this experience. Even more dirty laundry.
This story was seen as hard-hitting news, the reporters giving the audience everything they want. It was not this way in the early days of television. It was shocking when a sitcom decided to use a full-size bed for a married couple rather than the expected twin beds. Though the news reported about death, we were not likely to see photos from the scenes of death and violence or reporters disrobing for national television. They were more considerate of the victims and families of those who perished. But, in our day and age, it seems we have become immune to the horror of what we are seeing. Our children are growing up too quickly because they are exposed to death and sexuality, becoming involved well before they are emotionally and physical ready to properly deal with the temptations. After all, if the adults who are called to teach them think dirty laundry is a good thing, then it must be ok, right?
Unfortunately, in our modern age, the words of our mouths are filled with things that are displeasing to God. Death is not a good thing; it is not what God desires for us. He has created us to glorify Him with love and life. We live in a world filled with sin. The Law is designed to show us how we are separated from God by our words and deeds, but we ignore God’s good, right, and true Word. We ignore God’s Law because that’s just not the way we do things anymore. The news shows us in very real and dramatic ways where sin leads us: into death.
The Law will never save us. It is only through Christ that we can have eternal life, but remembering God’s Law will help us walk more safely in this world in which we live. The Psalmist shows us the only way we can live righteously for God: “Forgive me from hidden errors. Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins.” Only with God’s help, God’s hand in our lives will we ever be kept blameless. May we learn to avoid the dirty laundry of this world and do only that which will be good and pleasing to our God.
February 26, 2025
Lectionary Scriptures for March 2, 2025, Transfiguration Sunday: Deuteronomy 34:1-12; Psalm 99; Hebrews 3:1-6; Luke 9:28-36 [37-43]
“For every house is built by someone; but he who built all things is God.” Hebrews 3:4, WEB
The Transfiguration is celebrated at different times during the year. The universal date for the Feast of the Transfiguration is August 6th, though there is no certain explanation for choosing this date. Though we do not have the date of the Transfiguration, some suggest that it happened toward the end of Jesus’ ministry, perhaps August the year before Jesus was crucified. It has been celebrated in various forms beginning in the 9th century but was made a universal feast in 1456 in conjunction with the commemoration of the end of the siege of Belgrade.
Many churches that use the Revised Common Lectionary remember the Transfiguration on the last Sunday of Epiphany. It makes sense to finish the season of light (Epiphany) with a story about the Light shining on the mountain top. As we draw near to the season of Lent, the Transfiguration offers us a glimpse of that glory of Christ so that we will have hope through the time of wilderness and repentance. Jesus’ transfiguration shows us that Jesus is the Son of God, that Jesus is the Messiah. That shining moment gives us a foretaste of the forgiveness that we’ll experience fully through the death and resurrection of Jesus.
This Sunday goes by another name in many Christian traditions. It is Quinquagesima because this Sunday is fifty days from Easter Sunday. It is the first day of Carnival or Shrovetide, a period of time when people consume foods that are banned during Lent, particularly meat. During Shrovetide we are to make a special point to examine ourselves, considering what we have done wrong and what we should do to amend our lives both temporally and spiritually. It is a time of prayer to ask for God’s help with repentance. Many people will consider what they will fast during Lent. It is also a time to confess and hear absolution so that we will enter Lent with an unburdened heart.
The timing of Transfiguration Sunday also helps us see the change of Jesus’ ministry in the church year. From this moment, Jesus sets His feet toward the cross. We do so, too, as we enter the season of Lent.
In today’s Gospel lesson, Jesus took Peter, James, and John to the top of the mountain where He was transfigured before their eyes. Shortly before this event, about eight days according to Luke’s account, Jesus told the disciples for the first time that He would have to suffer and die at the hands of all who would reject Him. Such words must have been disturbing and disheartening for the disciples. Yet on this day the three went up the mountain with Jesus and witnessed His glorification. Surely if God would do something so miraculous, then Jesus must be more than even He thought He would be! God would not allow His Chosen One to die, right?
The lectionary offers a second story that doesn’t seem to belong in this message about Jesus’ glory. Why tell us that Jesus came down off that mountain? Isn’t Peter right to want to embrace the Light? In this story, however, we see something far more real than the glory on the mountain. God’s power is not found in transfigured images or miraculous moments. It is found in the everyday opportunities we have to share God’s love and mercy with others. I am sure that the demon possessed boy must have been dirty and ugly with wounds. It must have been horrific to witness a body out of control, hurting and throwing itself on the ground. Yet real glory is seen when God’s grace touches the needy and brings healing and peace to a life of suffering. Jesus was most glorious when He was sharing the kingdom of God with those in need.
Peter, James, and John saw a glimpse of heaven that day on the top of a mountain. They witnessed a miraculous event as Jesus was transfigured into a divinely shining being, the Light shined with glorious light. He was standing among the great men of their faith. Moses was the father of the Law and Elijah was the father of the prophets. They stood for everything on which the faith of Israel was built. Peter wanted to capture the moment, to build a temple on the spot to honor Jesus and hold on to the glory. While Peter was speaking, a cloud came over the scene and a voice commanded the disciples to listen to Jesus. Peter’s sense of assurance was overpowered by a sense of fear. All three fell on their faces when they heard the voice.
It is no wonder that Peter would want to build permanent structures in which Jesus, Moses, and Elijah could dwell. There on the mountaintop, in the presence of the Holy, no one could harm Jesus. However, this was not the way it was to be. Jesus had this moment of glory, but the real glory would come in a much different way. The world needed God’s mercy and grace. They had to go back so that Jesus could complete the work of forgiveness. They needed to go back to the crowds, to the dis-ease, to the oppression. They needed to go back to the messiness of the valley. Jesus had to go back to the hatred and rejection that would send Him to the cross.
Peter reacted to the transfiguration as we all might have done. He was trying to seat Jesus as king over an earthly kingdom. God interrupted, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.” God commanded them to listen to Jesus, the Word incarnate. He is the Word made flesh sent to dwell among God’s people. Jesus is the place where heaven and earth meet. Jesus is faithful as a Son over His house, and as the writer of Hebrews tells us, we are His house.
Today’s scriptures are interesting because we see the difference between Moses and Jesus.
The psalmist wrote, “You are a God who forgave them, although you took vengeance for their doings.” The story from the Old Testament lesson is one of those moments. Moses was the chosen one of God. He led God’s people out of Egypt and through the wilderness for forty years. He stood in the presence of God. He received the Law and gave it to the people. He sought God’s help for the people over and over again. Every time they complained about the lack of food or water, every time they grumbled, Moses asked God to help. He was an incredible man of God, faithful and obedient. And yet, he was just a man, and he failed.
The consequence of Moses’ unfaithfulness was that he would never enter into the Promised Land. We hear in Deuteronomy 32 “Die on the mountain where you go up, and be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor, and was gathered to his people; because you trespassed against me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah of Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin; because you didn’t uphold my holiness among the children of Israel. For you shall see the land from a distance; but you shall not go there into the land which I give the children of Israel.”
Moses was faithful and obedient, but not perfectly. In the desert, the people complained about the lack of water. Instead of acting according to God’s Word, he struck the rock in anger. Instead of approaching the rock trusting in God’s word, he went with the determination to prove to the people that they will get what they do not deserve. Instead of speaking forth the water, he struck the rock. Twice.
It is absolutely necessary for us to trust God’s word above all else, this is why God told the disciples to listen to Jesus. God is gracious, and He is merciful, but faith is by hearing, not by sight. And so, at this important juncture in the story of Israel, God commanded Moses to speak to the rock. Moses, following his base instincts and his anger, struck the rock instead.
In Numbers 20, God told Moses, “Because you didn’t believe in me, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.” Imagine the scene. Moses stood by the rock and hit it twice with his staff. What would you believe? Would you believe that it is the word that made the water flow? Or would you believe that Moses caused it to come? Who would you thank for that water? God commanded Moses to speak the word, and in doing so he would have shown God to be holy and powerful. Instead, Moses showed himself to be holy and powerful. This is why Moses could not enter into the Promised Land.
But God is gracious. Even though Moses was faithless at that moment God still honored Moses, “Since then, there has not arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom Yahweh knew face to face,” is written in Deuteronomy. The Israelites held Moses in high regard, almost to the point of putting him above God. Even to the days of Jesus, Moses was seen as more than just the man who led them out of Egypt. He was the deliverer. He was the lawgiver. They knew God was behind it, but they gave the credit to Moses. If God had allowed him to go into the Promised Land, they might have made him like a god, but Moses was just a man. He was a man chosen and gifted by God to do great and wonderful things, but he was just a man.
For his faithlessness, Moses was buried on the other side of the Jordan. He was not allowed to enter into the Promised Land. However, God is gracious and merciful: He gave Moses the chance to see the fulfillment of His promises. Moses died with God’s faithfulness in his sight. God did what He told Abraham He would do. His people were finally home after four hundred years in Egypt, after slavery, and after forty years of wandering in the wilderness.
Even death for Moses was merciful. Can you imagine going through life with the burden of being the one on whom everyone relies, especially when they have extraordinary expectations? How could a man like Moses be like a god? It didn’t matter how humble he was, or how much he repeatedly told the people that they should trust in God: they preferred the tangible presence of Moses. How do you trust something, or someone, that you can’t see? Moses was there. They could go to him, talk to him, and see him work. Trusting God requires faith in the unseen, unheard, and unproven.
Despite his faithlessness, there was something extraordinary about Moses. Though he died and was buried, his tomb has never been found. As someone once said, “God buried him and then buried his grave.” We don’t know where Moses’ grave is located because it would have become a place of pilgrimage, a sacred space where they could honor Moses forever. The Jews looked to Moses as their salvation and hope, for he had delivered them from Egypt and given them the Law. Yet, as they looked to Moses, they missed the One who was greater; they missed the One who had created Moses and was worthy of the worship they wanted to give to a mere man.
Despite being gone, we see Moses again in today’s Gospel lesson. Moses was dead, yet he lived. Despite his faithlessness, God honored the work Moses did in obedience to His call. Moses may have failed, but he was also faithful. Isn’t that true of all of us? We all respond faithfully to the call of God, but we also fail. Sometimes we even do things that seem to put us ahead of God. Like Moses in the desert, we strike the rock as if we are the ones who are bringing forth the water. Twice. We can find comfort that despite his faithlessness, God honored Moses’ obedience. Moses stood with Jesus at the pinnacle of Jesus’ ministry, basking in His glory. He was dead, but still alive thanks to God’s grace.
Moses died, but first he laid his hand upon Joshua and gave him the authority to continue leading God’s people into the Promised Land. Moses only went so far and then had to turn the responsibility over to another. This was a foreshadowing of what was to come. Even the name Joshua parallels the story of Jesus; both names are different forms with a similar meaning, “the Lord is my salvation.” While Joshua is not Jesus, Joshua was the one who finished the Exodus; he led God’s people home, just as Jesus does for us. Moses was the mouthpiece of God’s Word, but Jesus is greater than Moses because He is God’s Word in flesh.
The psalmist reminds us that God spoke to the Israelites through the pillar of cloud and through His priests. He spoke to them through His Law. “They kept his testimonies, the statute that he gave them.” In later times, God spoke through His prophets. Moses and Elijah represent the people God chose to speak His words to the people until He sent His Son. Now, we hear God’s words through the stories of Jesus, through the scriptures, through the people who are called to preach and teach today. God speaks through our priests, pastors, preachers, missionaries, prophets and teachers. He speaks through other Christians. He speaks through us. God said to Peter, James, and John, “Listen to Him.” He says the same thing to us and invites us to share His Word of grace to the world.
It is important for us to remember that it is not the work we do, but that we remain true and faithful to God’s Word. Unfortunately, we often act in response to our circumstances without really listening to God. That’s when we show our own faithlessness. Moses hit the rock because he was frustrated by the continued faithlessness of the people, and in doing so showed his own faithlessness. Peter offered to build tabernacles for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah because he didn’t want the moment to end, and in doing so ignored the true ministry to which he was called. The offer seems faithful because Peter simply wanted to honor Jesus, Moses, and Elijah, but it is faithless because Peter was trying to keep Jesus on the mountain top rather than following Him into the valley and toward the cross.
As we spend time considering our own faithlessness during this Shrovetide, we are reminded how much like Moses and Peter we really are. We want to make a big show of our faith or dwell in the mountaintop experiences; we want to avoid getting down and dirty with the work of God’s kingdom. In the fifty days from Quinquagesima to Easter, we are invited to ponder our faithlessness, to repent, to be transformed by God’s grace. We know the end of the story. We know that Jesus died and rose again for our sake. We know that the faithfulness of God will bring us into our own Promised Land. It is in that hope that we can do God’s work in the world, but it is important for us to remember that His work is not always what we might hope or expect it to be.
Jesus could not live up to the expectations of the world; He had to be obedient to the Word of God, to do what God intended. The disciples and so many others wanted Jesus to lead an army that would destroy their oppressors and then sit on an earthly throne. Jesus knew that His story would have a much different ending.
Jesus had this moment of glory, but the real glory would come in a much different way. He led Peter, James, and John down the mountain because they needed to return to the real world, to the world which needed God’s mercy and grace. They needed to go back to the crowds, to the dis-ease, to the oppression. Jesus had to go back to the hatred and rejection that would send Him to the cross. The disciples quickly learned that the brilliance and magnificence of that mountain top experience was fleeting. He felt he needed to do something when God wanted him to listen and obey.
How often do we act when we should simply listen and obey? Unfortunately, we often become confused between what is real and our own response to the circumstances in which we live. Like Moses and Peter, our actions show our faithlessness.
We have to confess, however, that it is difficult to know if it is God’s voice we hear. It is easy to become confused by the noise of the world. Which voice is from God? Who is telling the truth? We wonder if we understand what the scriptures mean, or if we are putting our own spin on God’s Word. Peter had been listening to the expectations of the world and his own hope for Jesus’ ministry; he acted in response to the wrong voices. He didn’t want to believe what Jesus was saying about His suffering and death. God reminded him that the only voice that is true is Jesus’.
The writer of Hebrews says, “For every house is built by someone; but he who built all things is God.” God does not negate the ministry of those like Moses or Elijah to speak His Word, but He reminds us that there is one greater. Jesus is our hope and our salvation. He is worthy of our praise and thanksgiving, for He built the house.
Thankfully, God is gracious. Even when we are faithless, He is faithful. We may suffer the consequences of misfocused trust, but God will always let those with faith see the Promised Land. And though Moses did not enter with the people when they finally crossed the Jordan, He was not forgotten by God. He was still honored for his obedience and faith by standing in the glory of the true Savior. We, too, will fail but one day we will stand in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. And when we do, it will be for eternity because by His grace we have been made a part of His house forever.
Like Peter, we would like to focus on Jesus’ transfiguration and the glory. We even want to cut off the story at verse 36 in the lectionary because we would rather stay on the mountain top. Jesus refused to stay in that glory because He knew something greater was to come. Instead of savoring the moment, Jesus herded His disciples back down the mountain into the path of the real work of the kingdom. Jesus told them that He had to die. The glory would not be found on a mountain, in a castle, or on a throne. The true glory was found on the Cross. For the work of God to be complete He would need to get off the mountain.
I wonder what it would have been like to be with Peter, James, and John that day. I’d like to believe that I would have understood what was happening, that Jesus was giving us a preview of what was to come. The transfiguration was a brief moment in time when God showed the disciples the end of the story, that Christ was the King, His Son the Messiah, the One who would save the world. It was all so overwhelming for those three men, though. There they stood with Elijah and Moses, while Jesus was glorified before their eyes. What did it mean? They could only think in human terms.
We see the cross as a horrible and ugly thing, something to be passed over so that we can celebrate Easter. We are indeed Easter people, shining the light of Jesus Christ for the world to see, but Jesus was glorified when He took upon Himself the sin of the world to set us free from sin and death. The beauty is in the cross. This is the most foolish and hardest concept of Christian faith for us to believe. There could be no resurrection without death, no New Covenant unless the old one passed away.
At the Transfiguration we learn that Jesus is greater than the Law and the Prophets. He is greater than Moses and Elijah. When we listen to Him, we’ll grow in our knowledge of the God who saved us by His grace. The world will be blessed as God’s glory is reflected in our lives and through our work, even though Jesus has led us off the mountain into the messiness of the valley.
Peter, James, and John saw the reality of Jesus on that mountain. They saw Him in His glory; they heard God’s voice declare Him as the beloved One. But they quickly discovered that the brilliance and magnificence of that moment on the mountain was fleeting, so they followed Him to His destiny, the cross where He would truly be glorified. They learned in that moment on the mountaintop that the most important thing we can do is to listen to Jesus because He is God’s Son, the Messiah.
It isn’t in our scriptures for today, but we learn later from Peter’s second letter about what he experienced that day. “For we didn’t follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” (2 Peter 1:16, WEB) Peter was there with Jesus as He ministered to the world, on the mountaintop when Jesus was transfigured, at the cross when Jesus died, and then he saw the risen Lord. He heard Jesus speak. He listened to Him. He learned firsthand that Jesus was who He said He was. Jesus is the Light. Jesus is the Truth. Jesus is the Word incarnate. Jesus is Wisdom. As we celebrate the Transfiguration, we are reminded to listen to Jesus, to hear what He has to say and to believe His words. It is through Jesus that we will receive forgiveness and enter into the Promised Land. We are His house, He is our hope and salvation, worthy of our praise and thanksgiving now and forever.
February 27, 2025
“Hey! Come, everyone who thirsts, to the waters! Come, he who has no money, buy, and eat! Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which doesn’t satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in richness.” Isaiah 55:1-2, WEB
Lent begins with Ash Wednesday next week. This weekend is Shrovetide, a period meant to consider our lives, what we have done and left undone, what we should do to repent and amend our lives. During the next few days, many people will think about what they will “give up” for Lent, how they will fast. Many will think about devotional practices to enhance their spiritual life as we walk to the cross with Jesus. I know at least a few people who are thinking about giving up social media for the next forty days, and sometimes I think that might be a good idea.
I use my Facebook page for many reasons, including ministry, connection, and to share opportunities to serve others. I love to see what my friends and family are doing. I even enjoy watching some of the religious and political debates. Oh, the attitudes and opinions sometimes drive me crazy, but I have learned a lot from other people’s perspectives. I don’t often respond and have learned to scroll when something tempts me to sin against my neighbors like when I read something that makes me angry or upset. I believe much of what I do on social media glorifies God, so I will not be giving it up for Lent. I think the key, for me, is to avoid that which can tempt me, scrolling past the religious and political posts that might lead to debate and emotional response.
What is most bothersome to me on social media, however, are the advertisements. It doesn’t matter who we are and what we do, we are connected to the internet and our information is available to the world wide web. Through our web searches, our phone use, our television choices, our credit cards, and many other things, the algorithms provide recommendations for us. The ads on my games and other online activities are often for health-related products, particularly weight loss. I have to confess that I look at those ads, watch some of the videos, and wonder if that drug, supplement, or exercise program would help. Should I sign up for that app? Should I buy that pill? It is tempting to think that their product might just be the magic bullet that will kick my health journey up a notch.
Advertisements are designed to tempt us. Naturally, they tempt us to think we want or need their product. I once sat through a forty-five-minute video as a health coach tried to convince me that he had found the secret to good health and a fit body. What he said made sense and he might be right. He was convincing because he talked about how he had used his techniques with his mother, and that she has never been so healthy. I had to take a “quiz”, which led me to a specific video meant to for my body type. It is easy to think that he has the answers which makes it tempting to buy what he is selling.
He is not the only person peddling the secret to good health. They are trying to sell the easy way out. “Do this and you will feel the difference in days.” If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. It is interesting, though, how many of those products counter the others. This one says, “Do this” and the other says, “Do exactly the opposite.” We are all tempted to take the easy way out. I have read reviews and critiques of many of the products I’ve seen advertised. You can’t always trust anonymous commentors, but many of these products have side effects that are sometimes dangerous. The products may seem like a good idea, but too many things that tempt us have unexpected consequences. This is why God encourages us to beware. The season of Lent helps us build our spiritual strength so that we can focus on doing what God intends.
Isaiah presents an offer from God for something greater than the stuff we buy. He spoke to the thirsty, those who craved something that would satisfy their greatest needs. For the Israelites, only God could provide such a gift. He invites us to buy the water that will quench our real thirst without cost. What does this mean? After all, the word “to buy” means “to acquire possession, ownership, or rights to the use or services of by payment especially of money.” How can we buy wine and milk without money or without price?
There is another definition for “to buy.” It is to accept or to believe, as in “I buy that premise.” We don’t buy the gifts of God with money; we have nothing of value to trade with Him. We receive that which He has to give with faith. Unfortunately, we are daily tempted to use our money to buy promises that come with risk, promises that are rarely fulfilled, like those of the many health products that have consequences.
There are many ways we can fast during Lent, some are obvious, like giving up coffee or chocolate, but others are less so. There are excellent ways to spend our devotional time, with reading programs or prayer walking. I wonder if another way to spend this season is to carefully watch for the ways we are tempted daily and learn how to “scroll past” or reject the easy way out. God wants us to turn to Him, to experience His grace and strength to stand against the things the world wants us “to buy” that might not be good for us. Thankfully, we can trust that He is with us through it all, “selling” us what we truly need.
February 28, 2025
“Seek Yahweh while he may be found. Call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return to Yahweh, and he will have mercy on him, to our God, for he will freely pardon. ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways,’ says Yahweh. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain comes down and the snow from the sky, and doesn’t return there, but waters the earth, and makes it grow and bud, and gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so is my word that goes out of my mouth: it will not return to me void, but it will accomplish that which I please, and it will prosper in the thing I sent it to do. For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace. The mountains and the hills will break out before you into singing; and all the trees of the fields will clap their hands. Instead of the thorn the cypress tree will come up; and instead of the brier the myrtle tree will come up. It will make a name for Yahweh, for an everlasting sign that will not be cut off.’” Isaiah 55:6-13, WEB
Jim Carrey starred in the movie called “Bruce Almighty” as a man who was granted the opportunity to become God while God went on vacation. Bruce began his reign as a very selfish god, using his power to get everything he wanted: the girl, revenge on his enemies, abundant possessions. Then he began to hear voices in his head. He realized that these were the prayers of the people. Bruce could not keep up with all the prayers, so he just said “Yes” to every request. One of the most popular requests was for a winning lottery ticket. More than 400,000 people won the big drawing one day, giving every winner a grand total of just $17. They were angry that the answer to their prayer was less than they expected.
I’m guilty of praying selfish prayers. Wouldn’t life be so much easier if I had a million dollars to guarantee a secure future? I justify the request with the promise that I’ll use it to help others. The God we worship is not in the business of giving us everything we want. He provides for our needs. We don’t need the newest car or the biggest house. Those are “nicessities.” God knows that a million dollars can help us through tough times, but He also knows that a million dollars will keep us from looking to Him for our daily needs. He knows that we will see money as our savior. We don’t need God if we have everything we think we need to be satisfied. We define satisfaction as having “more than enough” but really, we only need “enough.” We love it when we have everything we desire, but we eventually realize that none of that really makes us happy.
We need shelter, food, and clothing, without a doubt, but our daily needs are so much more than that. We also need companionship, strength, guidance, and family. Even more so, we need hope, faith, joy, love, and peace. We need God, and we need Him daily. God is not a pop machine, available to give us what we want whenever we want it. We pray in submission, recognizing the truth that God is our provider; He gives us only what we need for this day so that we will continue to look to Him tomorrow. We need to be responsible and prepared, but not to the detriment of our reliance on our God who has promised to provide enough. He is radically generous, but not in the way we think.
Remembering that God provides our daily bread will help us to live content with what we have instead “buying” the things that tempt us. As we seek God and rely on Him, we see that we have enough to get us through the day and that there is even enough to share with others. We need not chase after risky promises because God will provide all that we need and then some. When there is extra, we need not hoard it “just in case.” God gives freely and abundantly with a radical generosity, so that there is always enough not only for our needs, but also for the daily needs of the world.
The text from Isaiah is familiar to us. We looked at the beginning of chapter 55 yesterday, the call for those who are thirsty to seek God: what He has He offers freely and abundantly. In today’s passage, we are reminded that everything that comes from God is fruitful. It is productive. God is actively involved in His creation, and He is faithful to His promises. His will shall be done, and He will make certain it is. Isaiah tells us in this passage of promise that instead of thorns, the earth will bear cypress and instead of briers the earth will bear myrtles. In other words, instead of plants that are useless and damaging, God will make the world productive and useful again. Instead of chasing after the things that tempt us, God promises that when we seek Him, He will be found.
Our lives are meant to be focused on God. As we travel through this journey of life, we learn that we aren’t in control of everything and that we shouldn’t even try. We want what we want, and so we let ourselves be led down a dangerous path. We want easy answers, to find the quick fix, so we yield to the temptations that just don’t seem worthwhile fighting. Thankfully, when we suffer the consequences of our poor choices, God can use the experiences for our good, bringing us to a deeper faith and closer relationship to Him. God knows what He’s doing, and His ways are always perfect.
God’s ways are not our ways. He does amazing and incredibly surprising things. He sent His Son to be born in flesh, to live and to die for our sake. We learn how to be children of God from Jesus Christ, and by His example we learn how to sacrifice ourselves by following Him and doing His work for the sake of others. As we prepare our hearts for the Lenten season, let’s remember that God can use this time to help us learn how to rely on Him to “sell” us without money what we truly need for this day and every day, into eternity.