Today's Word
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Salisbury PlainClimb a Hill, Look at a Rock Day
Our Lord is so good, He grants us many blessings. We can see Him in the daily course of events, in our homes, our jobs, our lives. I pray that these words help you to grow in your faith and recognize His hand in even the most mundane circumstances.
The picture to the right is of a Celtic Chapel located in Cornwall England. This building is approximately 1700 years old, and contains a holy well known for its healing powers.
(Click for enlarged)
“See how great a love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him. Beloved, now we are children of God. It is not yet revealed what we will be; but we know that when he is revealed, we will be like him; for we will see him just as he is. Everyone who has this hope set on him purifies himself, even as he is pure. Everyone who sins also commits lawlessness. Sin is lawlessness. You know that he was revealed to take away our sins, and no sin is in him. Whoever remains in him doesn’t sin. Whoever sins hasn’t seen him and doesn’t know him. Little children, let no one lead you astray. He who does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed: that he might destroy the works of the devil.” 1 John 3:1-8, WEB
Keanu Reeves is known for his kindness. Stories abound about his generosity. He saved a woman who was about to be evicted from her home by paying her bills. He often gives money from his earnings to other people working on his films because he believes they deserve more. He gave a large amount of money to a set designer as a bonus because the family was having difficulty. He helps on set, carrying equipment or other labor. He hangs out with people, fans and others, just because he wants to be with them. He once drove a girl out of his way because her car broke down. He’s humble, or as one article suggested, “self-deprecating.” He is incredibly generous with his resources, giving to charity secretly through a private foundation that aids children’s hospitals and cancer research.
A story from 2019 caught my eye this morning. He was on a flight from San Francisco to Burbank that was forced into an emergency landing in Bakersfield. The airplane landed safely and everyone was unhurt, but they were stranded about two hours from their destination. Keanu Reeves could have easily hired a private car and taken off while the other passengers had to wait or struggle to find a way, but instead he helped coordinate a large van. When the van arrived, he joined the other passengers for the tedious journey through the desert, and he spent the time entertaining them with stories and trivia, joining in singing, engaging in conversation. The passengers told stories of how Keanu helped calm them during the trip. He helped unload the luggage and then slipped away without fanfare.
He is quoted as saying, “I believe that kindness is the most important thing in the world. It doesn’t matter how much money or fame you have - what matters is how you treat others. We all go through difficult times, and the best way to help others is by showing them compassion and understanding. I’ve experienced a lot of loss in my life, but I’ve learned that the key to moving forward is by being kind to yourself and others. Life is unpredictable, but kindness is always within our control. We can all choose to be kind, and that makes the world a better place.”
Keanu went to a Catholic school but does not have confidence in his eternal destination. I’m not sure that his kindness to others has anything to do with trying to earn his eternal bliss, he seems to be so naturally kind and generous, but he offers an excellent model for how we who know Jesus are meant to live. Jesus Christ commands us to love one another and lay down our lives for our friends. We are commanded to bear fruit, lasting fruit, fruit built on love. His command is that we live as He lived, in selfless, sacrificial love, not only to those who treat us well, but to everyone. We are to serve our neighbors then slip away without fanfare. Sacrifice means giving up something, perhaps something we love or something we have earned through our own suffering. It means changing our ways.
When we practice sacrificial love, we do not experience a sense of loss or emptiness because we find real joy in the relationship we have with Jesus Christ through our obedience to His commands. The grace of God does not come to us because we are obedient or kind or generous. Instead, we receive God’s grace which fills us with His love until we can do nothing other than be obedient and kind and generous. We thank God for His grace by joyfully abiding in His love, sacrificing for others as Jesus Christ sacrificed for us.
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Lectionary Scriptures for May 18, 2025, Fifth Sunday of Easter: Acts 11:1-18; Psalm 148; Revelation 21:1-7; John 16:12-22
“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; neither will there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain any more. The first things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4, WEB
I heard a joke this morning that questioned why no one talks about Jesus’ greatest miracle. We, of course, recognize the resurrection as being the greatest, but the jokester said that Jesus’s real miracle was having 12 close guy friends in his mid-30’s. I suppose we could question whether Judas was really a close friend, but even eleven seems like a high number. How many people, male and female, can say that they have that many friends who would live, and possibly die, for them? I’m well beyond my 30’s and I have many friends, but I’m not sure how many of them would come at the drop of the hat if I called in need. My mother had a friend she called regularly for pie and to talk. They shared their joys and worries and always felt better after they had that time together.
Close friends usually have something in common, yet many of the disciples were unique. Though we often hear about the fishermen, there were other men with much different vocations. Matthew was a tax collector and Simon was a zealot. Talk about opposites! Matthew worked for Rome and Simon fought against Rome. Judas is identified as a thief and we have no idea what type of work Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, and Thaddaeus did, but I suspect they had little in common. The only connection was probably religion, though we can’t be sure how pious any of them were. Jesus noted that Nathaniel (Bartholomew) was a true Israelite, and the other disciples seemed comfortable with Jewish worship, but how deep was their faith and knowledge of the scriptures? It wasn’t until after the resurrection, the forty days Jesus spent teaching them, and Pentecost that they really began to understand Jesus.
Can you imagine how these twelve felt as Jesus spoke the words in today’s Gospel lesson? This passage is part of one of several monologues Jesus gave in John. This one is called the “Farewell Discourse.” Jesus was preparing them for the day when He would no longer walk beside them in the flesh. This discourse was spoken as the disciples gathered for Jesus' final Passover meal. Jesus prayed for them, gave them a few final thoughts, encouraged them to face the difficulties with faith, and warned them of what would happen.
They didn’t get it. They were confused because Jesus was not making sense in their minds, despite three years of telling them that this is the way things had to be. He repeatedly told them that He would have to suffer and die, but they held out hope that Jesus would overcome the persecution and take the throne of Israel. We look back on those references to His death throughout the scriptures and wonder how they could miss it, but we have to remember that we see the cross through hindsight. We know the end of the story; they didn't.
Sometimes it all seems so clear; sometimes we wonder what God is trying to tell us. This has been true of every generation of Christian since the very beginning. Sometimes what is clear for me is confusing for you and vice versa. God speaks to us as individuals even as He has spoken to all His people. Sometimes the lesson just makes sense to one of us more easily than others. I have to admit that I get frustrated when I try to explain something as I understand it, but it doesn't make any sense to someone else. I have to remember that the Holy Spirit makes it clear and I am simply a helper. We wonder when someone “gets it” but the “it” is completely different than what we were trying to teach. I’ve heard several pastors recently say that this happens to them all the time. The Holy Spirit reveals the Living Word through us, even when we don’t know what they need.
There was a school in Georgia that help separate proms for the black and white students. The school was about fifty-fifty, and everything else in the school had been integrated for decades. The students never saw this as a racial issue, it was simply that separate parties were planned by the parents for the black students and the white students. In 2007, the class president had a dream of doing something new; with his lead, the students planned their own prom. The prom was controversial in the community and some did not participate, but for those who did, it was a step in the right direction. This prom was not about integration; the prom was about table fellowship, having a social experience together rather than gathering separately for such an important event in the life of a High School student.
The Jewish community of Jesus’ time had strict rules about their socialization. They could not eat with people who were not circumcised. In the days following Jesus’ resurrection, as the apostles were beginning to teach and preach the Good News to the world, they continued to live according to the rules of their community. Peter refused to fellowship with those who were not circumcised.
That was until he had a vision from God. Peter might have rejected the call from Cornelius, but God showed him a better way. As the three men from Caesarea approached, Peter was on his roof praying. He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. Then a voice told him, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” Peter was upset by this command, because the food before him was unclean according to the law of the Jews. “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” This vision happened repeatedly, to ensure Peter that what he heard was the truth of God. When the vision ended, the men from Caesarea asked Peter to go with them.
Peter did not hesitate to visit the home of Cornelius. Peter told Cornelius it was against his law for him to be there but asked why he had been called. Cornelius shared the story of the angel and Peter understood that the vision was not only about food but also about people. So, Peter stayed with Cornelius and shared the Good News with his whole household. They believed and the Holy Spirit came upon them. The circumcised Jews who had come with Peter were amazed that God would pour out His Spirit on gentiles, but they heard them praising God in other tongues.
After this visit, Peter returned to Jerusalem to tell them about God’s grace to the Gentiles. They were not so upset that God would bless the Gentiles, they were upset that He expected them to accept the Gentiles into their community and at their table fellowship. The Gentiles were expected to convert to Judaism before they could become Christians. Peter discovered that God’s grace was not dependent on being a certain kind of person, but that He can bless whomever He pleases. That’s why Jesus picked a ragtag group of friends to follow Him. Those who have been saved by the Word and by the power of the Holy Spirit are part of the same fellowship and are welcome at the same table based on God’s grace. It isn’t easy, of course. The prom was controversial at first but has continued in the years since. Though some today still have a separate party, the official school sponsored prom is for all the students.
Christianity is about overcoming obstacles. The cross and the resurrection are certainly the most obvious events in which God has overcome our greatest obstacles, but there are many other ways in which we overcome. Jesus taught us to overcome fear, barriers, biases, hatred, doubt, hunger, loneliness, imprisonment, thirst, despair, sin, and death. Many of the Christian writing, both canonical and the writings of Christians throughout the ages, focus on overcoming our difficulties. Often those difficulties are based on the messages that are received from society in general. In today’s world, self-help books fill our bookshelves, so Christian writers also share ways in which the Christian message can help people overcome.
Things were not much different in John’s day; the gods which the people worshipped were different. Ours have names like “work”, “money”, “leisure.” Though the Hellenistic culture in which John lived was in many ways similar to our own, they had a list of gods which they honored with temples, pilgrimages, and religious rituals. The Christians had to overcome people’s reliance on those gods while drawing them into the heart of the One true and living God. In the story of Paul in Athens, Paul used their superstitious beliefs to introduce them to Jesus. They had an altar which had no name that was dedicated to whatever god they may have forgotten. Paul described the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who was incarnated as Jesus Christ and told them that this God they did not know was the only God they needed.
John used the culture of his day when sharing the message of his vision of the Revelation. For the people to whom he was writing, the culture of their day was filled with frightening images. Though they had faith in the One true and living God, they could not help but to be aware of the other stories that lingered in their midst. The Jews had what we would consider an irrational fear of the sea. This is understandable because they never had to sail anywhere as a people; they were nomadic and moved by foot until they reached the Promised Land. To them, the sea-loving Philistines were evil, and that judgment was based on their love of the sea.
The fear of the sea might have come from the ancient creation stories in which the gods were brought forth out of the sea. Tiamat was like a dragon but was the goddess of chaos and salt water. She was the mother of all living, of all the Babylonian gods and dragons. It is no wonder, then, that the Jewish readers of John’s Revelation would find comfort in the end of the sea. When John wrote that the sea was no more, we wonder why it would be so important to emphasize that fact. To the Jews and early Christians, the disappearance of the sea would also represent the disappearance of all those other gods who are such a large obstacle for them to overcome.
Since religious devotion was often directly connected to all aspects of society, living in a world worshipping One God verses the many gods, brought about persecution. Without the sea, without the chaos, without those gods, the world would be a much better place for the Christians. It seems insignificant to us, even unwarranted, since the sea is such an important part of our world, but to them, the sea represented the worst of their problems and when everything is made new by God’s grace, then there would be nothing left to fear.
The new frontier is space, and many people fear what might be out there. Human beings have long asked the question, “Is there life out there?” We have wondered whether or not there are any planets anywhere else in the universe that might have some form of created beings. Science Fiction often puts alien life on the planet Mars; UFOs have always been filled with Martians. As our scientific technology advances, we’ve been able to make strides in finding information about the worlds outside our earth. High powered telescopes and cameras have shown evidence of water on Mars. This was an amazing discovery and many have suggested that this means that Mars has the potential to sustain life.
Great strides have been made in the past few years by the Kepler telescope. Several exoplanets have been found throughout the universe that are very similar to Earth in size and location within a solar system, making it quite possible that they could support life as we know it beyond our borders. The government has begun releasing classified documents of UFO, or UAP as they are known today, encounters around the world. There are many theories about these encounters from Martian invasions to interdimensional beings to foreign military aircraft to optical illusions. Some are explained by weather phenomenon, while others are beyond explanation.
From a Christian point of view, we know there is life “out there” although our understanding of beyond our borders is much different than science. I find it interesting to think that perhaps the rumors of UFOs might be true and that there are other beings trying to reach out in fellowship with us. However, we do not need any evidence of alien life forms to know that we are part of something bigger than the tangible life we have on earth. When we sing the songs of thanksgiving and praise, like this one from the Psalms, we can see that there is something greater. We aren’t in it to be alone, but to be part of the whole, whatever we discover that whole to include.
There are many people who prefer to exercise their life of faith in God alone. They argue that the Church is not a building, but individual believers in personal relationship with Him. They claim that God can be found anywhere, in the quietness of the fields and under the shade of a tree. While this is true, there is something to be said about joining together in the fellowship of the saints, not only through time and space, but where we are here and now. Our praises, sung together in the presence of God is far more beautiful to His ears than those we sing alone.
Jesus called and gathered the twelve, and many other disciples, and walked with them in the world. They weren’t alike, they were unique. We, too, are called and gathered by Jesus, through His Holy Spirit to join with the entire creation to sing praises to God our Father. He hears our praise wherever we are, because everything He has made sings along with us, perhaps even beings lightyears away.
Yet, there is something very special when Christians raise their voices together to glorify God when they gather for worship. When you consider the entire creation - the heavens that reach far beyond our imagination, the planets in the universe that might possibly sustain other life forms, the microscopic organisms that could destroy a population of humans, the redwood trees that reach so high we can’t see the top, the depths of the sea that are too deep for our technology - it is easy to see the greatness of God. It is also easy to see that we are not much in the entire scheme of things. It is humbling to realize our place in this world. Yet, He has created human beings to be the crown of His creation. Should we not want to glorify Him together with one voice of praise? He has given us the heavens and the earth. He has given us the sun and the wind and the rain. He has made the animals, birds, plants and trees for us. And He has given the care and love of one another.
I think it is arrogant of us to assume that we are the only sentient, reasoning beings in the universe. Cannot God, who created us have also created others He loves and redeems? Time has been a subject in our devotions this week. Does anyone really know what time it is? God’s time is different than our time. What is time?
Science Fiction fans are familiar with the concept of time travel because many Sci-Fi shows use it as the basis for the problems and solutions that make them so exciting. I never watched the show “Heroes” but it seemed from the clips I’ve seen that time travel had an important place in the story-line. The same is true of movies like “Back to the Future” and books like the “Outlanders” series. The method of time travel is different for each, sometimes it is a state of mind, sometimes it is a strange machine and sometimes it is a glitch in the fabric of the earth. In Sci-Fi stories, time travel is always a two-way street, the traveler able to go both backward as well as forward.
Though physicists are still discovering new ideas, it was Einstein who best laid out the reality of time travel as we understand it today. It is complicated, but he discovered that time is not constant, but that it is relative to the one who is traveling through it: the faster you travel, the slower time moves. In other words, if you were to travel into space at nearly the speed of light and return to the earth after two years, you would find that much more time had passed. Since the speed of light is constant, the observers from earth-time perspective appear to slow down. Time seems to stay the same for the one traveling at the speed of light. By this theory, it seems time travel is possible, however it is only possible in one direction. You can never go back to the past.
Clifford Pickover wrote, “Most cultures have a grammar with past and future tenses, and also demarcations like seconds and minutes, and yesterday and tomorrow. Yet we cannot say exactly what time is. Although the study of time became scientific during the time of Galileo and Newton, a comprehensive explanation was given only in this century by Einstein, who declared, in effect, time is simply what a clock reads. The clock can be the rotation of a planet, sand falling in an hourglass, a heartbeat, or vibrations of a cesium atom. A typical grandfather clock follows the simple Newtonian law that states that the velocity of a body not subject to external forces remains constant. This means that clock hands travel equal distances at equal times. While this kind of clock is useful for everyday life, modern science finds that time can be warped in various ways, like clay in the hands of a cosmic sculptor.
“The line between science and mysticism sometimes grows thin. Today physicists would agree that time is one of the strangest properties of our universe. In fact, there is a story circulating among scientists of an immigrant to America who has lost his watch. He walks up to a man on a New York street and asks, ‘Please, Sir, what is time?’ The scientist replies, ‘I'm sorry, you'll have to ask a philosopher. I'm just a physicist.’”
As long as there is a clock close-by we think we know the time. Yet, the reality of time is far more complicated. Scientists like Albert Einstein and Carl Sagan spent much of their careers seeking to better understand time and all that is related. It was much simpler when we could keep the concept of time locked in a box, or a watch, or a clock. Even so, we joke about time like how we wish we could have twenty-five hours in a day or eight days in a week. Perhaps time travel would help us with our hectic schedules!
We try to keep God locked in a box. As we look back to the beginning of creation, we see that what God created He called good. The earth, the heavens, the plant and animal life, the man and the woman are spoken into life by God and He said, “It is good.” When sin entered the world, everything became corrupt and perishable, ravished by time. In his sin, Man tried to confine God to make Him suit their needs with idols, locking God behind the doors of their hearts and their temples so that He could not disrupt their plans.
But like time, God is not constant and can’t be locked in a box. He is bigger than anything we can create. God is not hidden behind a curtain or held by our ideology and biases. That’s what Peter learned in the vision and encounter with Cornelius. He learned that God’s grace is available to all those who hear, not just for those who exist in a certain time, place, or culture. He took that news to the Jews and opened for them a whole new world. The new world was one in which God’s love extended to people from all nations. This new world is made visible in the love of Christians for one another, the love with Jesus Christ commanded for His disciples. It is in that love which is not just a feeling but is an active love between brothers and sisters that God is glorified in this world and He is manifest for all to see.
God cares about all His creation: every bug, fish, bird, animal, UAP, and every human being. Human beings might be the only creature that creates buildings in which to worship God, but we are just a small part of His entire creation. The sun, the moon, and the stars all praise God. The heavens and the raindrops glorify God; the earth and all that lives on land and in sea sing His praises. The elements, the mountains, the hills and all the trees praise God. Wild and domesticated animals, clean and unclean and birds of the sky all join in the worship. For all we know, beings on other planets sing praise God God. No human being is greater than all this, whether ruler or servant, young or old, male or female. All creation was made by God, and all creation sings His praise.
Unfortunately, not every human being has benefitted from the saving grace of Jesus Christ; not all our neighbors have faith in our God. However, we are reminded by our scriptures that we cannot judge our neighbors’ faith by our expectations. God may just be sending you as a witness to the very neighbor you want to reject. The atheist that is unwavering in their lack of faith could be the next one upon whom God’s Spirit will fall. We might just be surprised; we might just realize that just as God is not limited by time or space, there are no limits to God’s grace.
God has done something new, but it isn’t really all that new. It is as He always intended. The psalmist shows us that the entire creation sings His praise. In Revelation we see all God’s people, no matter who they are, joining in the eternal worship of the One who did it all. Death and tears may have entered the world, but God has overcome death and will wipe away all our tears. One day we will join in the praise of the whole creation and all the Church for eternity, dwelling once again with the God who created us, loves us, and saves those who hear His voice and believe in Jesus Christ our Lord.
The following links provide some specially chosen scripture that tell the stories of the Birth and Passion of our Lord as Savior Jesus Christ, as well as a fictional perspective of the Crucifixion. Spend time in God's Word, read about His life and learn of the wonderful gifts He has for you. Know Jesus Christ and honor Him today. Thanks be to God.
The Story of our Savior's Passion
The Crucifixion, a fictional perspective
When researching, I use several versions of the bible, including the New International Version and English Standard Version. Due to copyright restrictions, I have not included quotes for the scriptures on some of the archives, but highly encourage you to open your own bibles to read the scripture passages for yourselves. Where scripture is quoted, it is usually the American Standard Version or World English Bible which belong to the public domain. Any other versions used in quotes are identified.
The devotion posted on Wednesday is based on the Lectionary texts used by millions of Christians each Sunday. The Lectionary consists of four texts: an Old Testament passage, a Psalm, a passage from one of the Epistles and a Gospel text and follows the church calendar. Archives for these writings are found at Midweek Oasis.
You are welcome to use these words to share the Gospel of our Lord Jesus. Please remember to give credit to the Author who has given you these gifts, and keep in remembrance the vessel which He used to bring them to you. We pray that this site may be a blessing to you and anyone with whom you've shared it. Peggy Hoppes
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