Welcome to the June 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


Topics

Thankful

Youth

Pentecost

Hope

Trust

Wisdom

Hear

Trinity

Forgiveness

Marriage

Hate

Respect

Proclaim

Labors

Stories

Temptation

John the Baptist

Presence

Welcome

Suffering

Understanding


A WORD FOR TODAY


Scripture on this page taken from the World English Bible which belongs to the public domain.





A WORD FOR TODAY, June 2025







June 2, 2025

“For he sees that wise men die; likewise the fool and the senseless perish, and leave their wealth to others. Their inward thought is that their houses will endure forever, and their dwelling places to all generations. They name their lands after themselves. But man, despite his riches, doesn’t endure. He is like the animals that perish. This is the destiny of those who are foolish, and of those who approve their sayings. Selah. They are appointed as a flock for Sheol. Death shall be their shepherd. The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning. Their beauty shall decay in Sheol, far from their mansion. But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me. Selah. Don’t be afraid when a man is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased; for when he dies he will carry nothing away. His glory won’t descend after him. Though while he lived he blessed his soul - and men praise you when you do well for yourself - he shall go to the generation of his fathers. They shall never see the light. A man who has riches without understanding, is like the animals that perish.” Psalm 49:10-20, WEB

Several page suggestions often come up on my social media that show the most unique, bizarre, and ridiculous houses that are currently for sale around the country. One house was originally built out of spite for an ex-husband who gave the ex-wife an unusable piece of land in their divorce. She built a house on it anyway. It was an asymmetric rectangle that filled every legal inch of that property, with one end only a few feet wide. Another house was filled with unusual built in play areas. Some are so bizarrely decorated that you wonder how the people could live there. One house was an Italian villa-like home that was never finished, probably because it was so huge that the builders ran out of money. There was another house that had a finished and decorated space so big that it housed more than a dozen classic cars.

Many of the houses are very grand, with thousands of square feet of living space, gold details and marble floors, theaters and bowling alleys, indoor and outdoor pools, separate guest quarters and more bathrooms than any family could ever need. I am awed by these homes. These owners fill their homes with ridiculously expensive items. One room seemed to be made from pure gold with chandeliers worth tens of thousands of dollars. In one bathroom, they had an ancient statue carved from wood that was worth more than a hundred thousand dollars. In a bathroom.

I confess that I sometimes envy the owners of these homes. I don’t blame them for having houses that are bigger than necessary (except maybe the owner who could not even finish building), after all we have a house that some might consider bigger than necessary. We also filled our home with beautiful things, the best we could afford. We have never bought a million-dollar home, but I’m sure there are people who think that we are rich fools.

As much as I am awed by those houses, I doubt I would ever purchase one. I think about how impossible it would be to furnish them. Are there even enough couches for 30,000 square feet? How do you clean that much space? Visitors who took a wrong turn could be lost forever! However, I can't help but envy those who live in some of these homes that I see. Fortunately, I know that it is foolish to buy something beyond my means, but even more so, I hope that if I ever come into enough wealth to afford one of those homes, that I will think twice about how I spend it.

We are studying the Book of Proverbs in my adult forum class, and we have talked about this very thing. The commentary we are using has divided the proverbs into topics, rather than studying them verse by verse. Yesterday’s topic was pride. It was interesting because the author of the commentary included proverbs that focused on what he called “the cousins of pride”: greed, jealousy, and envy. Greed is doing everything we can to get as much as we can. Jealousy is fearing the loss of something that is ours. Envy is wanting what isn’t ours. These three cousins are founded in pride, in the belief that we deserve whatever we can get, however we can get it. It is the belief that we deserve what we want and what we have.

The problem is that pride keeps us from being thankful for what we have. It makes us willing to do whatever is necessary to be the best, to have the most, to be the most impressive to our neighbors. However, we have to remember that we won’t take any of it with us. Buying a bigger house and filling it with beautiful things is not necessarily a bad thing. I wanted my home so I could share it with family and friends. Yet, too many people seek bigger and better for all the wrong reasons. I can’t possibly know what is in the heart of my neighbor, but God knows that we are guilty of pride, greed, jealousy, and envy, that’s why He teaches us in Proverbs how to be humble, content, and generous.

We are called to be thankful for what we have, and I have so much for which I should be thankful. I would love to be able to buy and fill some of those houses, but I know that what I have is enough. The most important thing in our lives is not the place where we lay our heads but our relationship with Jesus Christ. The final verse in today’s passage tells us that it is not wealth that is the problem, but the lack of understanding. When we know that our wealth is fleeting and perishable, that it will be passed on to another in the day of our death, we will live in that wealth with mercy and love. This is what matters. No matter what wealth we have, no matter how many zeroes are in our net worth or the value of our home, those who live in the love of God will be blessed today and always.

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June 3, 2025

“This saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance. For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we have set our trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. Command and teach these things. Let no man despise your youth; but be an example to those who believe, in word, in your way of life, in love, in spirit, in faith, and in purity. Until I come, pay attention to reading, to exhortation, and to teaching. Don’t neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the elders. Be diligent in these things. Give yourself wholly to them, that your progress may be revealed to all. Pay attention to yourself and to your teaching. Continue in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.” 1 Timothy 4:9-16, WEB

Walter Reed was a Major in the U.S. Army at the turn of the twentieth century. Walter was born in Virginia and the son of a Methodist minister. He was extremely intelligent. Walter’s life turned out much different than he would have liked. His family could not afford the kind of education he wanted, one geared toward the philosophical rather than the scientific. Unfortunately, it was very expensive to get that type of degree, the medical degree was far more affordable. He received his first doctorate at the age of 18 and his second a year later, doing both two-year courses in half the time.

For several reasons, Dr. Reed’s private practice never made it off the ground. He was so young that none of the patients believed he could actually be a doctor. He might have succeeded if he could have grown a beard which would have made him appear older, but hair would not grow on his face. Additionally, Dr. Reed was not from a social class where his social and family contacts would have given him credibility and patients needed to build a practice. Before long, Dr. Reed gave up on private practice and joined the army. He was in love with a woman, but knew he could never marry her if he had no financial stability to offer. He became a surgeon and his time in the army provided many opportunities for success.

Since yellow fever was a major problem around the world at this time. Scientists were just discovering the fact that many diseases come from microorganisms that are passed from person to person through the air or by touch. Dr. Reed, in association with other scientists, helped eliminate yellow fever by pinpointing the source of the contamination: mosquitoes. Dr. Reed’s dedication to finding the truth led to an experiment with twenty-four very brave soldiers who allowed themselves to be bitten by infected mosquitoes. They proved that it was the mosquito and not other sources as commonly accepted at the time. They realized that to reduce the number of people contracting the disease, they had to eliminate the carriers, so cities dealt with the breeding places and recommended that people have only enough water necessary for daily living in their homes and well covered.

Eventually a vaccine was discovered, thanks to the work of Dr. Reed. He died in 1902, having accomplished something great for humanity. His career took a different path than he wanted, but he was laid to rest in Arlington Cemetery with these words as his epitaph, “He gave to man over that dreadful scourge, yellow fever.”

The hospital named after Major Walter Reed was first opened on May 1, 1909. It is an awesome way to honor this man who through his persistence and integrity managed to change the world and help many people. Yet, hearing his life story, we realize that in many ways he is no different than ourselves. He did not have control over much of his life but in the end he accomplished just what he wished to accomplish. He was too young and of the wrong social class; he could not succeed in one way but managed to succeed in an even greater way.

Timothy was also too young, but Paul encouraged him to ignore those who tried to stop him from doing his work for the Lord. We may have goals that seem impossible, but we can trust that God will use our gifts in some magnificent way, we need only follow God’s calling in our lives without worrying about how the rest of the world will react. The things that matter to the world don’t matter to God. He can use each of us according to His good and perfect purpose, even when we do not fit into the expectations of those around us. Give yourself fully to your own work for the Lord and He will bless the world through you.

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June 4, 2025

Lectionary Scriptures for June 8, 2025, Pentecost: Genesis 11:1-9; Psalm 143; Acts 2:1-21; John 14:23-31

“They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other languages, as the Spirit gave them the ability to speak.” Acts 2:4, WEB

Most languages have a common root, although that ancient language has long been forgotten, making it difficult for us to talk to people from another country. Sometimes it isn’t even different languages that cause confusion. It is difficult for an American from the south to have a conversation with a English speaking person from Britain or Australia. My children had a Spanish teacher that told us that even though she was a native speaker, there are places around the world that speak a different type of Spanish.

However, language is not always a barrier. You can go to an opera that is sung entirely in Italian and understand what is happening. Missionaries often visit other countries with very little knowledge of language and no knowledge of the regional dialects and are able to communicate with the people and serve their needs. Christians can often attend church in foreign lands and understand what is happening because the liturgy rises above language. Music is a language that crosses borders.

When my husband and I first met, he was stationed in England, and I was living in an apartment in New Jersey. We met at a wedding, so we only spent a few hours together before being separated by an ocean. We met before the age of the Internet, but we used old fashioned ways of communicating. We sent letters regularly, audio tapes occasionally, and we even managed to send a videotape message or two during the nine months we “dated” long distance. We occasionally called one another on the telephone, even though it was very expensive.

I am an artist at heart, so I often have off-the-wall ideas, including my answering machine messages. I had a very limited knowledge of the French language, just in enough to get me into trouble more often than I should admit. I put together a fun message using French, which created a number of problems both for those who dialed a wrong number and those who know me intimately. One friend’s response on the machine was, “I’m pretty sure I heard your last name in that message, so if this is Peggy call me back.” The problem was magnified when it came to Bruce. Since he was living in England, he had to dial a country code to make a call to America. When the answering machine spewed a message in French, he thought he had made a mistake and dialed the wrong country code. When he got the message again, after carefully dialing, he realized it must be my phone. After causing him to make two overseas telephone calls I realized it would be better to keep my message simple and informative.

According to the internet there are more than 7100 different languages. Some have systems of writing, my many are just verbal. In the Douglas Adams story, “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Universe,” the travelers wear a “Babelfish” in their ear that automatically translates any language so that strangers can understand one another. It isn’t quite so simple in the real world, though with the internet it is getting much easier. There are translation apps for your phone, and the website Babelfish offers translation for fifteen of the most common languages. There are many other ways of learning to understand different languages.

The Bible tells us how the languages became confused in the story we read from Genesis today. The people of Babel were the first agrarians. They had learned how to harvest water, to tame the land, to work together to have enough food for a large group. They stopped being nomadic. They settled down and stayed in one place. They had time to do things other than survive. They built permanent homes and other buildings. They were beginning to form business methods, writing, art, government and religion. They established temples for their gods. This freedom gave them time to ponder life, the universe and everything. They believed in the gods, but they also began to see themselves in a new way. They were not only stronger than the animals, they were also intelligent. They could build things. They could create things. They could transform things. They began to think like gods.

One day they got together and decided that they, too, could be like their gods. They worked together to build a tower to heaven. The tower was more than just a ladder. The people wanted to make a name; they wanted a reputation. Archeologists have found ziggurats throughout the Middle East, including one that they believe is actually the original Tower of Babel. These towers were designed to reach toward the heavens to impress the gods so that they would bless the people with prosperity, health and wealth. Yet in the story of the Tower of Babel, we get the impression that they were building it for another reason. They were afraid that they would lose it all and that they would be scattered. They didn’t want to go back to the old nomadic ways.

It is interesting to note that even if the tower of Babel was much larger than the typical ziggurat which was less than ten stories, it would have been dwarfed by the amazing skyscrapers of today. The problem is not that they were able to build incredible architecture or even that they were trying to reach heaven. That was an impossible goal because heaven is not a place we can identify in relation to the world. We have sent rockets into outer space, and cameras to the far edges of our universe, but they will never reach heaven. The problem in Babel was that the people thought they could become like God. People have always managed to overcome differences in language to accomplish great things. We can see that in the history of the world, and despite more than seven thousand languages, the world has become a very small place.

The Tower of Babel must have been an extraordinary accomplishment because God saw what they did, and He knew that it was not good for the people to reach too high. He is pleased when we use our gifts and develop our talents. He created man to be co-creators with Him in this world. He wants us to reach high, but we can’t become gods, and we shouldn’t try. Fear manifests as ambition. If only we could become great, then we wouldn’t have to worry about losing anything. If only we could become immortal, then we would own the world. But we can’t become immortal by our own human deeds.

God was not impressed. “Yahweh said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do. Now nothing will be withheld from them, which they intend to do. 7 Come, let’s go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So Yahweh scattered them abroad from there on the surface of all the earth. They stopped building the city.”

This scattering would not be permanent. We know that even in the days when Jesus walked the earth, many different nations found ways to communicate and trade. The variety of nations and languages represented in Jerusalem during the Pentecost season was diverse. Luke tells us in Acts that there were “Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the parts of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians.” We know, at the very least, people spoke Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and/or Aramaic. The visitors to Pentecost likely spoke other foreign languages.

We talk about Genesis 11 on Pentecost, because we see a complete reversal of what happened in Babel, but not in a way those ancient people might have wanted. God didn’t give the world one language so that they could easily understand each other. He gave the world a new language: the Gospel, which makes us one in Him. The Pentecost event was miraculous; the discipled spoke the languages of the world so that all the people in Jerusalem could hear the story of Jesus and His grace in their own tongue. The words might be different from nation to nation, but the Gospel is the same everywhere. Jesus Christ died for the sake of the world so that all who believe will be saved.

The psalmist reminds us that no man is righteous and that the persecution we experience might just be deserved. We have reason to be downtrodden, for our hearts to be desolate. But when we are overwhelmed, we need only remember what God has done and what God has overcome. We can seek His grace to cry out to Him. The Gospel is a message of forgiveness. Whatever it is that we have done wrong, whatever failures we have experienced, whatever sins we have committed are forgiven and forgotten in the name of Jesus. He is the manifestation of God’s lovingkindness. It is passed to us not in the flesh of Jesus, but in the power of the Spirit. By His hand we are saved and gifted, we are welcomed into an everlasting relationship with our Creator. We don’t have to build a Tower to heaven because God has come down to earth to dwell among us.

God had a plan from the beginning of time to work this salvation and transformation in our lives. He promised throughout the Old Testament that He would send a Savior, and that Savior promised that He would send a Helper. Jesus was the Savior, and for the past seven weeks we have heard Jesus preparing the disciples to continue His work in the world. Those stories are meant for us to. We have lifted up the apostles as special witnesses for God, and we think they are faultless. Yet, we know from the stories in the scriptures that they were not perfect; they were just like us. They sinned against their neighbor; they learned day by day how to be better. They needed a Savior as much as we do.

Every parent wants the best for their children. We want them to have a better life than we had. We push, perhaps too hard sometimes, so that they will go farther and higher than we ever went. Some parents, maybe all of us in some ways, try to live vicariously through our children, living out our dreams and trying to correct our regrets, like the things we didn’t get to do, the things we failed to do, the things we forgot to do. We don’t want our kids to make the same mistakes, so we push.

It is difficult for our children to live up to our expectations. Many have no desire to do the same things their parents did. They don’t want to go to the same college or have the same goals. They don’t have the same gifts. How does a child who wishes to be an artist face a parent who is a world-renowned lawyer? How does he or she accomplish greatness under such circumstances?

This Sunday we celebrate the beginning of the next step in God’s plan for His children, but we wonder how we could possibly live up the expectations that He has for us. We are reminded at Pentecost that we could not believe or be transformed without the power of God’s Holy Spirit which the Church received at Pentecost.

Jerusalem was filled with people who spoke many other languages during the days of Pentecost. There were people with Hebraic heritage all over the known world. A large community lived in Ethiopia. There were communities of Jews in Asia. Luke tells us that the crowd in Jerusalem was filled with Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the parts of Libya around Cyrene. There were visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians. There are ways to get what you need when you are in a foreign place, but who would have thought that a hodgepodge group of Galileans could speak in a way that so many could hear and understand?

It is helpful to understand the Jewish roots of the festival which is the historical foundation of our Christian celebration of Pentecost. It was a time of counting and preparation. The word “Pentecost” means “fifty” because it was the fiftieth day following the Passover. The counting begins on the second day of the Passover feast when an omer of barley was presented at the temple as the first fruits grain offering. Forty-nine days later an omer of wheat was presented. The counting of the omer concluded with Shavuot. This represents the time between the Exodus from Egypt and the giving of the Law; the celebration is described in Leviticus 23:15-16. At Passover they celebrated their freedom from slavery and then at Shavuot they remembered their acceptance of the Torah, the Law of God. They remembered their commitment as a nation to serve their God.

The barley, also called the wave offering, was representative of the food meant for the animals. It is unearned, given freely, just as the Exodus was a gift given freely by the grace of God. After forty-nine days, the next grain offering was wheat grain made into bread. It was an offering that was given with the cooperation of human effort. Therefore, the forty-nine days were spent not only caring for the wheat and preparing the bread but also developing one’s spiritual potential. This is what Jesus did during the forty days He spent with the disciples after His resurrection. He was preparing the disciples for the work they would do when they were sent out into the world. When He ascended to heaven, they spent the next ten days in prayer. The promised Spirit came on the fiftieth day.

In some Jewish traditions, the preparation for Pentecost was a time to work on one’s inner growth, to develop good character through reflection. Using the “sephirot” or attributes of God from the Kabbalah, the believer reflected on each of seven aspects one day of each week for seven weeks. The weeks also represented the seven aspects, so each day focused on a different combination. The seven aspects are mercy/grace/love of God; judgment/strength/determination; symmetry/balance/compassion; contemplation/initiative/persistence; surrender/sincerity/steadfastness; foundation/wholly remembering/coherent knowledge; kingdom/physical presence/vision and illusion. On the first day of the first week, the believer reflected on the mercy that is in mercy. On the second day of the first week, they reflected on the judgment that is in mercy. On the first day of the second week, they focused on the mercy that is in judgment. They do this each day until they reach the seventh day of the seventh week when they reflect on the kingdom that is in the kingdom.

Pentecost is one of the most important festivals in the Christian year. We don’t follow the Kabbalah tradition, but perhaps we should put more care into the fifty days between Easter and Pentecost, preparing our hearts for the reality of what Christ has done, just as Jesus prepared the disciples for their ministry in the world. We spend time in prayer during Advent and fast during Lent, but we focus on the Incarnation to the Resurrection during the Easter season without preparing ourselves for the day when we truly join the story. It is at Pentecost that Jesus gave us the Spirit. By faith and His power, we can commit to serving Him in the world. Just as the grain offering was given with human effort, God used Pentecost and human cooperation to bring His Gospel message to the world.

The ten days the disciples waited in Jerusalem must have been difficult, dealing with disappointment, discouragement, uncertainty, and doubt. Despite the promises, the disciples did not yet have the indwelling Spirit of God, so for a moment they were left alone. How would they do what Jesus told them they would do? They weren’t just going to teach people about God; they were being sent to do more. Far more. Earlier in John 14, Jesus said “Most certainly I tell you, he who believes in me, the works that I do, he will do also; and he will do greater works than these, because I am going to my Father.” How in the world would they ever do greater things than Jesus?

The disciples were the first to be given the Spirit, to follow Jesus in His work, to be called into ministry in the world. For the past few weeks, we have heard stories from the book of Acts about the amazing things the disciples did. We’ve heard some stories this Easter season from the book of Acts about the amazing things that the disciples did. They raised the dead, healed the sick, spoke with authority, and did many of the same things that Jesus did. Still, could anything they do ever be greater than everything Jesus did?

This promise was fulfilled at Pentecost. The truth is that we would never do greater things than Jesus on our own, but with His Spirit we can do anything He sends us to do. We might think that means we’ll do miracles like healing the sick or raising the dead, but are they truly greater that Jesus’ miracles? We will never feed thousands of people with just a few fish and loaves of bread. Jesus did miracles that only the Messiah could do. What could we ever do that would be greater than Jesus? After all, He was not an ordinary man; He was the Son of God. Yet, that promise was fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost.

Jesus did miracles, but even greater than the miracles is the message of the Gospel. We are amazed to think that someone might have been dead and then was alive, but the greater miracle is found in the salvation of God. Jesus healed the sick and raised the dead, but even greater than these is the healing and life that comes from the Word of God. Every Christian, saved by the Gospel and transformed by the Holy Spirit, is a greater miracle than all the miracles that Jesus did. Jesus did not expect the disciples to be like Him, wandering the countryside doing miracles. That is certainly one way to share the Gospel, but Jesus intended something greater for His people. They were called to share God’s grace with the world through the Good News, making disciples of all nations and teaching them to do all that Jesus commanded them to do.

We can focus on a number of different themes for Pentecost. Pentecost is the birthday of the Church, when God gave to the disciples the final piece to the puzzle: the Spirit, who would remind them of everything Jesus taught, teach them what they do not yet know, and give them the power to continue the work Jesus did in this world. We can focus on the idea of languages: that the power of God’s Spirit came at Pentecost to make it possible for disciples of all places to share the Gospel message with the world. We can focus on the wind or breath of God, learning more about the Holy Spirit, and the gifts He gives to God’s people. We can talk about the unity of the body of Christ that comes by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The promise of Pentecost is not that we will be able to understand one another even if we speak different languages. It is about becoming one people again: His people. The power of God’s Spirit came at Pentecost to make it possible for disciples of all ages to share the Gospel message with the world. We are unified—made children of God and heirs to His eternal kingdom—not because we have done anything right or have earned the honor. God comes to His people and by His Spirit grants them faith and gifts to make His name known throughout the world. We are called to be Christ’s body, to share the Gospel and to bring others into the unity of the Church.

Though the miracle of Pentecost is the miraculous tongues that brought so many to faith on that day so long ago, the Holy Spirit’s gift is not always about miracles. We may never raise the dead or heal a leper. We may not cast out demons or make a paralytic walk. We do not have to strive to do those things. If that is the work God is calling us to do, He’ll give us the power and the opportunity to do so. Our task, first and foremost, is to share the simple message of the Gospel, so that those who hear and believe will be restored to God and become His children. These are the greater things.

The psalmist reminds us that no man is righteous. We are all sinners in need of a Savior, by the grace of Jesus Christ we have received forgiveness, and we are being transformed into the people God created us to be. We can seek His grace to cry out to Him, even though we are not worthy. The Gospel is a message of forgiveness, not given because we earn it but because God has promised. We don’t have to build a tower to heaven because God came to earth to dwell among us. This is the promise of the Resurrection, and which was fulfilled at Pentecost.

We are sinners in need of a Savior. It is so much easier to see the faults of others. We can cry out to God in our troubles. We can even ask God to deal with our enemies, but we but we are reminded by the psalmist that no man is righteous. By the grace of Jesus Christ, we have received forgiveness. The story of Jesus from Incarnation to Resurrection made that possible, and it is through Pentecost God restored His people and gave us one language: the language of faith. The story of Jesus continues with us, the people He saved.

We often talk about Pentecost being the birthday of the Church. Perhaps it is. But Pentecost is more than that; it is the day when God restored His people and gave us one language: the language of faith. We don’t have to strive for things of the world. We don’t have to be frightened to lose everything we’ve collected. We don’t have to worry whether we’ll live to see another day because even in death we will live forever. God didn’t make it impossible for us to dwell together in this world by confusing our language, but He helped us to see that we should not strive to be gods. Instead, He gave us the most amazing gift that makes us one with Him and each other, the Spirit, who helps us to live in whatever world we have created with grace and peace.

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June 5, 2025

“Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; 2 through whom we also have our access by faith into this grace in which we stand. We rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only this, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope doesn’t disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Romans 5:1-5, WEB

We have reached graduation time, an exciting even for students, families, and school staff. At most schools, the line of graduates begins with the highest achieving students, young men and women who had the highest grades and awards. The schools often list the scholarships each students received from schools of their choice and organizations that they supported. We attended an annual awards ceremony a few years ago where the principal announced that the students had earned millions of dollars’ worth of scholarships, some of which were full-ride monies that would pay for their entire college career.

These monetary awards are not just about the money, though. Scholarships are also about hard work and are indicative of a student’s commitment not only to the academics but also to the organizations to which they belong whether it be sports, service, or arts. The organizations and sponsoring groups not only want to give those students the financial aid they might need to get through college, but also the recognition for their talents, actions, and dedication. I am always happy when I see that the award winners are not just those who have the highest grades but are those who do the best they can in all areas of life. We have high hopes for all our children and rejoice with them in all their accomplishments.

I have had similar hopes for my own life and rejoice when good things happen. Unfortunately, we are often disappointed. We don’t get the scholarship or the job promotion. Relationships are broken. Accidents happen. People we love die. We do not always do as well as we hope. We often suffer from illness and disease. The world around us is imperfect and that imperfection manifests in our lives, creating roadblocks to the utopian world for which we hope. It is impossible to rejoice in hope, knowing that our hopes will often fail.

The hope we hear about in this passage, however, is not a hope that will fail. We often think of hope in terms of things that are little more than wishes and dreams, trusting and hoping in things that are created and perishable. However, when God speaks of hope, it is something more. Hope in God’s promises is not something that will fail or disappoint, it is the expectation of the fulfillment of God’s Word. Paul wrote that we are justified by faith, and we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus. Through Him we have access to the faith that justifies us. All of this comes because the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. That hope does not disappoint.

This does not mean that we will never suffer. As a matter of fact, suffering is part of the circle of faith: joy in the hope and joy in the suffering leads to perseverance leads to character leads to hope. It is part of the life of faith. The joy we feel is not a giddy happiness because everything is perfect, but it is living in the expectation of God’s amazing grace. Will God’s grace grant us everything we hope for? Will we receive the rewards of life for our accomplishments? Not necessarily. However, if those hopes fail there is always a greater hope, one that will never fail. That hope rests on the promises of God through Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit. He does not disappoint.

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June 6, 2025

“God, you are my God. I will earnestly seek you. My soul thirsts for you. My flesh longs for you, in a dry and weary land, where there is no water. So I have seen you in the sanctuary, watching your power and your glory. Because your loving kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise you. So I will bless you while I live. I will lift up my hands in your name. My soul shall be satisfied as with the richest food. My mouth shall praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you on my bed, and think about you in the night watches. For you have been my help. I will rejoice in the shadow of your wings. My soul stays close to you. Your right hand holds me up. But those who seek my soul to destroy it shall go into the lower parts of the earth. They shall be given over to the power of the sword. They shall be jackal food. But the king shall rejoice in God. Everyone who swears by him will praise him, for the mouth of those who speak lies shall be silenced.” Psalm 63, WEB

I had a friend who got a new kitten. Alex was just barely old enough to be away from her mother, and she was a tiny ball of fluff with endless energy. I went to this friend’s house when the kitten was new to the house, and the room where we sat was new to her. Alex spent the evening zooming, bouncing, and climbing everywhere, entertaining us with her zest and curiosity. She startled us and herself when she jumped onto the keys of the piano.

The family also had a hamster that was happily sleeping in her cage while the kitten zoomed all around. Tilly eventually woke up and began to do hamster things, like gnawing and exploring. Alex did not notice the hamster until there was movement in the cage, and she was mesmerized until she got bored and went zooming around the room again. Alex noticed Tilly a second time and went to investigate. This time she sniffed at the walls of the cage and tapped them with her paws. No matter what she did, she was unable to get to Tilly.

Tilly was completely unbothered by the cat’s presence. She remained at peace and went about her business climbing through the rooms of her house, chewing on everything she could get her teeth on. She had no concern for this playful fellow outside her cage, even though the way Alex began to attack the walls might have seemed threatening. Alex was just a tiny ball of fluff, certainly non-threatening to the people sitting in that room. However, Alex is larger than Tilly, and she did attack the cage. Tilly never flinched.

Have you ever felt like a hamster in a cage, attacked by the pressures of the world and the effects of sin? Sometimes evil seems to come in a package that is unthreatening but can still be overwhelming. Think about the life of David. Many of the psalms are called Songs of Lament, or what we might think of as “oh woe is me” whininess. I say that with tongue in cheek because David certainly faced some very real enemies, including Saul. Today’s Psalm probably was written when David was running from enemies, like Saul in 1 Samuel 21-23.

Saul was almost like a father to David in the beginning. David served Saul and was able to calm Saul’s spirit when he played his lyre. The day came that the Lord was so angry with Saul that He took His anointing from him and promised David that he would be king. Saul refused to give up his power and position, and so David fled from Saul’s anger and threats into the wilderness, far from the Holy Place of the Temple and the presence of the Word of God. The wilderness of Judea was a dry and thirsty place.

David had a vital and rich experience in God’s presence and vowed to continue to enjoy His God. He was thirsty and hungry but then was full and satisfied. He looked to God to overcome his fear at night, when he was most vulnerable and afraid. David may have been in the desert, but He knew God’s promises and trusted in Him. While this psalm is a lament, it is also a song of praise, because David knew that God is faithful and that He would make all things right.

What do you do when you feel like you are trapped, when the pressures of the world are overwhelming? David trusted God, and even when he had the opportunity to fight against Saul, he did not harm him. It is because he trusted God that he did not wrong to those who stood before him. He knew that his enemies would not win, that they would meet the end that they intended for him. God has a way of turning things around for our sake. Later, David’s offspring Jesus expressed the psalmist’s passion that God’s love is better than life by dying on the cross. Though Jesus did die, God won the victory over sin and death by raising Jesus. As Christians, we experience the same thirst as David for God, but it is quenched by Jesus. Let us all pray that we can be like that hamster Tilly, at peace in our little corner of the world, unflinching when the attacks come because we know we are at home in the Kingdom of God.

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June 9, 2025

“I have also seen wisdom under the sun in this way, and it seemed great to me. There was a little city, and few men within it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it. Now a poor wise man was found in it, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man. Then I said, ‘Wisdom is better than strength.’ Nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.” Ecclesiastes 9:13-16, WEB

I once had a conversation with a young man who told me he wanted to visit Las Vegas, but he was not yet old enough to gamble. He admitted to me that he played online poker games and said he did very well. I warned him about the dangers of gambling: that you win just enough to make you think you are a brilliant player but then your luck runs out and you begin to lose. The temptation is to keep going anyway, thinking that your brilliance will overcome your bad luck and you will win again like you did in the beginning. All too many people have gotten caught up in this vicious circle and they have suffered for it. It is so easy for us to experience and succeed at something once and think that it means we have a gift.

I had another conversation with a young woman who told me about an incredible experience she had with the Holy Spirit. I understood her enthusiasm because I had a similar experience. She, however, was immediately convinced that she was a prophet and that everything she said should be accepted as God given. She wrote sermons. She corrected and rebuked others. She spoke “words” that she expected to be believed and embraced, but many of those “words” were filled with error. They did not line up to the scriptures and were dangerous to the spiritual health of those who followed her teachings.

In both these stories, these young folk listened to the wisdom I offered and accepted it as good advice, at least during our conversation. I don’t know what happened to the young man. The self-proclaimed prophet came back to me several times seeking my advice because she thought I was a prophet. One day she shared some of her writing, hoping I would encourage her work. It didn’t take me long to realize she wasn’t interested in honesty; she didn’t want my correction. Though she praised my wisdom, she believed that she gifted and rejected what I had to say when I pointed out her errors. All she wanted was for me to tell her she was the brilliant prophet she thought she was, responding with insults, disregarding me as a person worth listening to.

Wisdom is quickly forgotten.

These stories happened many years ago and I did not know then, or now, what happened with these two young people. I shared my experience and knowledge with them in the hope that they would listen and walk a better path, making the right decisions in due time. The irony of my relationship with the young “prophet” is that she pursued our relationship because she thought I was a prophet, too. When I didn’t say what she wanted to hear, she told me I wasn't a prophet, an office I never claimed for myself.

Unfortunately, I don’t think the young man will take my thoughts to the table with him. My experience with gambling has always been penny ante, trivial when compared to the numbers he had been dealing with online. The young woman stopped listening because I became like a “poor man” whose wisdom was not worth remembering. It is my hope that she eventually heard God’s wisdom, relying on His truths in whatever ministry she was called to do. Human wisdom, even mine, is fleeting, but God’s is eternal. May we all listen to Him and hear the truth so that we’ll keep on a good and right path to His glory.

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June 10, 2025

“He said, ‘Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.’” Mark 4:9, WEB

We listen to a radio show on Sunday mornings. It is a repeat of the top forty hits from sometime in the 1980’s with Casey Kasem. The original show never talked about the year because it didn’t matter to the listeners, so my husband and I try to guess what year it might have been. We remember the songs based on places we lived or other aspects of our lives in the 80’s. I’m usually pretty terrible about guessing, but my husband has a decent memory and can usually come within a year or two. The modern announcer tells us the year occasionally during the show, including an opening introduction with the date. I usually get the radio turned on in time, and I try to focus so that I hear, then I can “guess” with knowledge. Unfortunately, I often tune out just when the announcer gives the date, and I miss it.

I know the radio is on. I hear what is being said with my ears. I recognize the voice of the announcer, but I’m focused elsewhere and do not comprehend what is being said. I determine each time that I will hear it this time, but I don’t. When my husband comes to the living room a few minutes later, I can’t tell him the year because I didn’t hear it. I hear with my ears, but not with my mind. I have no idea what he was saying. Sometimes I have a good excuse when I hear but do not hear, like when I am groggy from just waking up, or busy with something else, but most of the time I am purposely trying to listen and still tune out and miss what I want to hear. I wonder how often I hear someone talking to me, but I do not hear what they are saying. I might hear, but I’m not really listening.

In the verse for today, Jesus says, “Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.” I could have used this quote from several places in the Gospel. Jesus uses it after He tells a parable, calling our attention to the lesson He is teaching, not just the story. He wants us to really hear what He is saying, to hear it with our minds, not just our ears. As a matter of fact, Jesus wants us to hear it with our hearts, to make it part of who we are so that we will become more mature in our faith.

Jesus is not simply talking about using the flesh organs to hear the words spoken, but to hear what He is saying. Unfortunately, many of us have ears and we hear but we do not really comprehend. It is like we tune out our brains when we hear God’s Word. This is particularly true when we hear text that is very familiar to us. We hear the words, we recognize the voice, but we quickly forget what He has said. We go to church and hear the Word preached and receive the sacraments only to forget it all the minute we walk out of the door of the building. Jesus wants us to hear in a way that makes a difference in our life. He wants us to be transformed by His Word. He wants us to be prepared to go out in the world and face the temptations and opportunities that are waiting for us. If we only hear the words as in a dream, we’ll never be ready to tell the devil to go away or to tell the world about God’s mercy.

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June 11, 2025

Lectionary Scriptures for June 15, 2025, Holy Trinity Sunday: Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31; Psalm 8; Acts 2:14a, 22-36; John 8:48-59

“Yahweh, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” Psalm 8:1, WEB

Pentecost ushers in a new season in the Church year. This season which lasts until Advent is a season of learning, growing, and becoming that which Christ has called us to be. The first half of the Church year focuses on the story of God: the coming and birth of Christ, the Epiphany and revelation of His presence to the world, the journey to the cross during Lent, the death and resurrection, His final lessons to His disciples, and then His ascension into heaven. The second half focuses more on our story. Pentecost is about how to live extraordinary lives in the midst of ordinary circumstances as Jesus’ disciples.

Before we begin this season of learning, we stop for a moment to linger over the mystery of God. Trinity Sunday makes us stop to reflect upon our God, to draw deeper into His heart and ponder His majesty. It is not a time for us to discern our place in God’s kingdom but to understand God Himself. Who is this God that we are called to follow? We can follow more closely and obediently when we understand Him. Quite frankly, we have plenty of time to figure out who we are, we spend most of our time on ourselves. For one day, let us focus on figuring out who He is.

Generations of Christians have pondered the reality of God, ever since the earliest days of the Church. You can see in the writings of the disciples that they knew Jesus but didn’t quite know Him. They knew God but they had questions. How do you explain the unexplainable? Humans have always struggled with the fact that there are things we might never truly understand. We want satisfying answers, we don’t like mysteries. Modern minds especially have scientific minds; if it can’t be explained then it must not be real. Even the theologians have spent millennia trying to put into words statements of faith to explain the God who has done great things for us.

Creeds are statements of faith about God, proclamations of what we believe, with them we confess a unified faith. We learn these creeds early in our lives of faith and our journey of understanding often begins with those words. Some consider creeds a type of brainwashing that force believers to conform to a human understanding of God. Anti-creedal Christians emphasize the Bible, particularly the New Testament, as the sole authority for faith and practice. However, the first creeds are found in the scriptures, in the letters of Paul and the other disciples. Creeds are simply statements of faith, defining the things that matter to the body of Christ.

It is important, however, that we know more than just the words of the creeds. They are meaningless if they are simply regurgitated on cue each Sunday. The creeds define God and to fully live the life we are called to live, we must know the God we serve. The creeds that we accept as Christians were created by the early Christians pondered together the revelation given to the world through the scriptures and Jesus Christ. As they worked through the teachings of Jesus and the manifestation of God in their experiences, they came to more deeply understand the complexity of the God which we worship.

Many people argue that the word “trinity” is not found in the scriptures, but there is no denying that the concept exists. As the Christians sought to understand God, they came to see that He is truly greater than our human ability to identify, so there must be some things about Him that will remain forever mysterious.

It isn’t part of our lectionary for this week, but one of my favorite passages is Colossians 1:16, “For by him all things were created in the heavens and on the earth, visible things and invisible things, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things have been created through him and for him.” I made a painting a few years ago based on this passage. It has a black background with colorful, chaotic swirls dry brushed on top. In the upper right corner, I taped off a cross over the black to protect it from the colorful paint. The swirling pattern represents how I envision the creation of the world as God spoke light and life into existence. The cross reminds us that Jesus Christ was there, from the very beginning.

It is tempting on Trinity Sunday, to try to come up with creative ways of describing the indescribable. The Trinity is a mystery that many have tried to understand and explain in human terms, but it is beyond the human imagination. Every analogy falls apart in some way. We use water, ice, and steam, but water can’t be both ice and steam at the same time. God as mother, daughter, and sister (or father, son, and brother) does not work because I can’t be my own mother or daughter. Patrick’s cloverleaf doesn’t work because the leaves are not unique to one another, they are all the same. My personal favorite is the idea of the ocean. I liken God the Father to the depths of the sea which are unreachable, unknowable, and endless while supporting life; God the Son is the surface which is visible, active, touching the lives of men. God the Spirit is the mist and the waves, constantly moving, changing to world around it, invisible and yet visible, unstoppable, affected and affecting all that it touches. The ocean is all one, but the way the different parts are perceived by the human mind is different. One cannot exist without the other, they can’t be divided, but they can all be understood as uniquely different from the others. Like all the others, the ocean falls short of the mystery of God.

Though many argue that the Trinity is unbiblical, the concept of the Trinity has been around since the earliest days of the Church, when the first disciples wrestled with this idea that God is present in different ways in the world. They knew that there is only One God, but they also recognized that some of what Jesus taught pointed to the idea that the Godhead was plural, involving Father, Son, and Spirit. Even the Great Commission is worded to include this formula for the making of disciples. Baptism was meant to be given in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They had to discover how it could be three but one. They had to try to explain this Threeness while holding to the Oneness of God.

Proverbs 8 was one of the Old Testament texts used to explain the idea of the Trinity. In this passage, we see that Wisdom is both personified but also possessed by God. Wisdom is separate, but also a part of God and equal to Him. The Proverb talks about the divinity and eternity of Wisdom. Nothing is equal to God, or divine like God, or eternal like God. Therefore, Wisdom being possessed by God is an aspect of God and is God. Early Christians recognized that Wisdom, particularly in this Proverb, is the Word, the Logos, Jesus Christ. He, the Son, is also by God, brought up with God, ever present and before all time, equal with God. God’s attributes are a part of Himself. Jesus the Son is a unique part of the Godhead, separate but not separate, unified with God the Father. Jesus says in the book of John, “The Father is in me, and I am in the Father.”

Proverbs 8 is part of a larger passage from Proverbs that compares Wisdom to Folly. Folly is darkness, loud and defiant, brazen like a prostitute with crafty intent. Folly hides her intent. Wisdom is light and is open. She stands at the gates where justice is served and does not hide. She is available, public, manifest, and visible. As we consider the life of Jesus, we see that He too was light. He was available, public, manifest, and visible. It is no wonder that the early Christians saw Christ in this personification of Wisdom.

We do not read verses 32-36, but they are powerful words for our lives. “Now therefore, my sons, listen to me, for blessed are those who keep my ways. Hear instruction, and be wise. Don’t refuse it. Blessed is the man who hears me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at my door posts. For whoever finds me finds life, and will obtain favor from Yahweh. But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul. All those who hate me love death.” Obedience equals life. Transgression equals death. Finding Wisdom, knowing Jesus, brings life. It is not enough to believe in some unknown and unknowable “god.” Life and salvation are found in Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” Wisdom took pleasure in men, took the nature of mankind, dwelt among us, and filled us with unspeakable treasures. Wisdom (which is Jesus and then the Spirit) calls men by His word and works to follow virtue and flee from vice.

There is a meme that shows different perspectives of our solar system and universe. The first picture shows a number of colored balls representing the planets with earth as the largest. It appears huge compared to some of the other planets. The next picture shows the earth as the smallest of the balls, dwarfed by other planets like Saturn and Jupiter. Another picture shows the sun as a huge ball compared to the planets. Finally, there is a picture of the sun being dwarfed by other suns in the universe. By the final picture, the ball representing earth is so small that it is nothing but a tiny speck that can barely be seen. The meme then shares this thought about our place in this universe: “If the earth on which we live is nothing but a speck, then we are less than a speck on that speck.”

In the Garden of Eden, God made human beings the crown of His creation and gave us the authority to rule over it. This is not just about a farmer working in his fields or a family caring for pets or cattle. We are given dominion over the entirety of God’s creation. We have even managed to travel into space with telescopes so incredible that they can take pictures of celestial bodies millions of light years from earth. We are able to send probes and cameras to almost all of the planets, so that we can study them and learn about the chemical make-up of their surface and the atmosphere. We landed on the moon and Mars, making amazing discoveries. I joke that one day we’ll have archaeologists digging on Mars to determine the origins of Martians.

Yet, as we travel into the vast reaches of God’s created universe, we are humbled by the reality that we will never fully understand it all. It is amazing that we can send rockets into space that will send us pictures of objects that are billions of miles away, but we have to remember that we are limited by our humanity, and we may never really understand many things that will continue to lie beyond our reach. Despite our inadequacies, God has given us the most incredible gifts, the ability to reach beyond what we can see, hear, smell, taste, and touch so that we might understand the macro and micro worlds around us. The fact that we can see an atom or visit the moon is a gift from God. As we continue to explore, we should remember that it is God who has given us dominion over these things, to care for it and to use it for His glory.

The same can be said about spiritual things. God has made it clear through His creation that He is God and that He is Sovereign. We can know Him intimately, even though we are just a speck on a speck. We are nothing, but we are the crown of His creation. We are given dominion over all that He has created, but even more importantly, He has made us children and heirs to all that is His. In the reality of our place in God’s Kingdom, even the universe is a speck compared to the fullness of God. His ways are higher; His thoughts are greater than anything we can imagine. We try to understand the mystery that is beyond our understanding, but even though we can’t grasp it with our brains, it is very real and true. The Trinity, no matter how we try to explain it, is a mystery. It is something about God that perhaps, in our humility, we need to simply believe even though it does not make sense in human terms.

The Christian Creeds have been given to us to help us speak with confidence and faith about this mysterious God. The Apostles Creed lists each aspect of the Trinitarian Godhead, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, defining their individuality while insisting upon their unity. The Nicene Creed does the same with more details. These creeds are enough and are the standard by which all Christian faith is founded. Yet, they focus more on the individual persons of the Trinity rather than on the unity. There is another creed that we usually only hear on Trinity Sunday. The Athanasian Creed is credited to Athanasius of Alexandria. He embraced the Nicene understanding of God and the creed was designed to clarify the Trinity and exclude multiple heresies that were rampant in that day, including Arianism.

Just as many Christians would rather ignore the aspects of God that makes them uncomfortable, the Athanasian Creed is hard to bear in our modern world of tolerance and acceptance. It begins with the words, “Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith.” In this case, the word “catholic” means “universal, Christian.” To be saved, you must believe this. It is not enough to believe there is a god or to believe in a god of our making. It is necessary to believe in the Trinitarian God.

The creed goes on to say, “Now this is the catholic faith: We worship one God in trinity and the Trinity in unity, neither confusing the persons nor dividing the divine being.” The creed goes on to lay out the characteristics of this Trinity. The Father, Son and Spirit are each one person, but the deity of the three is one, equal in glory and coeternal in majesty. What God is, they all are: uncreated, infinite, eternal. They are all these things, but they are one. There are not three beings. They are all Almighty, but not three almighty beings. All are God, but there are not three gods, but one God. All are Lord, but there are not three Lords, but one Lord.

The creed goes on to describe the distinctions between the three. “The Father was neither made nor created nor begotten; the Son was neither made nor created, but alone was begotten of the Father; the Spirit was neither made nor created but is proceeding from the Father and the Son. There is one Father, not three fathers; one Son, not three sons; one Holy Spirit, not three spirits.”

This section of the creed finishes, “And in this Trinity, no one is before or after, greater or less than the other; but all three persons are in themselves, coeternal and coequal; and so we must worship the Trinity in unity and the one God in three persons. Whoever wants to be saved should think thus about the Trinity.” The rest of the creed parallels the explanations found in the other creeds about the work of Jesus and the Spirit and the Church. It ends with this statement: “This is the catholic faith. One cannot be saved without believing this firmly and faithfully.”

I will admit it: the revelation of Jesus and God in today’s scriptures makes me a little uncomfortable. Jesus is supposed to be tolerant, accepting, loving, but in today’s Gospel lesson He tells the religious leadership that they don’t know the God they claim to worship. Jesus said, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say that he is our God. You have not known him, but I know him. If I said, ‘I don’t know him,’ I would be like you, a liar. But I know him and keep his word.” In the passage from Acts, Peter continues his sermon from last week with a bold proclamation that Jesus is Lord. In that proclamation, Peter also tells the crowds that if they must believe that Jesus is Lord.

It isn’t enough to believe that Jesus is our friend or our teacher. It isn’t enough to accept that Jesus is an example of kind-hearted servanthood. Jesus is LORD. He is, in His own words, “Most certainly, I tell you, before Abraham came into existence, I AM.” It is no wonder that the crowds wanted to stone Him to death, after all, in those words Jesus claimed to be God. Unless Jesus is God, the words are blasphemy.

We know that Jesus is God, but He is more. He is fully human and fully divine, part of the Godhead, part of the Trinity. This is the part of theology that we all would rather avoid. How do you explain and understand something as complicated as the Trinity? On Sunday, pastors all over the world will try to explain it from the pulpit using human analogies and tangible examples of trinitarian concepts. Many of these analogies may help people come to a better grasp of the three-in-one/one-in-three Trinity, but all will fall short of the reality, and many border on the heretical.

But we human beings want our God to stay within our control. We want God to fit into our box, having a beginning and suffering from the same failings we experience. We want our gods to be limited and imperfect because then we can strive to be like them. We are still eating the fruit of the forbidden tree, trying to build our own tower of Babel, but instead of reaching up, we try to drag God down to our level.

God has made it clear through His creation that He is God and that He is Sovereign. He is greater than the highest mountain, deeper than the deepest sea, larger than the universe and farther from the furthest sun. He created it all, and so He is greater than it all. He has no beginning. God was not in Heaven when He spoke the first words that brought light to nothing and life to chaos. He was. He is. He will be. He is I AM. We’d rather keep Him in a temple or a church building. We’d rather keep Him on a throne we can imagine in a place that we hope to inhabit someday. It is easier to grasp the concept of an old man on a throne of clouds than to understand the Trinity.

We may never have the words to explain the Trinity, to fully describe God or tell others what it means to be a Christian, but we are called to share our faith with the world. It need not be a lengthy dissertation on the meaning of the great doctrines of Christianity. We need only share our experiences of God with others so that He might work in their lives to spark the faith that will make them part of God's kingdom on earth. Isn't it amazing that God has made us part of this process? The psalmist asks, “What is man, that you think of him?” While this passage is attributed to Jesus Christ, these words are meant for us, too. Not only does God care about everyone and everything He has created, but He has also made man the crown of His creation and given us authority in His Kingdom as His children.

With that authority, however, it is our responsibility to treat it as God would treat it. The wise man is one who will walk according to God’s ways, without abusing or wasting what God has made. The wise man is the one who will seek to understand what God intends for the Creation and to use it to His glory. The wise man will go forth in faith and share the reality of God’s sovereignty and majesty with the world. It won’t be easy. We are tempted to do what we want with what we have been given. We face situations that leave us questioning what God would do. We don’t always understand what God intends, and we fail. Sin plays a role in everything we do, no matter how much we try to avoid sinful behavior. Though saved by grace and sanctified by the Spirit, we are still sinners who make mistakes.

I suppose the greatest mystery is that God loves us anyway and that Jesus Christ did what He did for our sakes. We can’t explain this love with mere human words. We can’t convince people to believe. We must simply fear the Lord, to revere and trust that He will provide us with all we need. We are called to live lives which shun folly, turn from sin and walk in the right path. God helps us to know right from wrong, good from bad, and He guides us on the smart path, so let us listen and believe even if there are mysterious things we will never fully understand.

We celebrate Holy Trinity Sunday as we enter into the Pentecost season because we need to see that God is more than just the Father, just the Son and just the Spirit. He is so great that His name is majestic in all the earth. We need the whole Godhead to do what He has called us to do. We are reminded in the Gospel lesson that we could not have done anything if the whole plan of God had not come to be. The disciples would not have accomplished anything as the Church if Jesus had not gone to heaven and sent the Spirit. The disciples could not bear what was to come without the wisdom and strength that comes from having the Holy Spirit dwell within and amongst God’s people.

The disciples could not bear everything that Christ had to say, so He sent the Spirit to continue teaching the disciples. It is by His power that we have faith. It is by His grace we have wisdom. It is in His strength that we can glorify Christ Jesus by living the life He started when He came in the flesh by serving our neighbor and sharing God’s love. It took generations for Christian theologians to come up with words that help us to believe, and we each continue to learn and grow in our faith so that we can do God’s work in the world with faith and confidence. We might not be ready today to do everything God is asking of us, but he will give us all we need to do His work. We need only walk by faith, knowing that God is sovereign over all of His creation. With us as His crown, we can be a part of something incredible: God’s Kingdom on earth, where all people can know Him and live in His love.

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June 12, 2025

“One of the Pharisees invited him to eat with him. He entered into the Pharisee’s house and sat at the table. Behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that he was reclining in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. Standing behind at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and she wiped them with the hair of her head, kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, ‘This man, if he were a prophet, would have perceived who and what kind of woman this is who touches him, that she is a sinner.’” Luke 7:36-39, WEB

Jesus walked miles a day. He walked everywhere sharing the message of hope and peace of God’s Kingdom with the world. I’m sure He was in great physical shape unlike most of us in this generation, because all that walking most certainly kept Him fit. I imagine however, that His feet suffered from the same problems that we experience when we do something like take a vacation at a theme park or hike miles a day in national parks. He didn’t have the benefit of modern shoes that are designed to take care of the feet, so I’m sure that they were cracked, dry, and sore after walking miles every day. At the very least, His feet were dirty from the hot sandy roads.

There is much more to today’s story than just the anointing of Jesus’ feet. We could talk about the woman, her sin, and Jesus’ forgiveness. We could talk about the Pharisee who was indignant about Jesus’ willingness to associate with a sinner and his assumption that Jesus could not be a prophet. We could talk about the differences between this story and the similar stories of women anointing Jesus that are found in Matthew, Mark, and John. Today’s passage is followed by a parable about forgiveness. We also hear in the first verses in Luke 8 about the women who followed Jesus and offered support to His ministry.

I think there is something very beautiful and poignant in the brief scene between the woman and Jesus. She came to Jesus in her sin and gave him her heart. We don’t know why the Pharisee invited Jesus to his home. Though this story happens early in Luke’s telling of Jesus’ ministry, the Pharisees were already questioning Jesus’ purpose and holiness. Did the Pharisee want to ensnare Jesus or was he truly curious about the things Jesus was doing and saying?

Whatever the reason, the Pharisee was not a very good host. Jesus entered the house but did not receive the proper hospitality due a visitor. There was no one to cleanse His feet from the dust of the road. A woman in tears approached Jesus with a jar of perfume and anointed his feet. I am sure that the ointment felt good on His sore feet, a wonderful relief from the heat and dryness of the road. She met a very real need with great love. She was an outcast sinner, and her actions offended the Pharisee. Why was she there? Was she a stranger to the Pharisee or was she a trap? The Pharisee immediately said of Jesus, “This man, if he were a prophet, would have perceived who and what kind of woman this is who touches him, that she is a sinner.”

Jesus made this a lesson in forgiveness. He embraced her and accepted her love, proving in the Pharisee’s mind that Jesus was no prophet. Jesus’ actions, however, proved something even greater. Jesus shined the grace of God. Even Jesus’ visit to the Pharisee’s house was an act of grace, for Jesus must have known the heart of that Pharisee. Jesus willingly went to share God’s love with both the repentant sinner and the one who did not acknowledge his own sin. God’s grace reaches out to the world, calling us all to see that we are all sinners in need of the Savior, which is Jesus. Grace even reaches out to those do not acknowledge their sinfulness, because Jesus wants everyone to repent, draw closer to God, and receive the forgiveness that He promised and that Jesus won for all of us on the cross. Jesus was more than a prophet. He is the LORD who died and rose again for our sake.

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June 13, 2025

“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him who is alone when he falls, and doesn’t have another to lift him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have warmth; but how can one keep warm alone? If a man prevails against one who is alone, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, WEB

When Martin Luther became a priest, it was expected that he would remain celebrate for the rest of his life. Marriage was out of the question, and it really didn’t bother him. He had a deep appreciation for the institution of marriage and preached about it, but it wasn’t for him. He even took a stand on clerical marriages in 1520, saying that celibacy was not necessary because marriage was a civil affair. He believed the vow of celibacy required for clergy was a “devilish tyranny,” and that those who suffered from sexual temptations would be better off married than single to avoid falling into sin. Despite this stance on marriage, Martin Luther would have remained unmarried for his whole life if it weren’t for a woman named Katie.

Katharina von Bora was born on 29 January 1499, possibly the daughter of lesser nobility in Lippendorf. Little is certain of Katie's earliest days and much of what we know about Katie's life is found in Martin Luther's writings and letters. Katie's father was not very successful, and when her mother died, the best placement for Katie was in a convent. She was taken to a Benedictine cloister in Brehna to be educated when she was just five years old. She was later moved to the Cistercian monastery of Marienthron in Nimbschen when she was nine. Katherina became a nun and was trained as a teacher.

As the teachings of Martin Luther swept through the lands of Europe, people began to see their everyday vocations as ways of serving God. Nuns began leaving the cloistered life in droves and many priests returned to the ancient tradition of taking wives. Katharina was an intelligent and faithful woman, but she became dissatisfied with life in the convent. Katharina and eleven or so of her fellow rebel nuns contacted Martin Luther, asking him to help them leave the convent. They left in a herring cart driven by a friend of Martin Luther just before Easter in 1523, arriving in Wittenberg on April 7th of that year. The occasion was described, “A wagon load of vestal virgins has just come to town, all the more eager for marriage than for life. God grant them husbands lest worse befall.” Martin Luther admitted his role in the “escape,” and encouraged others to do the same. Still, he had no desire to marry.

Luther helped the nuns find homes and work, and within two years they were all settled except Katie. She told Luther's friend and fellow reformer, Nikolaus von Amsdorf, that she would be willing to marry only Luther or von Amsdorf himself. Amsdorf never married, perhaps because Katie always preferred to have Martin Luther as her husband. On June 13, 1525, Katie proposed to Martin and they were married the same day.

Luther's friends did not think he should marry, but marrying Katie may have been the best decision of his life. While he was a brilliant theologian and faithful Christian, he wasn't very savvy when it came to worldly affairs. Katie took care of him and handled his household. He would have been poor and destitute without her. I’m not sure he would have minded, after all he always trusted in God’s provision, but God provided him with the best gift, his Katie.

As a wedding gift, Martin and Katie were given the Augustinian Monastery, the Black Cloister in Wittenberg, Germany (Lutherhaus) for their home by Elector John of Saxony. She made it a success despite Luther’s lack of financial stewardship, and she extended their holdings. She bore six children, two of which died before adulthood. She reputedly made the best beer in Germany and was known for her hospitality.

We often think of Martin Luther as a bit of a chauvinist with traditionalist views on women, but the reality is that Luther came to adore his Katie. He may have been uncertain about the marriage in the beginning, but he treated her with the utmost respect. He recognized the incredible faith and intelligence of his wife, and often called her “My doctor, Kate,” and “My Lord, Katie.” Katie often took part in the theological discussions that happened frequently at their table with students from the university.

It could not have been an easy life for Katie. Martin was always in danger from enemies that wanted to destroy him and his ministry. He traveled frequently, leaving Katie at home to care for their children. Through it all, it was Katie's faith in God that saw her through those times. She had strong spiritual convictions, a reverent fear of the Lord, and lived accordingly. She opened her home to students, family, and friends. She helped raise eight nieces and nephews. Martin and Katie even opened their home to people who were sick with the plague.

Luther is quoted as saying, “First love is drunken,” said Luther, “but when the intoxication wears off, then comes real marriage love.” He also said, “Let the wife make the husband glad to come home and let him to make her sorry to see him leave.” He was a gifted and incredible man but his marriage to Katie made him whole. He learned that love is a choice. On his wedding day Luther wrote, “I feel neither passionate love nor burning for my spouse, but I cherish her.” Over the years, however, their love for each other deepened. Katharina wrote that “my sorrow is so deep that no words can express my heartbreak” when her husband died after a little over 20 years of marriage. Luther also wrote, “There is no more lovely, friendly, and charming relationship, communion, or company than a good marriage” because he made the choice, again and again, to live out love to his “rib,” his dear Katie.

He learned that married life isn’t easy, but that it is a blessing. The sixteenth century was a tough time to live with war, disease, religious unrest. Luther was often sick. They had financial woes. They lost children. Through it all, they learned to cling to one another, and God used those times and their marriage to shape their character and grow their faith. He also learned that a little kindness goes a long way. “The Christian is supposed to love his neighbor,” Luther wrote. “And since his wife is his nearest neighbor, she should be his deepest love.”

Today is the five hundredth anniversary of the day Martin and Katie Luther were married. I know many of my readers are not married, alone through loss or not yet found the right person. Yet, the Luthers present to us a positive roll model, not only in marriage, but in faith. Their life was not perfect, they struggled in many ways, yet they loved God and one another through it all. God made them stronger, through the gift of faith, as they shared their lives, their families, their hopes and dreams, their struggles. We can learn from their story and remember that God is the center that holds all relationships together.

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June 16, 2025

“This is the message which we have heard from him and announce to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie, and don’t tell the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we haven’t sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” 1 John 1:5-10, WEB

Hate. Hate is an unfortunate symptom of our broken world. Too many people are acting out their hate in verbal and violent ways. Spend a few minutes reading the comments on any political or religious post on social media, and you will see hate. Watch the news and you’ll see disturbing videos of people acting out their hate. People are being murdered on the street and bombs are flying because of hate. Sometimes we hate our neighbors for understandable reasons, although our response speaks about the state of our own hearts. We are hated for understandable reasons, too. We don’t like to think about it, but we are all sinners and we do things that hurt others.

Unfortunately, we are often guilty of the very things for which we hate our neighbors. We think we are looking at them as if through a window, but the reality is that it is more like a mirror. We see our own imperfections reflected in others, hating our own sinfulness, but attaching it to others. You’ve heard it said, when you point a finger at someone, you are pointing several back at yourself. All too often when I hate that someone has cut me off on the highway, I realize that I did the very same thing to someone else.

Hate has led to some horrific events. And those events lead to more hate. People easily assign blame to large groups of people because one person did something that reveals hate. Hate begets hate. Blame begets blame. The truth is, most often when we begin to hate someone for something, it is because our conscience holds us guilty of the same hate that we see in them.

I’d like to say that I don’t hate anyone. I surely don’t hate those that some would accuse me of hating. However, I do struggle with hate. We all do. I would be lying if I said I did not hate anyone; we all would be lying if we said we do not hate. However, I do not hate the way the finger-pointers claim I hate. See, hate is a human emotion that plagues all of us. Oh, the majority of people do not hate so much that we would cause an extreme or horrific event. We don’t take our hate and act upon it in violent or extreme ways. But can any one of you honestly tell me that there is absolutely nothing in this world, or nobody, that you strongly disliked? I think it is truer now than it has been for a long time.

“Well,” I hear many of you saying, “I really hate Brussels sprouts, but that’s different.” You are right, there is a difference between hating a vegetable and hating a neighbor or an enemy. However, the fact that you hate the vegetable should make you pause a moment to consider that you are capable of hate. Now, take it a step further. Brussels sprouts may not be an enemy, but you avoid them, don’t you? Take that thought a step further: is there anyone in your life that you have chosen to avoid? Is there anyone who has done something to you that makes you say, “I don’t need that in my life?” Anyone on social media has probably unliked or unfollowed someone because they have said something that is not in agreement with our point of view. It is better to separate than to allow someone’s hate to beget hate in our lives. Oh, I’m sure you can say, “I love that person, but...” That “but” is the very point of this devotion. We love because that is what God expects of us, but in our hearts we do not always love.

We define hate as intense hostility and aversion usually deriving from fear, anger, or sense of injury, but hate is simply, “a very strong feeling of dislike.” Be honest, isn’t there something or someone for whom you have a very strong feeling of dislike? I don’t hate the driver that cuts me off or the person I unfollow on social media, but I will honestly say that I hate so much that I see happening in our world today that I find myself having to remove myself from it. I hate that some people thinks the best way to deal with their hate is to cause some horrific event.

The Old Testament understanding of “hate” is this: “hate can be active, as an enemy or adversary; or passive, as someone unloved or shunned.” This is what we see in the story of Isaac and Esau. Paul wrote in Romans, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” God did not hate Esau as we might define it; it would be better rendered, “Jacob I chose; Esau I rejected.” Now tell me that you have never rejected anyone. Does that mean you would respond by choosing violence? Of course not, most of us know that we are called to deal with our neighbors with lovingkindness, even those whom we have chosen to exclude from our lives.

Hate separates and divides. I wish I could love everyone with a complete and real love, as Jesus loves me. I hope I hate less today than I did yesterday. I try to love as Jesus loved me, but I fail. I am human and I am a sinner. I live in a broken world, and I separate myself from the things and people whose actions beget hate in my life. I don’t want to be unloving, but when I can’t love as God loved me, the most loving thing I can do is step out of the way.

How do we stop hate? This is the question that is asked every time something horrific happens, but I wonder if it is the right question. We can’t legislate people to stop hating. We can’t force them to stop hating. The reality is, we can’t even convince them to stop hating. Human beings, in our sinful, perishable flesh living in a broken world, will hate whether it is active or passive. The key here is to remember that we are all sinful human beings, seeing in others the very things we should see in ourselves. God calls us to confess our sin and let God make things right according to His good and perfect love.

We might think we can force a love that is not real, but in doing so we stand in darkness and keep others in darkness. But by confessing the truth and stepping aside, we give room for God’s Light to shine, not only for the others, but also for ourselves. When we confess our sin and trust that God will be faithful to His promises, we see the light and remember to walk in it. In His light, we can love our enemies and do what is good and right. We might all hate in one way or another, but as we walk in the light, we are much different than those who respond with violence because with God’s help and through His grace we can respond with the lovingkindness that flows from His love for us.

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June 17, 2025

“James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came near to him, saying, ‘Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we will ask.’ He said to them, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ They said to him, ‘Grant to us that we may sit, one at your right hand and one at your left hand, in your glory.’ But Jesus said to them, ‘You don’t know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?’ They said to him, ‘We are able.’Jesus said to them, ‘You shall indeed drink the cup that I drink, and you shall be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit at my right hand and at my left hand is not mine to give, but for whom it has been prepared.’ When the ten heard it, they began to be indignant toward James and John. Jesus summoned them and said to them, ‘You know that they who are recognized as rulers over the nations lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you, but whoever wants to become great among you shall be your servant. Whoever of you wants to become first among you shall be bondservant of all. For the Son of Man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:35-45, WEB

I went into retail as a career after I graduated from college. I began working the check-out and doing some floor work like stocking shelves, but I was eventually invited to join the management training program at the company. After a time, I was head-hunted away to a larger company. I continued in a training program there but had more responsibility. The stores were bigger, the yearly income had a lot more zeros, but there was also so much more to do. I was not able to manage the new store the way I enjoyed at the smaller company.

Unfortunately, many managers are of the opinion that they are better than their employees. Of course, they are generally better educated, often with a degree in business management, but that doesn’t necessarily make anyone better. I had a degree, though in a different field, but I went into the training programs with the desire to learn. Thankfully the manager in my first store was a humble man. He taught me that even though I was “the boss” I was not above the hard work. Many of my managerial peers thought they were too important for menial tasks. The employees in those stores knew the manager had no respect for them and they approached the work with contempt. Those store managers generally have a high turnover rate for employees. Sadly, that’s what happened in the bigger company. My first store had employees that had been there for decades. Most of them knew better how to run the store than I did.

Under that humble manager, I learned that it is important for those in charge to show respect to each and every employee, whether they are janitor or bookkeeper, stock boy or cashier. I never asked an employee to do something I had not done myself, and at times I was found scrubbing the bathroom or unloading a truck. My boss and I often jumped in to do a task if there was no one able to do it at that moment.

The benefit of this attitude is that the employees rarely grumbled about doing something we asked, because they knew that we had done those tasks. We understood that some jobs were difficult or disgusting, physically exhausting or emotionally draining because we had done them. The employees knew we could do it, but they learned that it was their responsibility, and that we had other work we had to do. They understood that our job as manager should not be weighed down by those burdens, and they respected us enough to do the work because we respected them, too.

We all want to be important. In our walk with our Lord Jesus Christ, we have opportunities to hold positions of authority. We are elected to the church council or asked to teach a Sunday school class. Many of us have jobs in the world that give us the responsibility of leadership. Our relationship with Jesus should show in the way we take upon those responsibilities. There is certainly a difference in the real world of churches that those who lead a bigger church cannot take on the smaller tasks, like when I went to the big company, but we are reminded even then to be humble. I saw a joke the other day that showed a megachurch holding a raffle for a chance to meet the pastor. Quite frankly, I didn’t think it was very funny.

Jesus Christ was the ultimate manager. He is the Servant King, one who did far more than He ever asked of His disciples. He knows each of us personally and provided the perfect model of a life of faith that glorifies God, even willingly going to the cross to die for us. The other disciples were upset with James and John because they thought they were better than the others. In a sense they were because they were part of Jesus’ inner circle. But Jesus reminded them that we have faith because of His humble service to us, and that we are to walk in His light and do His work as He did. We should never allow our position in God’s Kingdom become one where we consider ourselves more important than any other Christian. We are called to be servants, knowing that Christ did it first for us.

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June 18, 2025

Lectionary Scriptures for June 22, 2025, Second Sunday after Pentecost: Isaiah 65:1-9; Psalm 3; Galatians 3:23-4:7; Luke 8:26-39

“He went his way, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.” Luke 8:39b, WEB

The book of Isaiah was written to the Hebrew nation at a time when there were great changes occurring in the world and in the nation. It is a story of God’s judgment and salvation. Isaiah is considered a prophet, and much of his writing points toward the future. However, his writing is more than a prediction of what will happen some day; it is a revelation of God, His purpose and His plan. As we read the book of Isaiah, we are reminded that God’s plan is right and true and that we should trust in Him to carry it out. Our verses from Isaiah are the beginning of the end of the book. After sixty-four chapters of warnings, calls to repentance, and promises for salvation, God speaks to the people.

You would think that the people would have learned their lesson. They were exiled to Babylon because they did not listen to God or obey His Word. They were a people who had found something they thought was better than God, things they thought would save them better than God: neighbor, ally, friend, or self. Though thought they did not need God. They wanted to go their own way, make their own path, be independent without the helper that was waiting.

God was harsh and honest about His people. They would not call on His name. They were rebellious. They walked in a way that was not good. They followed their own devices. They provoked God, made improper sacrifices and offerings. They followed rituals, ate food and did works that were abominable to God. These things were cultic, practices done by the religions that were popular in their day. They were worshipping false gods. God said, “They said, ‘Stay by yourself, don’t come near to me, for I am holier than you.’” God’s people had declared themselves holier than Him!

He refused to be silent. Still, despite their sin, He was still there for them. He was still ready to be their God and to lead them in the ways of righteousness and truth. Despite their hatred, He offered them a promise: someday they would see Him again and they would turn to Him. Someday they would be saved, and they will inherit all that He had to give them.

Isaiah looked forward to that time, but he lived and wrote well before the exile. When the people finally returned to Jerusalem under King Cyrus of Persia, they found their home in ruin. There was no food, the walls were falling down. The Temple had been destroyed. After seventy years in Babylon, they weren’t even sure about their faith. They struggled to rebuild, despite help from Cyrus, because others fought against the repairs. The fields were barren, they were isolated, and many wept at night because they saw no hope. Where was God and the fulfillment of His promises?

I can almost hear them crying out the words of Psalm 3, which is a song of prayer, trouble, and trust. Though it was probably written by David when he fled from his son Absalom several hundred years before the exiles went to Babylon, they could identify with his lament. It is a model prayer to help those suffering to get through trouble and overwhelming odds. Though there are foes, God sustains those who trust in Him. It is a battle song. David, and whoever prays this prayer, calls on God to be a warrior. This is what God wants from His people. This is the type of prayer that God would respond with grace and salvation.

The people had stopped crying out to God and had turn to other worship practices. They burned sacrifices to Baal in the high places and stopped listening to God’s voice in their lives. He called out to them, but they did not hear. He showed Himself repeatedly to His people who did not look for Him. Yet, with every warning, there is a promise. There is hope. God promised David that his house would be eternal. God had a plan, and He would accomplish it despite their sin. They did not deserve to be saved, but He would save them.

Sadly, the same is true for many people who claim to have faith today. They reject the parts of the Bible that make them uncomfortable. They rewrite the scriptures to fit their own agendas. They do what they think is right, but in doing so they trust in their own devices. This is not a condemnation of any particular type of church. I'm sure we can find something that grieves God in every church, from the issues of the day and even the way we do worship. I saw a meme this morning that asked the question, “How was worship?” The answer to this question, according to the meme, reveals what we really worship. Our experience has become the gauge, thus revealing that we don’t worship God, we worship our experience of worship. In essence, we worship ourselves. When Israel chose to chase after the false gods, they were trusting in their own ideas, wants, and needs, and not God. We do the same when we choose to conform to the world and to follow our own ways. It is hard to believe, but there are leaders in Christian organizations that open admit that they do not even believe in God! They are atheists charged with caring for God’s people, but they lead God’s people down paths of destruction, much like Israel in the Old Testament.

God was still ready to be their God and to lead them in the ways of righteousness and truth. Despite their hatred, He offered them a promise: someday they would see Him again and they would turn to Him. Someday they would be saved, and they would inherit all that He had to give them. That promise was fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

We live with the same hope today. We are still sinners. We still walk in ways that are not according to God’s Word or will. We follow our own devices. God is angry at us, too, because we have stopped trusting in Him. But despite our own rebellion, God has offered us the same promise. We will see Him. Someday, the whole world will see Him and bow down in worship before Him. The question for us is this: do we know Him today? Are we following Him in our lives now? Are we walking His path, or will we find ourselves missing Him, especially when He does something that doesn’t fit our expectation?

When we read the stories of Jesus, we see that He often did not do things according to people’s expectation. The crowds did not always like what He did, as we see in today’s Gospel story. Jesus was in the region of the Gerasenes. This was near the Decapolis, the Ten Cities, and was a predominantly Gentile area, though we can’t tell from the story whether the man who was set free from the demons was a Jew or a Gentile. We only know that he had been possessed with many demons, Legion was its name, and these demons caused the man to do horrific things. He was violent and was forced to live a solitary life among the dead.

In those days bodies were laid in tombs hewn from rock. These caves were often used by people who were outcast by society as a place to shelter. This man was living there when Jesus came into the region. The demons within the man cried out to Jesus, “What do I have to do with you, Jesus, you Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torment me!” The demons knew Jesus could send them to the abyss with a word. They pleaded with Jesus to have mercy and to send them into a herd of pigs. Jesus agreed, so when the demons left the man, they entered the pigs which then ran off the cliff into the water.

When I was learning to drive, I had an old Volkswagen which was a stick shift. I hated that car for multiple reasons, but partly because I had a bad experience with it. During driver training, my instructor took me on a road that had a stop sign at the top of a steep hill. I was doing fine until that moment, but then it was a terrifying eternity for both the instructor and me as I tried to get that car going again while hanging perilously on the side of that hill. Every time I tried, I ended up rolling backwards instead of going forward.

When asked why I don’t like driving a stick shift, I have often joked, “I don’t want to think when I drive.” Now, I never meant this in the “dumb blonde” sense. I know that the mind must be extremely active while driving the car, but I don’t want to be distracted by struggles of driving a stick shift like pushing in the clutch or changing gears; I prefer to focus on the road, the traffic, and the direction. I know it becomes second nature when driving a stick shift car, but I prefer an automatic.

We can be easily distracted, not only when driving a car but in life. There is always something, or someone, craving our attention and deterring us from our goal.

Who else but God could do such a miraculous thing as command demons to leave a man? This should have been one of those events that caused awe and belief to the people who witnessed it, but they did not see it through the eyes of faith, but through fear. A man, perhaps one of their own, was healed of the most horrific ailment, but they did not care. The man was the only one to believe. For him, faith was personal and individual because there were no others with whom he could share this amazing experience. He asked Jesus if he could be a disciple, but Jesus sent him into the Decapolis to tell everyone what God had done for him. He was sent as an evangelist, and all the people were amazed. People began to believe because of his witness, and he was no longer alone in the world.

We can hear an echo of Isaiah in this story: “[God] said, ‘See me, see me,’ to a nation that was not called by my name.” The people, probably Gentiles because they had pigs, were not looking for God, but Jesus showed Himself to them, and in doing so He showed Himself to the world.

Despite the fact that Israel missed God, His salvation would still come to them. The words of Isaiah in today's Old Testament lesson speak of judgment, but they also speak of salvation. Despite their sin, God still saw the value in His people. They would suffer the consequences of their sin against Him, but He would not hold it against them forever. “As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one says, ‘Don’t destroy it, for a blessing is in it:’ so I will do for my servants’ sake, that I may not destroy them all. I will bring offspring out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains. My chosen will inherit it, and my servants will dwell there.”

Out of Israel, God sent Jesus and Jesus brought mercy. He saved people, removed their demons and revealed the love of God to the world. He casts out our demons by His word and gives us faith to believe, then sends us out into the world to tell everyone what He has done. Through faith in Christ Jesus, we are made one with Him and we become heirs to the Kingdom of God. Our response to this love is thanksgiving and praise together and through our witness the nations will believe. We can’t do it alone. We need, most of all, God’s help. And we need one another.

The people on that lakeshore were not ready to be saved. They still wanted to control their own world. They wanted to chase after their own gods. Yet, God reached out to them, offered them the same promise. He sent a messenger to prepare their hearts. He wouldn’t be silent for them, too. The seed of Jacob was sent to the whole world. Faith is not a gift that is limited by borders: everyone is invited to trust in God.

It is a popular notion among many modern Christians to reject religion and the institution we call the Church for a more private, personal relationship with God. This often leads to the idea that faith can be lived out separate from a fellowship of believers. They believe that they can worship God anywhere, in a field or by a stream, and that they do not need to go to church. After all, the church is made of people, not bricks, and the institution as we know it today is nothing like what Christ intended. This is the excuse I’ve heard many times from people who do not attend services with other Christians. Besides, they say, Christians in those churches aren’t really very Christian, are they?

Sadly, one of the reasons why some people reject the church is because we spend so much of our time arguing about the silliest things. We argue about Bible translations and worship music. We look at our neighbor’s church and question the way they practice their faith. Don’t get me wrong: some things truly matter. Maybe some churches are more concerned about the show they are putting on Sunday morning, and a Christian leader should never be an atheist. Instead of asking “How was worship?” the question we should be asking is whether we believe in Jesus and trust in God. There will be differences in the way we practice our faith, even incompatible differences, but we should encourage those who believe and trust to do what God is calling them to do, even when we disagree about them.

We are called to be disciples of Christ through faith, to go out and share our witness with the world. Our stories might be met with fear and doubt, but that’s not our concern. We will be rejected and hated. We will be called names, and we will be persecuted because we believe in Jesus Christ. Jesus was hated and rejected because He saved one man at the expense of a herd of pigs. This story is strange to our ears because Jesus’ response to the demons is strange and cruel. Why didn’t Jesus deal with the situation in another way? It seems out of character for Jesus to have brought such hardship on the people in that region.

Whatever the reason, Jesus gave the demons permission to enter into the herd of pigs that were on the hillside and the herd responded to this intrusion by rushing down the steep bank into the lake. When the people saw the power that Jesus had over the demons and their herd, they begged Him to leave. They were distracted from the grace that Jesus had to offer by their sudden loss of the livelihood. The event was frightening to the people because one man’s salvation meant destruction to them. Jesus had changed their lives, but only one seemed to benefit. They saw Jesus as an enemy. They were so focused on the loss of their herd that they missed the Word of hope and forgiveness that Jesus came to bring.

If He was hated, how can we ever think we won’t be? It isn't up to us to whitewash God's story to make it palatable to our neighbors, conforming to the world so that they won't hate us.

They chased Jesus away, but that one man went and told many about the grace of God. Luke tells us that he “went his way, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.” He didn’t just tell one or two folks about Jesus. He went about proclaiming the great things Jesus had done for him. Jesus told him to share the good news with the people in his hometown. Jesus cared for the Gentiles of the Decapolis as much as He cared for the sheep of His own flock. He wanted them to know, so He sent a messenger ahead to announce the grace of God. This word spread, and when it came time for Jesus and the disciples after Him to visit the Gentiles, the seeds of faith had already been planted. The pig herders had no warning; they had no preparation for the revelation of God they witnessed, but God works in many and various ways, which are never easy to understand. Even those with faith have times when we cried out to God in wonder, fearing abandonment.

The world hates Jesus and the world hates us because of Him. They’ll tell you that they hate us because we are hateful, intolerant, delusional hypocrites and that they can believe in a God that fits into their box and follows their path. But we are called by God to continue to go out there and tell our story, to tell His story, to share His grace, so that they might see Him and believe. God does not act according to our expectations. He acts according to His purpose.

Have you ever been a babysitter, or hired one to care for your children? The job always begins with a list of instructions: where the parents will be, how to get a hold of them in case of an emergency. There is usually a list of things the children can do and things they should not do. Food requirements are discussed, bedtime established. It is the babysitter’s responsibility to listen carefully and do what the parent has asked them to do.

The babysitter needs to abide by the rules, which is often difficult when there is a persistent and demanding child. Children know just what to say to manipulate people into doing what they want. It might be tempting to give in to these demands, especially when giving in might make the child more cooperative. It is sometimes easier to negotiate a peace, “I’ll let you stay up twenty extra minutes if you will take your bath without any trouble.” However, the rules are established for a purpose, and we don’t always know how those rules will keep a child safe or even protect the babysitter.

A parent has more flexibility. There are times when the rules can be ignored or a special treat given. The parent can do this because they know so much more about the situation. If there is a question of allergy, they know how to handle it. They know how much sleep a child needs to be healthy and happy the next day. They know the reactions and the consequences of indulgences. Mercy and grace is never given as a reward but as a sign of the parent’s love for the child.

Paul uses the example of a disciplinarian when talking about the Law. In those days, there was often a slave or servant strictly assigned to the care and education of the children. Even today there are some families who can hire a nanny or governess that takes care of the needs of the children. A slave or servant is required to follow the rules, and their position relies on their trustworthiness. The father, however, can break the rules because they are his to break. He can be lenient and merciful, generous and liberal with His grace.

Through Jesus Christ we are children of God our Father. Jesus did not come to remove or negate the Law, but through Him something new happened. We are no longer subject to the disciplinarian – the babysitter = but are restored to the care and the mercy of God. Abraham did not have a righteousness based on obedience to the Law, because the Law had not yet been given. Abraham’s righteousness was founded on his faith in God. Unfortunately, in the days of Jesus, adherence to the law had become the norm for righteousness.

It was confusing for the early Christians who wanted to remain true to the God of their forefathers, to do all that He required. So, despite the freedom we have in the Gospel, they tried to reestablish the righteousness that came from obedience to the Law. They insisted that the Gentiles become Jews, by words and deeds (circumcision) before they could become Christian. Paul was taken aback by this reversal to the old ways. He wrote in response, “If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring and heirs according to promise.” In Christ there is no need for a babysitter.

Does this make the rules any less important? Of course not. However, the love of God is not dependent on obedience and His mercy endures forever. As children of God, we do not need to obey the Law to be rewarded with His love. God made His promise to Israel through Isaiah because He loved His people and was always faithful to His covenants. They went into exile because He loved them, because He was teaching them to trust in Him again. He sent them home hoping they would live as He called them to live. Unfortunately, they continued to sin, but that’s why the Father sent the Son.

There was a before and an after. The Old Covenant was given to point us toward the New. The Law was given to guide God’s people until the day when Christ would establish the New Covenant. In Christ we no longer live under the Law. We live under grace. Before Christ we were prisoners to the Law, but Jesus sets us free to live in faith. This freedom is given to all who believe, even those who were not born under the Law.

It didn’t matter who they were or where they came from. Jesus came to share God’s Kingdom with the whole world, even those who might reject it. Those that believe are adopted as sons, whether Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female. We are not slaves to sin or death or the Law no matter who we are because we have been redeemed by God’s Son, Jesus Christ. By faith we are sons of Abraham and heirs to God’s promises.

The Church may be an imperfect institution filled with imperfect people, but we are called into one body with a common purpose: to praise God and tell His story so that the whole world will repent and believe. We are imperfect; we will make mistakes. We will need to hear the warnings and the judgment from God. We will suffer the consequences of our sin against Him, but He will not hold it against us forever. Jesus saves us from our own demons, then He sends us out into the world to tell everyone about all He has done for us in His mercy. We are called to sing His praises so that the whole world will see. They will hate us and may reject God at first, but He will reveal Himself to them over and over again. We will tend toward the attitude of those Israelites who repeatedly turned from their God, but He is always there with us and is faithful to His promises. May He give us the courage, strength and faith to always trust in Him, for He is the One through whom salvation comes and it is through Him we are blessed.

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June 19, 2025

“Who then is Apollos, and who is Paul, but servants through whom you believed, and each as the Lord gave to him? I planted. Apollos watered. But God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are the same, but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s farming, God’s building.” 1 Corinthians 3:5-9, WEB

A man named Martin Couney saved seven thousand babies. His history is uncertain. He apprenticed under an obstetrician who is known for founding perinatal medicine in Germany. There is no evidence that he ever received a medical license. He was an advocate and pioneer of neonatal technology. He was given the nickname “the Incubator Doctor” because he was known for an amusement park sideshow called “the Infantorium” that invited visitors to pay a quarter to see premature babies that were in incubators to save their lives. Along with his mentor, he opened his first exhibit of an infant warming device called a “child hatchery” at Berlin’s Great Industrial Exposition. He moved to America around 1900 and continued to display incubators at expositions. He eventually set up an attraction on Coney Island.

He, and others, were inspired by chicken incubators, and adapted them for use with human babies. The exhibitions were set up not only to show the new technology, but also to earn funds to help care for the children. Many thought this was insane because the consensus was that these children had no value. Hospitals didn’t want them and the medical community ignored them. Instead of listening to the naysayers, Couney created miracles for thousands of children. He cared for those children, gave them the dignity they deserved, and showed the world that their lives were worthy of the time and resources to give them life. By the time he closed his exhibit in 1943, most hospitals in America had adopted the incubators. His vision changed the world, not only for the thousands of babies he directly helped, but many, many more in the years since.

He believed every life was worth saving, even though the world thought those babies were worthless. The world thought those babies were mistakes, that they were too fragile and their lives hopeless. Some even suggested those babies would grow up to pass on genetic mutations to future generations, that keeping them alive was dangerous. Many bluntly said, “Let them die,” but Couney fought for their lives.

This could, and perhaps should, be a devotion about the value of every child’s life, even those who have not yet been born, but as I read the story about Martin Couney, I thought about those who have been born in flesh, but do not yet know the Lord Jesus as their Savior. Why doesn’t every believe in Jesus? Sadly, from the time Jesus walked on the earth until today, there are some who reject Him and ignore the forgiveness and eternal life He promised and won thought His life, death, and resurrection. However, there are also many who have not yet heard the Good News. It seems impossible with today’s technology to think that there is anyone (at least in the first world) that has not heard of Jesus, after all, “John 3:16” is visible in the end zone of every football game. Shouldn’t that have saved the world?

The reality is that it sometimes takes many people to share God’s Word with one person. Paul tells us that all are invited into the work of God, some planting and others watering. God does the work, but He calls us to help Him. We might look at those who, at this point, seem to have rejected Jesus and ignored His grace, and think that they are worthless, but what if you are the one God has called to do some weeding or shine some sunshine on that person’s heart. He is the one who saves, but you might just be the person who will incubate the next heart that will receive His forgiveness and eternal life. Some might even suggest, based on their lives and actions, that there is no hope for them. “They are too far gone to be saved. Let them die.”

God does not want any to die, and while there are people, too many, who will to the very end reject Jesus and His salvation, it is not up to us to make that decision. We are no more worthy of what Jesus did to win our salvation, but in God’s time and way, we have been saved. God can do the same for the most hopeless person, because He can do the impossible. He will save who He will save, so let us be the ones to give them a chance to hear and believe by sharing the Gospel with them in more than just words on a sign at a football game. Tell your friends about Jesus. Take those you love to meet Him at church. Bless them by showing them how life is better with faith, because it leads to true peace and joy. Give them hope and trust that God will give the increase. He is working in ways we might never expect, like the man who refused to let any child die that he might save.

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June 20, 2025

“He set another parable before them, saying, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while people slept, his enemy came and sowed darnel weeds[a] also among the wheat, and went away. But when the blade sprang up and produced grain, then the darnel weeds appeared also. The servants of the householder came and said to him, “Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where did these darnel weeds come from?” He said to them, “An enemy has done this.” The servants asked him, “Do you want us to go and gather them up?” But he said, “No, lest perhaps while you gather up the darnel weeds, you root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and in the harvest time I will tell the reapers, ‘First, gather up the darnel weeds, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.’”’” Matthew 13:24-30, WEB

We all have a story to tell. As a matter of fact, I’m sure we all have dozens, even hundreds of stories to tell. This will be especially evident in the coming months, with so many gatherings of family and friends during the holidays. When two or more people get together, they talk. When they talk, they tell stories. Some of those stories have been told and retold a hundred times, yet they are as wonderful to hear today as they were the first time.

A family gathered around the dinner table tells stories, as children share their day and parents remember their own youth. Have you ever been in conversation with a group of people when one story led to another? Someone will say, “Remember when...” which sets off hours of remembrances. That has happened at some of the retreats I’ve attended, and it always leads to the best conversations. We share our lives through stories, and we connect with others through them. As we listen to other’s stories, we find ourselves remembering times from our own past and realize that we have shared experiences and learned similar lessons. We can learn so much by placing ourselves in someone else’s story.

Storytellers often use real people and experiences in their stories to help others learn the lessons of life. Fairy tales have fictional aspects, such as places and people that do not exist, but the story itself is often based on something real. Each generation takes these stories and makes them their own, changing the place and the people to fit into their own culture. Jesus often used stories called parables to describe God’s kingdom and the message of God’s grace in language and examples they understood. Modern people do not always identify with the parables Jesus used about farming, but those to whom He spoke those stories knew exactly what He was talking about.

Many in our modern world consider the Bible irrelevant to our times. After all, there are far more people who are unfamiliar with agricultural techniques and terminology. However, the ideas within Jesus’ parables are still very important for us to know and understand. We simply have to place ourselves in His stories and learn what He is telling us.

Today’s story from Matthew is one that helps us to see that God knows best how to deal with the enemy’s tricks. As we are sharing the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, we will notice that there are some who are teaching a false gospel. It is very easy for us to get angry and want to stop those teachers. We argue and debate over doctrine hoping that we will be the ones to once and for all establish the proof the world needs to know the right doctrine. Yet, the false gospel has been preached since the beginning of the church. If it had not, Paul and the other apostles would not have had to deal with it in their letters.

Sometimes we get bored hearing the same stories over and over again, at least that’s what I hear from my children when I retell an old story, especially when we think we have learned the lesson that it conveys. It is especially difficult when we can’t identify with the examples. Jesus’ parables were not always easy to understand by those who heard Him speak, and they are certainly not easy for us today. It doesn’t help that false teachers can twist and turn His words to fit their own ideas and agenda. Yet, this parable teaches us what to do. We are to leave God do what God does. We are to care for the fields until the harvest and let Him deal with the enemy in His way and time. God always knows best.

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June 23, 2025

“Blessed is a person 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. 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.” James 1:12-21, WEB

I don’t often follow recipes. I usually just through ingredients into a pot, sometimes food that is leftover in my refrigerator. I’m pretty good at using ingredients that work together, and the dishes are often delicious. Unfortunately, that type of cooking does not allow for repetition. When I create something that is good, I can’t repeat it because I don’t have a recipe. I do sometimes look for recipes just to get ideas like how long I need to cook something or what temperature to set the oven. I use those recipes as a guideline, not a rule. Some food requires a recipe, especially baked goods because of the science of how different ingredients interact.

I do sometimes find recipes that I want to try which I print for future use. I collect those recipes and pull them out when it is time to plan my Christmas party, picking new food to surprise my friends. The photos of those recipes make the food look delicious, and it is impossible to ignore recipes for cakes that ooze with yummy goodness one pot meals that could satisfy a hungry army.

I once found a recipe that I decided to try immediately. I had everything in the house, so I didn’t have to go to the grocery store. I began after a cursory reading of the recipe. Unfortunately, despite being a professionally produced recipe, the person who published the instructions made a huge mistake. I followed it word for word, even though one step seemed strange. I did it, but the texture seemed all wrong. Later in the recipe it called for an ingredient which was used in the strange step. The doubled amount was not part of the ingredients list. I didn’t think it would matter that much since it was still the same ingredients. Wouldn’t it taste the same? The problem is that the batter never looked quite right. I could not get it to mix well. I added some extra liquid, and it appeared to come together.

The extra liquid made the cake extremely dense, more like fudge. The flavor was good, but it was strange to eat and much too rich. I returned to the website and discovered other home bakers also found the mistake. I fixed the recipe so that the next time it would come out better. I should have been savvy enough to recognize the mistake, but I trusted the source and wondered if there was a reason I didn’t understand. I’m not a professional, just a home cook that likes to experiment and learn from others. I should have stopped as soon as I realized there was something wrong with the instructions, but I thought I could fix it. I was wrong.

Have you ever had one of those moments when you know what you are doing isn’t right? I don’t just mean in the kitchen, but have you ever had an encounter with a neighbor that you realized was not going as it should? Did you think to yourself, “There’s something wrong here, but I’ll just finish this, and I can fix it later?” My cake failed, but I learned something, but what happens when we ruin a friendship by doing something we know we should not do? What happens when we lie; can we really overcome the mistrust that is built? What happens when we get angry and say something without thinking? Can we really overcome the hurt and pain we’ve caused?

We do not always know the effect of the small sins that seem so harmless. Children learn from what they see, feelings are fragile, lies lead to greater lies. This is true in thought, word, and deed. We are reminded to think twice and when something seems wrong, not pushing through with the hope that we can fix it in the end. Which is easier to do: admit we are wrong before we do permanent damage, or destroy something with the arrogant attitude that we can make it better later? God has certainly done all that is necessary to provide us with the forgiveness needed to overcome even the most difficult fractures in our relationships. But remember, that twinge of recognition that you are about to make a mistake is God trying to stop you from doing something you will regret.

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June 24, 2025

“His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying, ‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people; and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David (as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets who have been from of old), salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; to show mercy toward our fathers, to remember his holy covenant, the oath which he swore to Abraham our father, to grant to us that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, should serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life. And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the remission of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the dawn from on high will visit us, to shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death; to guide our feet into the way of peace.’” Luke 1:67-79, WEB

June 24th is the Nativity of John the Baptist. We celebrate on this day because the scriptures tell us that John was born six months before Jesus. Therefore, we are six months from Christmas. Are you already shopping for those Christmas gifts? All kidding aside, it is good to stop for a moment in the middle of the church year to look at the life of John the Baptist. He was the voice calling from the wilderness to prepare the way of the Lord. He cried out for repentance, so that the people would be prepared for that day when Christ did come, so that they would be ready to receive Him. We think about repentance in Lent, and perhaps in Advent, but do we hear that voice as we enter into the fun a free days of summer vacation?

Who was John the Baptist? He was Jesus’ cousin, the firstborn of Elizabeth and Zechariah who were an elderly couple well beyond childbearing years. Zechariah was a priest that ministered in the temple and Elizabeth was barren, but God spoke to Zechariah and promised him a son. When Zechariah questioned the angel that gave him the good news, he was struck dumb, unable to speak.When the child was born, everyone thought he would be named after his father, but Elizabeth said he would be called John. They asked Zechariah, since it was not a family name. He wrote “His name is John.” At that moment, Zechariah could speak again, and he praised God for the blessing of this son. John grew in spirit and lived a most unusual life.

John was a herald. A herald is an announcer, someone who proclaims some important bit of information or news. In Medieval times, most of the news was delivered by traveling heralds who spoke to the people in the marketplace. Today’s anchormen are like those ancient messengers, only their platform is much different. A herald might also have been an official representative for the leaders of an army, something like an ambassador who helps the negotiations during war. Other heralds announced the participants at a tournament. In modern terms, the announcer at a wrestling match has the same purpose, to warm up the crowd and make them excited about the battle ahead. Finally, heralds announced the coming of a king. Though the herald himself was of little importance, he had a very important task. If the herald did not get the attention of the people, or if he put them to sleep with a boring speech, then the message he proclaimed was not heard and the announcement was missed.

John went around the country preaching repentance. He baptized the people with a baptism of repentance and preached the coming kingdom of God. He said, “I indeed baptize you with water, but he comes who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to loosen. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Luke 3:16)

John the Baptist heralded the coming of the Christ, proclaiming the kingdom of God and calling for the repentance of the people. He was sent first to warn the Jews that they must turn back to God, or they would miss the Messiah for whom they were waiting. The Jews were longing for deliverance; they wanted to be freed from the Romans that bound and oppressed them in that age. Yet, they did not realize they were bound by an even harsher master: sin and death. It was not an earthly kingdom that was coming, but God’s kingdom and the salvation that was to be offered was not for the flesh. Jesus Christ brought eternal life to those who believe, and John the Baptist prepared the way.

John knew, even in Elizabeth’s womb, that Jesus was the One for whom they were waiting. When Mary visited Elizabeth after the angel revealed the blessing that she would bear the Savior, John leapt for joy and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! Why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the voice of your greeting came into my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy! Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord!” (Luke 1:42-45)

Thirty years later, as John was baptizing in the Jordan, Jesus went to John to be baptized. John tried to refuse but Jesus said it was necessary to fulfill all righteousness. When John saw Jesus, he exclaimed, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) John knew that he came to witness to the coming of the Christ, the Savior of Israel.

Despite knowing Jesus from before he was born, John wondered about Jesus. He sent his disciples to ask Jesus if He was the one for whom they waited, and Jesus told them to see the signs. Jesus was already fulfilling the prophecies that pointed to His life and ministry in the world. Some of John’s disciples, however, were upset that Jesus was taking his followers. John answered that he was not the bridegroom, but only the friend who stands with him. “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30)

John was a radical and preached against the leaders of the day, including Herod. Herod was filled with pride and human foolishness; he considered himself much greater than he was. Herod listened to John, and liked him, but John was truthful about Herod’s sinful marriage to his brother’s wife Herodias. She used the opportunity of Herod’s arrogance when he offered up to half his kingdom to Herodias’ daughter who danced for him. I say “kingdom” but Herod was only a puppet king, controlled by Rome and his own flesh. He feared killing John because of the people, but he feared for his reputation even more. When he pridefully offered the young girl anything she desired in front of a room full of important men of the kingdom at a birthday party, he could not renege on the promise. She made him feel good, and so when she obeyed her mother and asked for John’s head on a platter, Herod killed John and gave it to her. (Matthew 14:1-12)

Today is the day we remember John the Baptist, his life and ministry. If there is one thing to remember about John, it is that he knew his place in God’s kingdom. He came to point the way to the Lord Jesus, and he accomplished that mission. He was not jealous that Jesus was the focus. He lived, and died, in the joy of knowing that the Messiah had finally come to save His people. John was just the herald, the one who came before to proclaim the coming of the King. He knew that he was unimportant, and once Jesus arrived on the scene, he willingly stepped aside so that Jesus would have center stage. John is an example to us today. We are also called to be heralds, witnesses to the coming of Christ. We become less and less as we grow in faith and knowledge of God’s grace until one day all God will see in our faces because we have been transformed into His image.

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June 25, 2025

Lectionary Scriptures for June 29, 2025, Third Sunday after Pentecost: 1 Kings 19:9b-21; Psalm 16; Galatians 5:1, 13-25; Luke 9:51-62

“You will show me the path of life. In your presence is fullness of joy. In your right hand there are pleasures forever more.” Psalm 16, WEB

Those who come from a different church background may wonder what I mean by “lectionary scriptures” in this devotion each Wednesday. A lectionary is a prescribed set of scripture readings which are organized to present an ordered story. In the Christian church, the lectionary follows the church year which begins with Advent, then follows with Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and finally Pentecost. The first half of the year focuses on God’s story, the second half (Pentecost) focuses on our story. The end of the year looks forward to the second coming of Christ and the end of the world.

There are different lectionaries, some are daily, one-year, narrative, Old Testament or New Testament focused. I follow a three-year lectionary, and though most of the three-year lectionaries are similar, there are some differences between the prescribed readings for each Sunday. The three-year lectionary includes an Old Testament lesson, a Psalm, a lesson from the New Testament, and one from one of the four Gospels. Each of the three years focuses on Matthew, Mark, or Luke, and the book of John is scattered throughout the three years. The four weekly texts are somehow connected to each other, sometimes loosely, and they are also connected to the season of the year. We are currently in the season of Pentecost, so the scriptures will teach us what it means to live as a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Some of the texts are used more than once in the three years, especially the psalms. Psalm 16 appears multiple times: once at Easter, once early in the season of Pentecost, and once at the end of the season of Pentecost. This is interesting because we see that these words of the Psalmist fit different seasons of our lives. It celebrates God’s grace at Easter, sets us in the right mind as we begin our journey of faith in this world, and recalls God’s promises as we near the end times. Through all these seasons, we are to be filled with joy and peace so that we can trust in God. This is easy to do at Easter, after all we see God’s fulfilled promises in action with the resurrection of Jesus. It is not so hard at the beginning of our journey of faith and our life in God’s kingdom, because we are excited about the opportunities and passionate about Jesus. It is much harder as we face the eschatological questions of the end time. Can we trust that God is in control when we see so much going on in our world that seems to be in chaos?

David wrote in today’s Psalm, “In your presence is fullness of joy.” We all know what it is like to be happy. As Christians we even know what it is like to live in a joy that is beyond our understanding, content in the grace of God. Yet, there is something deeper about the joy and awe we will feel when we truly stand in the presence of our God. We get glimpses as we journey through this life, whether it is something in nature that takes our breath away or some revelation of God that silences us. He has done amazing things for us. He has blessed us in good times and bad, with gifts that have value beyond dollars. He has given His very Son for our sake.

We are not standing at the foot of the cross or at the empty tomb, but it is the awe we experience at Easter that gives us the courage and strength to face the beginnings and ends of our journeys of faith. As we remember the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, knowing that His blood saves us so that one day we will joyfully dwell with Him in God’s presence forever, we will find that joy the psalmist experienced as He praised God for His amazing grace.

In today’s Old Testament lesson from 1 Kings, Elijah was near the end of his ministry as a prophet and Elisha was about to begin his. Elijah had just accomplished a miraculous thing: he made water burn. He challenged the prophets of Baal to call on the names of their gods to accept an offering of a bull by sending fire to burn it on their altar. Four hundred and fifty prophets tried but could not make their “gods” respond. Elijah set up his altar, laid the sacrifice upon it, and poured water three times over everything until it was drenched. The water even flooded a trench around the altar. When Elijah called upon the Lord God Almighty, He answered with a mighty sign, burning the sacrifice, the wood, and even the stones and soil. When the people praised God for this miraculous sign, Elijah ordered the slaughter of the prophets of Baal. In doing so, he upset the wife of King Ahab.

Jezebel threatened to kill him for slaughtering the prophets of Baal. She was a powerful woman and Elijah was afraid. He ran away toward Horeb and cried out to God, “It is enough. Now, O Yahweh, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.” He was ready to die because he did not think he was accomplishing anything. He knew that God would be more merciful in death than Jezebel.

Elijah was in a pretty bad place. He felt very alone.

Have you ever felt like you were alone in the world? Have you watched your social media and wondered if you were the only person left with any common sense? Have you seen the hot new reality show, heard the buzz around the watercooler, and wondered if you were the only one who thought it was the most ridiculous thing you’d ever seen? Have you read the hot new book put out by that prolific Christian author and wondered if you were the only one who still understands what the bible really means?

Have you faced an enemy and thought you were alone in the battle? Have you been lonely and thought you had no friends? Have you been challenged by a crisis and thought that there was no one to walk with you through it?

Have you ever said, “I, even I only, am left...”?

It is easy to think that we are alone in the world, especially when everyone else seems to have their paths paved so differently. After Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal, he ran away into the mountains out of fear for his life. He really thought he was all alone, that there were none who still believed God. He even felt abandoned by God. “I was so zealous for you!” he cried, “Why am I in such danger? Can’t they see that I was right about you?”

I doubt that any of us have defeated a multitude of pagan prophets, but I am sure that most of us have stood up for something we believe and experienced the rejection of those who don’t. Post something controversial on your social media and you are likely to get at least a few detractors. Even if there is only one, the disagreement will be the response that stands out. You can get twenty “amens” and one “you’ve got to be kidding me” and you’ll feel like you are all alone. We have a tendency to focus on the bad, making us blind to the reality that there are others standing with us. Including God.

It is easy to become exhausted when you feel the weight of the world is on your shoulders. It is also easy to run away when you think that what you are doing is not worth your time or energy. We think that we are the only ones who care. We think that we are the only ones willing to do anything. We think we are all alone. And that’s when we burn out. That is when we give up. That’s what happened to Elijah.

God doesn’t let His servants go so easily. Elijah still had work to do. The Lord gave him strength to make it to Horeb where He appeared to him. In one of my favorite passages, Elijah was hiding on the mountain when God asked him why he was there. Elijah answered, “I have been very jealous for Yahweh, the God of Armies; for the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.” He sent Elijah to stand to wait for His presence. First a great wind came, but the Lord was not in the wind. Then an earthquake shook the earth, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. Then a great fire came, but the Lord was not in the fire. Finally, there was a gentle whisper, and Elijah fell on his face knowing that it was the Lord. God asked again why Elijah was there, and Elijah repeated his complaint.

God assured Elijah of His presence and gave him the work he was still called to do. God told him to go back and anoint Hazael as king over Aram and Jehu as king of Israel. He was also to anoint his successor, Elisha. These three would be used by God to bring divine judgment on Israel so that they would turn back to Him. God had a plan and gave Elijah everything he needed to complete his work, including a promise that he was not alone.

God’s command would not have been easy to obey. I’m sure Elijah was not thrilled at the prospect of going back to where his life was threatened. As he was traveling through the Desert of Damascus, he came across Elisha plowing in the field. He walked up to him and put his cloak over his shoulder. The cloak, or mantle, was symbolic of Elijah’s position. This was his way of designating Elisha as his successor.

Elisha answered immediately, “Let me please kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” Elijah’s response has always puzzled me, particularly in light of the Gospel lesson for today. When a man said the same thing to Jesus, He answered, “No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Yet, Elijah told Elisha, “Go back again; for what have I done to you?” Why would he answer this way? Turning over his ministry would free Elijah of his responsibilities and let him die in peace.

I suppose, if we think about Elijah’s state of mind, we might consider this the most logical answer he could give. After all, he was commanded to give away the hard and dangerous burden of his life as a prophet. Would you want to be the one to pass on such a heavy responsibility to another?

In the Gospel story, some men claimed to want to follow Jesus, but each made excuses. It might seem the same is true of Elisha, but he was not making an excuse to avoid the call from God. As a matter of fact, Elisha returned home to destroy everything of his old life so that he would be completely free to follow God’s calling. He slaughtered the oxen and used the plow to cook the meat for the people. He gave up his wealth, family, and livelihood to follow Elijah.

Elijah was having a pity party. His attitude seems selfish and self-centered, but don’t we all have our own moments of melancholy and hopelessness? We wonder what we are doing wrong. We get frustrated. We wonder if we are hearing God’s voice correctly. “Is this really what God intends?” We see no way of making things better. We think we might as well just hide in a cave and let the world end without us. It is easy to give up and give in. Why should we fight if it seems as though God isn’t fighting with us? If God were fighting, wouldn’t we be winning?

We can’t see as clearly as God. God was winning.

There’s a story about a man who felt God was calling him to push against a huge boulder in his yard. Day after day he pushed and shoved but the boulder never moved. People made fun of him. He eventually felt defeated. One day he asked God, “Why have you called me to this pointless task that I can’t accomplish? I have failed.” God answered, “Look how you have changed. You are stronger, wiser, and ready for whatever comes next. I didn’t call you to move the rock, but to push against it. You were faithful and obedient. Now that you have done this, I will move the rock.”

We become discouraged because we don’t see the outcome we expect, but we don’t know what outcome God intends. We feel alone because we doubt that God is working through us when we don’t see success. Elijah proved God was greater than the false gods, but still people didn’t believe. It is no wonder he ran off to the mountains and begged to be finished! We understand Elijah’s point of view. We might not be upset because enemies are trying to kill us, but our own little corner of the world can fall apart in so many ways like broken relationships, unsatisfying work, and ill health. We do not understand how God can abandon us when we are so passionate about following Him. We usually want to accomplish something we deem valuable. Like the man with the boulder, we expect an outcome that changes the world. Like Elijah, we expect everyone to believe because of what we have done. God reminds us in this week’s lessons that He is the one who accomplishes these things. He will move the rock. He will set things right. He will save those who are lost.

James and John wanted to prove God’s power, just as Elijah did. James and John, otherwise known as the “Sons of Thunder” for their quick tempers, asked Jesus if He wanted them to call fire down on the village. They were certainly zealous about the work they were doing with and for the Lord.

The Samaritans were enemies of the Jews, half-breeds because they had intermingled with Gentiles through marriage. They did not worship in Jerusalem. Yet, despite the animosity between Jews and Samaritans, Jesus had mercy on them. Jesus used the Samaritan as the example of the good neighbor. Jesus treated the woman at the well with compassion and revealed Himself to her. Yet, the Samaritans did not receive Jesus or His disciples because they were Jews. When the disciples were turned away from the village, they wanted to respond with power. There is power that comes from being a follower of Christ, but Jesus never gives us power to harm others. Instead, we are called to be merciful and treat even our enemies with grace.

Today’s lesson includes three call stories. In the first encounter, a man told Jesus that he would follow Him wherever He went. Jesus answered, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” We don’t know how the man received that answer, but in context it is probable that it disappointed him. What about the call of Christ makes us question whether or not we should follow Jesus?

Jesus said to the second man, “Follow me.” The man answered that he wanted to bury his father first. Now, this seems like a reasonable request to postpone following Jesus, but it is likely that the man’s father was not yet dead. In other words, the man was telling Jesus, “I’ll be glad to join you when my life circumstances change.” Unfortunately, we often put off following Jesus until a better time. Jesus answered, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead, but you go and announce God’s Kingdom.” How often do we push aside God’s kingdom work to do what we think is more vital or timely?

A third man told Jesus, “I want to follow you, Lord, but first...” In this case, the man just wanted to say good-bye to his family. Jesus says, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for God’s Kingdom.” Are we willing to give up everything for the sake of the Gospel? Are we willing, like Elisha, to destroy everything of our old life so that we will be completely free to follow God’s will for our lives?

The cost of following Jesus is heavy. It means giving up everything including the family ties and the work we have think we have to do. It is easy to find excuses to put off the work of the kingdom, but Jesus is not willing to accept excuses. He was on His way to the cross, time was short, and there was too much left to do. Those who were not truly committed, faithful, and obedient would never survive the next test. They would be the ones to fall under the pressure of the crucifixion. They would not have the strength or courage to wait for His resurrection.

Faithfulness and obedience do not mean that we will accomplish what we think we are supposed to accomplish. Faithfulness and obedience mean doing what God calls us to do, even if it seems pointless. Faithless and obedience mean trusting God even when it seems like we have failed. The men in today's Gospel lesson may have wanted to follow Jesus, but Jesus knew that the cost was too high for half-hearted commitment. Following Jesus requires the whole self. No one whose mind or heart is divided or whose flesh will quickly fall to selfish desires will be able to stand up against the pressure and persecution that comes against us because we serve God.

Imagine how Jesus’ followers must have felt at this point in His story. He was doing good work among them. For them, it was more than enough. After all, they were eating well, being healed, and hearing good stories. They knew that a trip to Jerusalem was dangerous for Jesus because they had heard the threats. They must have wondered why He would go to where they wanted to kill Him. Jesus, unlike Elijah, knew that His purpose led to Jerusalem. He would not turn left or right but would head straight into the hands of his enemies. The plan was right. His death was vital. He couldn’t stay hidden among friends when God sent Him to be slaughtered.

Yet the disciples, like Elijah and all the rest of us, wanted to take matters into their own hands. “Should we command fire to come down from the sky and destroy them, just as Elijah did?” we ask. No, this is not the work He is calling us to do. Jesus answered, “For the Son of Man didn’t come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” James and John were focused on the deeds of the flesh, not the spirit.

The deeds of the flesh as listed by Paul in his letter to the Galatians are part of the old life that we must leave behind. At times these are easy to recognize and yet sometimes we do not even realize we are sinning against God with our works. It is easy to see idolatry when the god we worship is a stone figurine. It is not so easy when our idols are our philosophical points of view. We are just like those men on the road to Jerusalem with an easy excuse like “now is not the time,” or “let me take care of something first.”

The life God expects from us looks so much different, it is a life filled with the fruit of the Spirit. The works of the flesh destroy. The works of the Spirit shine God’s light. It is hard work, and we might have to do things we don’t want to do because they don’t make sense or seem worthwhile, but God fills us with enough faith to trust that He knows what He is doing.

Paul reminds us to stand firm in the Gospel so that we will not be burdened by our sinful flesh. That includes the self-centered and selfish pity parties we like to have when we feel like God is sending us into a mean and hurtful world. We seek the freedom to pursue our desires and yet it is our desires that keep us in bondage. James and John had the power to call down fire on the Samaritan village, but their desire to was keeping them in bondage to their anger and hatred. Standing firm in the Gospel means that we won’t give excuses when God calls us to His service. In Christ we are freed from this world to serve others in love and mercy.

The mantle of discipleship passed on to us by those who came before is heavy. We must let go of the past and put God first. We must continue on even when we think we have failed, trusting that God will accomplish His work in His way and in His time. Following Jesus means living in freedom from our flesh for the sake of others, loving as He loves us.

David knew that apart from God he had no good thing, that God alone was his refuge. He knew the joy and peace that comes from trusting in God rather than the things of this world. “You will show me the path of life. In your presence is fullness of joy. In your right hand there are pleasures forever more.” This is the lesson that will keep us through the hard times. Our hope is found in God. Let us have faith in Him because He is faithful to all His promises and will help us endure to the end.

Today’s psalm was a song of lament written by David. It is a prophecy of Christ, a personal testimony, and a psalm about the end. It begins with a plea for help, but David knows that the Lord is our refuge. Our relationship with Him provides security. We are to distance ourselves from pagan practices and false gods because the LORD is a delightful inheritance. This psalm provides a basis for our confidence as Christians and the sure hope in God that life does not end in death. As we enter into this period of Pentecost, we are reminded that the greatest prize is to see Christ and to be like Him.

We may think we are all alone in this world, persecuted by those who hate us and rejected by those we have been called to serve. However, we are not alone for God is with us and He has promised that there are others called to do His work, too. God sees what we will never see, knows what we can never know, and He is faithful. That’s enough to give us the strength to go on and continue doing what He has called us to do. In the end, God will not fail; His purpose will be accomplished. He will always guide our way, and we will dwell in joy and peace in His grace.

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June 26, 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

How do you prepare for visitors? What do you do to make your guests feel like they are at home? We begin by cleaning the house: the floor gets vacuumed, the flat surfaces get dusted, and the kitchen gets cleaned. Someone scrubs the bathroom from top to bottom, and we make sure that the hand towels are fresh and the air freshener is working. Fresh linens are put on the dining room table. We check the pantry for food and the refrigerator for drinks. We plan menus and activities that will make the guests happy. We dig out some toys to keep any children occupied.

We spend extra time preparing the guest room if our guests will stay overnight. We put fresh linens on the bed and flowers in a vase. We have a basket full of hotel soaps and shampoos just in case they forget something. I keep a pile of postcards with pens and stamps so that they can send messages to their family and friends. We buy special treats and fulfill requests so that they will be satisfied. We plan visits to interesting places or activities so that they will get to experience Texas.

Our house is their home while anyone is visiting. They can use our Wi-Fi, and even our computers if they need to print boarding passes or check their email. We take care of their every need, but mostly we make sure they are so comfortable that they feel like they are home. “No need to ask for something, help yourself!” is the way things work at our house. Hopefully our guests do truly feel like they are one of the family, welcome to share in all that we have.

Ephesians 3:17 made me think about how we treat company, and it made me wonder if we make Jesus feel at home in our hearts the way we make our homes comfortable for visitors? Do we fill our hearts with good things so that He will feel welcome? He is our guest, invited by faith into the very depths of our beings, but our hearts are not always the most pleasant places. We harbor sinful thoughts and forget the good things. We put our time and our energy into living our lives, but we do not take the time for worship, prayer, and bible study that will help make our hearts cozier for our Lord Jesus.

We put a lot of time and energy into making our homes a place where our guests feel comfortable. Perhaps we should think about that when we get so busy that we do not have time for the Lord. After all, He’s not just a guest; He has taken up residency in our hearts and He deserves to have a place where He feels at home, like one of our family and welcome to share in every aspect of our lives.

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June 27, 2025

“Remember my affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the bitterness. My soul still remembers them, and is bowed down within me. This I recall to my mind; therefore I have hope. It is because of Yahweh’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassion doesn’t fail. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness. ‘Yahweh is my portion,’ says my soul. ‘Therefore I will hope in him.’ Yahweh is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of Yahweh. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. Let him sit alone and keep silence, because he has laid it on him. Let him put his mouth in the dust, if it is so that there may be hope. Let him give his cheek to him who strikes him. Let him be filled full of reproach. For the Lord will not cast off forever. For though he causes grief, yet he will have compassion according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses. For he does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.” Lamentations 3:19-33, WEB

Billy Crystal, Daniel Stern, and Bruno Kirby starred in a movie called “City Slickers” which was about some city folk who decided to visit a dude ranch. This particular dude ranch included very hard work; the guests were helping move the herd from one place to another, which they later discovered was for slaughter. It was not easy, and they were not physically or emotionally prepared for the work, but it was also a time for them to learn more about themselves. Billy Crystal’s character Mitch was struggling with his life. He was going through a mid-life crisis, and he didn’t really want to go, but his wife sent him to “find his smile.” He did find it and in the end was a better and stronger man because of it.

There was a scene during which the characters were talking about the best and worst days of their lives. Mitch told his friends about a time when his wife found a lump in her breast. He said for the whole day they were worried and wondered if it was cancer. In the end they found out it was nothing. Mitch said, “That was my worst day.” Bruno Kirby - Ed - said, “But that was a good day, it was nothing.” Mitch answered, “Until we knew, it was a horrible day.” Ed said, “But it ended well.” Back and forth they went arguing about whether it was good because the end was good or if it was bad because the whole day was filled with worry. Ed said, “You are really a glass is half-empty kind of guy” meaning that Mitch always saw the negative and missed the positive.

We are amazed when we look at faithful/faith-filled people who are suffering from some ailment. They are paralyzed and still go to the food bank every week to work. They are sick with cancer and visit the children’s ward to comfort the children. They are financially strapped but manage to find enough to take a homeless man to dinner. They see the good in the midst of their affliction and do not wallow in pity for their own circumstances knowing that others need more than they do.

One of the most difficult things for a non-Christian to understand is the idea of goodness in suffering. They want to know, “If God is so good, why do people suffer?” The thing is, they aren’t able to see the wonderful things that come out of suffering. They can’t see the hope we have in tomorrow, even if tomorrow never comes. We don’t understand suffering as good or bad, but as something through which God takes us to make us better. They want to blame God, call Him an evil being because He allows struggle. Or they simply refuse to believe any sort of loving God exists because a loving God would not allow suffering in His world.

In Christ, however, we view things differently. We see the glass as half-full; we see the light at the end of the tunnel. We know there is a silver lining in every cloud and rainbows that follow the storm. We know that even if our suffering today ends in death, we will not die because we have eternal life in Christ. We know that God does not plan for us to suffer, but that He will be with us through the suffering that comes from living in this fallen and imperfect world. We know that God makes good things happen out of bad for those who love Him and have hope in His promises.

I think there are times in every man’s life when he feels like Mitch. Every woman experiences times of self-pity or of questioning why God would allow the suffering we face. I certainly have had my moments, especially in the last few years as I have experienced the effects of age. Yet, in Christ we are called to view the world differently, to look at all our experiences through God’s eyes and remember that He is faithful to the end. We know to whom we belong and what He has promised to those who have faith.

In hope we can get through our suffering knowing that something incredible is waiting for us in the end: eternal life with our Father in Heaven. We know that God will be with us through all the trials we face, not willingly afflicting us but using the circumstances of our lives to bring us closer to His heart. He is truly a compassionate and merciful God. Knowing this we can rejoice in our suffering and walk in faith into the glass is half-empty world with hope and peace.

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June 30, 2025

“But you remain in the things which you have learned and have been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them. From infancy, you have known the holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, that each person who belongs to God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:14-17, WEB

There is a difference between knowing and understanding. I can easily say “The sky is blue,” but I have no answer to the question, “Why is the sky blue?” It has something to do with particles in the air and reflecting light, but I do not understand the process. I might be able to understand enough to explain it to someone else if I did a little research if asked “Why?” but I’m not sure I could make them understand.

Many people can easily say, “God loves you.” While this is a most important statement, lifesaving for those who are lost in sin and death, it is rarely enough to help a person understand the salvation of Jesus Christ. My Sunday school class has been studying the book of Proverbs this year, and it is always amazing how much we see Jesus and our calling as disciples in the book filled with one-liners. We have discovered that Jesus and the disciples often used the words of Solomon and the other Old Testament passages to teach about the speaking about the Kingdom of God. The Old Testament is the revelation of God, which they knew to be trustworthy. It is how they knew God’s Word given through the patriarchs, judges, kings, and prophets. The scriptures are trustworthy.

God did a brand-new thing by sending Jesus to be the Lamb of God to take upon the sin of the world, but there is nothing about His character that is any different in the New Testament and our world today. He is still a just God, but His wrath was cast upon His Son rather than us sinners. He is still merciful, forgiving our sins and cleansing us from unrighteousness. He is still our deliverer, protector, and teacher. He still guides, disciplines, inspires and transforms His people. He is now as He has always been our loving God.

God still reveals Himself to individuals through His creation, through prayer, through each other, and we can know Him through these things. But it is by God’s written word as found in the scriptures that we can understand and be assured that what we see, feel, and hear are truly from God. Satan is very good at being the adversary. He is well versed in God’s Word and cunningly twists it to fit his purpose to deceive and destroy. This is why knowledge is not enough; we also need understanding. God gives understanding by the power of His Spirit, but it is not handed to us. Understanding comes through study of His Word and through the witness of the men and women whose stories are recorded in the scriptures. It is not enough for there to be just one witness, so throughout the Bible the same concepts like faith, hope, peace, joy, love, responsibility, generosity, and many more are repeated over and over again. As we see the connections between the Old and New Testament, God’s word is built line upon line into our hearts making us wise and understanding disciples.

We love the stories and lessons of Jesus and the disciples in the New Testament, but it is important that we keep the Proverbs and other Old Testament stories as part of our study of God’s Word because they set the foundation from which they preached the Kingdom of God. They did not bring knew knowledge or wisdom; Jesus built upon that which God had already revealed, fulfilling the promises and making the Word of God complete. Then through Paul and the disciples, God added the final pieces to the puzzle so that we might not only know and love God but also that we will live a life that is good, right and true, glorifying Him in all that we do.

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