Devotion for Tuesday, May 31

Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high, who looks far down on the heavens and the earth? He raises the poor from the dust, and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes ..." (Psalm 113:5-8)

With all due respect to the great Bette Midler, ours is not a God who "looks down from a distance" on us our lives.  I can understand the thought and the image, yes.  However, if the Christian faith says anything about God, it is that God is not aloof nor removed from the world God created.  Instead, our God is the one not only dwelt with us Jesus, but dwells with us still in the Spirit of Jesus.

In doing so, God is able to do quite a remarkable thing:  God lifts us from our struggles and pains and raises us to new life and renewed life time and time again.  This is at the heart of the witness of Jesus. This is the central aspect of His ministry and teaching.  It remains the most vital confession and profession that we make as followers of Jesus.

My dad says it this way:  God is "God-enough" for our sin, shame, sufferings, and pain.  Through the Spirit of Jesus, and activated amidst our faithful response to the promise, we come to find that our lives are redeemed and restored no matter the circumstance and no matter the brokenness.

As we know, this can be and often times will be a long and winding road.  Still, it is the primary work of God to raise us up from our moments and experiences of desperation, to offer us hope beyond hope for each and every struggle and each and every shame.

Our God is "God-enough" to help us face our trials and "God enough" to not only offer us comfort amidst our trials and see us through them, but to hasten the time when peace and restoration will once again reign in our lives, and prayerfully, in our world.

God-Enough, may we cling to your promised presence always and in all ways. Amen.

Devotion for Monday, May 30 (Memorial Day Devotion)

No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends (John 15:13)

My mother, Barbara, lost her father, Floyd Beaver, during World War II.  She was born on January 1, 1945. He died on March 4, 1945 as the Allies were pushing toward the Rhine river.  He did know that he had another daughter, and in his last letter to my grandmother it seems he would have called my mother "Babs".

Obviously, my mother never met her father.  And since he is buried in Liege, Belgium at the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, no one from the family had ever made it over to his grave.  That was until 1995, when my father kept a promise he'd made to her to take them there one day.

 

The day that we made it to the cemetery was filled with great emotion.  My mother's sister, my aunt Sandy, came with us.  As we found the marker - Plot C, Row 8, Grave 8 - my mother and aunt walked together, holding on to each other, toward the grave site.  My father and I walked behind them.

As we came upon the grave, my mother and my aunt knelt down, placing the flowers they had brought, and began to weep.  My dad watched and then knelt beside my mother.

I watched as my dad took some dirt he had brought from NC to poor on grandfather's grave.

He then took some dirt from there to take back home to the cemetery, named in his honor, at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Rockwell, NC, my grandfather's home church.

Before my grandmother died, and before Alzheimer's had fully taken control of her mind and body, my mother and aunt were able to take pictures to her of the grave site.  She was finally able to see his grave and see their daughters standing by the grave.  My grandmother kept those pictures by her bedside until the day she died.

As I reflect on that amazing morning, I am mindful that so many families, like mine, have suffered these kind of tragedies.  It is humbling to know that so many men and women have made this ultimate sacrifice in defense of our nation's freedom.  At it's purest, these acts of sacrifice are amazing acts of love.  And amidst their death, we achieved victory.  We live and hope now in the light of this victory.  

Any such sacrifice reminds us of the love of God and the cross of Jesus.  His love for this world led to the tragedy of the cross.  Yet, as is God's way, death is turned into victory.  And we live and hope now in His victorious light.

This Cross was visible in the sky on the day we visited the cemetery

As we give thanks this Memorial Day for the sacrifice of so many brave soldiers, men and women who put others before themselves, we are mindful that their sacrifice mirrors the model of Christ, where death is swallowed up in the victory of the Risen Lord, where hope sustains us through tragedies to come, and the light of peace reigns always in our lives and in our world. 

For your sacrifice dear Lord and for the sacrifices of men and women, we give thanks and praise. Amen. 

   

Devotion for Friday, May 27

Be still, and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10)

Friday is my day off. I know, many people say that I only work one day a week (if only!).  I had Monday as my day off for many years, and it was great.  Still, I came to find that I was seemingly "running behind" during the regular work week for this reason.  As my children grew and became involved in many activities, moving my day off to Friday allowed for me to have more of a "weekend", as I am often involved with my kids on Saturdays.  I have found this "time apart" to be very healthy for me personally and for our family.

There is an inherent wisdom in "sabbath" time.  Whether it is a daily ritual of prayer and devotion, or taking time to simply "be" during the hustle and bustle of life.  God models the importance of "being still" amidst the honest work of most days and weeks.  We cannot fully live with energy if we do not take time to recharge through rest.  

Holiday weekends like Memorial Day weekend offer us a dedicated time for rest, and hopefully you can find the time to rest and play and laugh and recharge during this time.  Think of it this way ... by doing so you are doing something holy and sacred and blessed.  Instead of seeing the weekend as merely a time to "get more done" than a normal weekend, see it as an opportunity to practice sabbath. And we need to learn to practice sabbath, because many of us are not really good at it.  

Still, be still. Try it. Allow yourself the freedom to be still and just be. Allow for that moment to be rich and full with knowing that God values you, not because of what you do, but precisely because of who you are! 

God of Sabbath, help us to find moments and days of rewarding and renewing rest. Amen.

Devotion for Thursday, May 26 (First Letter to the Corinthians)

If Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain (I Corinthians 15:14)

At the heart of the Christian faith is this very sensational claim: that Jesus of Nazareth was raised from the dead!

I have known many people who could buy Jesus as a great teacher, or even a healer of some kind but did not by that he was raised from the dead.  Their rational sensibilities hold sway.  

I admit that I can understand why someone may not believe in the resurrection of Jesus.  Resurrection does not happen in our everyday lives.  But I do believe it happened.  I absolutely believe it had to happen.

I came to faith through my head.  At some point I came to the rational belief that if there is a God (and I was pretty sure that there was), then the kind of God that I could believe in and give my life to would be a God who came down to experience all that we experience in life, even experiencing death.  And if that could happen, then Jesus, God-incarnate in the world, could absolutely be raised, proving that life trumps death.  

Paul writes that if there is no resurrection, then all that we are doing is for naught.  I agree.  Our central Christian witness is that God in Christ brings life out of death -- not simply at the end of our lives, but amidst all the "mini-deaths" that we experience in this world (i.e. death of a dream, relationship, professional goal, sickness, etc.).

I believe that "resurrection" happens all the time, that God is forever in the "resurrection business" in our lives and the lives of the people of world.  May we have the faith and the eyes to see it!

Ever-living God, open us to your life-giving and life-changing ways. Amen.   

Devotion for Wednesday, May 25 (First Letter to the Corinthians)

For as often as you eat of this bread and drink from this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes (I Corinthians 11:26)

We share the sacrament of Holy Communion every Sunday at Bethel.  I am so glad that we do and that it has become commonplace to do so in most Lutheran congregations.  For what we believe about Holy Communion is actually quite awesome.

For Lutherans, Holy Communion is more than a memory exercise.  Neither is it a full-blown transformation of bread and wine.  Instead, Lutherans walk a middle path if you will.

We believe that while the elements remain bread/wine, we also strongly believe that the mysterious presence of Jesus is "in, with, and under" the elements as spiritual nourishment.  We call this the "real presence".  Therefore, Holy Communion is something we desire and need each week.

My daughter Leah just celebrated her "First Communion".  What I remember so vividly is that leading up to this past Sunday, she kept saying "Is this the Sunday that I get to do the cup?"  Her joy in participating in worship in this new way was infections for our family.  I so hope that she does not lose that joy for the remainder of her life.

I have seen the power of Holy Communion in the lives of many people, particularly older people who are unable to attend worship with any regularity, if at all.  They value receiving the bread/wine because it connects them to their church but also to a life-long promise of Jesus' presence, forgiveness, and grace.

And isn't that feeling something we need to experience as much as possible?

Nourishing Lord, may our lives be filled by your Spirit, sustaining us and energizing us for faith. Amen.

Devotion for Tuesday, May 24 (First Letter to the Corinthians)

Think of us in this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of God's mysteries (I Corinthians 4:1)

Servants and stewards.  That is what we are as followers of Jesus.  We are serve Christ by serving others.  We are stewards of the revelatory nature of God.  What then does this mean?

As servants it means that we live for the benefit of others first.  In doing so, we are modeling our life after Jesus.  This will invite us into loving others and forgiving others in ways that may not feel natural or without difficult.  Still, we dare to do so with the promise of the Spirit's help.

As stewards, we recognize that all that we have and all that we are is gift and grace!  We are stewards of what God has freely given to us out of love -- our unique abilities and talents, our treasure, and our time.  God indeed works in mysterious ways, but here is how this works?

The ways of God are unveiled and revealed to us, often when we least expect it or consider it.  This means that where we may not see ourselves as doing something for God's purpose, that may be exactly what God is doing in us and through us.  Being stewards of the mysteries of God is that we are willing to do and be about the work of the Kingdom trusting that God is up to something in us and through us. Period.  

You may be working at McDonalds, or as a lawyer, or as a teacher, or on the road crew for VDOT. God can and does and will use you -- perhaps mysteriously to you -- to achieve God's purposes. We may never even know what God was up to, but believe me, God is up to something -- always!

Mysterious, yet ever near Lord, help us to live as servant and steward in trust your ways. Amen.   

Devotion for Monday, May 23 (First Letter to the Corinthians)

But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God chose what is low and despised in the world ... so that no one might boast in the presence of God (I Corinthians 1:27-29)

As I spoke yesterday at worship, I suggested that Christianity's diminishing presence in our society might not be a bad thing.  In fact, I suggested that it was a great opportunity for us to return to being the church at our best.

My conclusion was fairly simple: whenever the Christian church is in a position of power, we often cease to be what we are supposed to be about (i.e. radical inclusion, equality, and justice for all). Instead, we become the "insiders" and therefore must have "outsiders".

The maddening truth of Christianity is that our greatest power is in the powerlessness of the cross!

This means that we live and profess a faith that may seem "foolish" to others.  Our greatest strength is when we embrace and live through our weakness, our suffering, and the crosses we bear.  For in these moments only God is left to give us what we need.  All other trappings of power, prestige, and status fall away.  Only the crucified Christ is left!

It can be difficult, if not seemingly impossible, to put our trust in our own weaknesses.  It goes against all that we are taught from birth it seems.  However, our Christian faith finds its strength in recognizing the overwhelming grace, mercy, and compassion of God, as experienced in the cross. This allows us therefore to live crucified lives for the benefit and love of others.  And this sacrificial mandate of our baptism changes lives and changes our world.

Crucified and risen Lord, may we find strength in our weakness and hope in our pain. Amen.

Devotion for Friday, May 20 (Letter to the Galatians)

Bear one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2)

As we conclude this week on Galatians, I lift up this verse for you.  I believe that it encapsulates the entirety of the purpose and message of Paul's letter.  

The law is fulfilled not through pietism, works, or doctrinal devotion.  No, the law is fulfilled as we love our neighbor and consider their burdens our own.  There is no hierarchy, no levels of faithfulness, no demarcation of followers of Jesus.  As much as we probably would like for there to be such things, Paul says that this is patently anti-kingdom of Jesus thinking.  

Instead, Paul proclaims a radical inclusiveness and maddening equality.  We follow the law as we love without prejudice and within compassion. Period.  We most perfectly execute God's purpose in this world as we begin to see the struggles of others as our own, and do something about them.  We most perfectly execute God's plan for our lives as we humble ourselves and devote ourselves to the work of justice and freedom for the other.  

And as we do, we will experience a glimpse of God's beautiful vision for our world.

God of compassion, may we have compassion on others and share their struggles so as to bring new life. Amen. 

   

Devotion for Thursday, May 19 (Letter to the Galatians)

By contrast the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  There is no law against such thing. (Galatians 5:22-23).

My son Noah learned a song about the fruits of the spirit at a Virginia Synod youth event.  It has become a family favorite.

The funny thing is that Heidi and I had a difficult time remembering the words.  We actually practiced singing it while we were driving around Hawaii in December.  We finally got it down.

I kind of felt like that experience was reminiscent of what it is like to put these fruits into practice during life.  We may know some of them really well (i.e. love, kindness, faithfulness) but find others slipping our mind (i.e. generosity, gentleness, self-control).  Keeping them ALL in play takes concentration and practice and repetition.  It also takes working with others.

So, I will bring up this song with our family from time to time.  Hopefully, together we can remember to live into the fruits of the spirit each day.  May you do the same.

Loving Spirit, renew, recreate, and reshape our lives to look like Jesus. Amen.

Devotion for Wednesday, May 18 (Letter to the Galatians)

For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.

(Galatians 5:1))

Martin Luther once wrote a treatise called Freedom of a Christian.  In it, he wrote the following:

A Christian is a perfectly free Lord of all, subject to none.  

A Christian is a dutiful servant of all, subject to all.

These words may seem like a paradox.  Yet, for the Christian, it is clear.

Our freedom in Christ allows us, indeed challenges us, to live a life of service and love of neighbor. We are not bound by the "slavery" to self-interest, self-promotion, or self-protection.  We need not remain "enslaved" to the chains of self-doubt, self-pity, or self-righteousness.  We have been freed to be selfless, self-effacing, and self-sacrificing. In other words, to live and love like Jesus.

It really is that simple.  And that difficult.  We are free. We are servants. In Christ, this works and in Christ, this makes perfectly merciful sense! 

Jesus, the breaker of chains, guide us to choose freedom of service over slavery to self. Amen.

Devotion for Tuesday, May 17 (Letter to the Galatians)

There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male or female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.  And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise (Galatians 3:28-29)

In a world that seeks to divide us and place barriers between us, Jesus seeks instead to unite us.

These barriers include ethnic, religious, regional, political, cultural, social, economic, and gender biases that make for an "us-them" dynamic.  The kingdom of God, however, seeks to promote and provide a "we" dynamic.

The worldly divisions that mark our lives are washed away in the waters of baptism.  Then those who were enemies and strangers can find peace and hope in a common relationship that they share with Jesus.

I've often remarked that my relationship with Jesus seeks to shape all my other relationships. Indeed, in Christ we are made a new creation -- not bound by definitions others give us or that we give ourselves.  Instead, we are defined most fully and most completely by the claim that Jesus has upon us.  And so is our neighbor!

Loving Jesus, may you guide us to live and love like you! Amen.

Devotion for Monday, May 16 (Letter to the Galatians)

We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is justified not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ ... I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing (Galatians 2:15,21)

One of my favorite verses in scripture.  "I do not nullify the grace of God."  What a word of hope.

So many people live with shame, brokenness, doubt and self-pity.  These words become healing balm for our woundedness and pain.

The grace of God is greater, bigger, and stronger than our sin.  Period. Exclamation point!

If our good works can't save us, then perhaps our bad works can't damn us either.  Perhaps, just perhaps, it's God's call.  And what we know about God is that He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love! 

So, as you begin this week, hear and believe these powerful and promissory words my friends,

YOU DO NOT NULLIFY THE GRACE OF GOD! 

Compassionate God, your grace and love trumps our sin and shame. Thank you! Amen. 

Devotion for Friday, May 13

Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11: 28-30)

Have you ever wondered why a pastor wears a stole (the colored fabric that lays over the shoulders of the robe)?  It is in remembrance of this passage from scripture.  The stole is the pastor's yoke.

Scripture is so interesting.  Jesus says, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me."  Taking up the call of Jesus, which involves the cross and the sacrifice born from faithfulness, is not one that I would immediately categorize as a light burden or easy yoke in my experience.

Yet, in a way I see them as compatible.  And not simply compatible, but congruent if you will.

There is no way that I could follow Jesus into the sacrifice and cross bearing moments of discipleship, if I did not also have the assurance that in doing so, Jesus will lighten and ease these burdens of faithfulness.

Inviting us to come to him, amidst the burdens and weariness of discipleship, is the promise that gives us strength to face them as they occur.  As I put on my stole each week, I am aware that my calling to serve as a pastor of the church comes with uncertainties, fears, and wearisome burdens. The yoke of Jesus allows me to live into this call with more strength and greater hope than I could muster on my own.  It is the work of Christ in my life that makes the struggles of the pastorate lighter and easier if you will.

The same is true for you.  The yoke of your baptism assures you of this.  So, come to Jesus.  He will give you what you need as you follow His call in your own life.

Loving Christ, may we find comfort and peace in the gift of your love. Amen.

Devotion for Thursday, May 12

The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. (Matthew 9:37)

Do we really believe and trust what we say we believe and trust?

If so, then there should be no shortage of laborers for the harvest.  

The heart of the gospel message of Jesus is that we have a God who comes near, who values and changes our lives toward God's purposes, who promises to never abandon us amidst our struggles, and who then invites us to heal, love, support, and care for others as God has first done for us.

This is a powerful message we have.  This is a life-changing and life-giving message that we have. I simply hope that I am laboring for this message in the lives of others as fully as I could be.

I once heard the Christian speaker, Tony Campolo speak at a national men's conference.  He said that Lutherans had (his words) "the best theology."  He then said, "It is a shame you don't know how to sell it."  This indicts us, but it also challenges us to grow.  

The message of Jesus says that no shame, no sin, no struggle, and no difficulty defines us.  We are free to live as righteous people simply because Christ has claimed us as His own.  Therefore, our "good news" to those around us is that we have been given a freedom to love others and live in peace with each other because we are not bound to seeing each other as rivals or enemies. Instead, we can see each other as brothers and sisters.  

My prayer is that we can so internalize this good news message of Jesus that our default reality will be one of sharing how beautiful it is to live in the promise of God's grace.  It is freeing.  It is life-giving. It is the best and most fully hopeful way to be human.  

Don't you think this is something worth sharing?

Lord of the harvest, may we find the strength and faith to live and share the good news. Amen.  

Devotion for Wednesday, May 11

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at a tax booth; and he said, 'Follow me.' And he got up and followed him. (Matthew 9:9)

People ask me quite often, "How could these people simply leave everything behind and go with Jesus?"  I must admit, I wonder that myself too.  Still, the biblical witness is that they did exactly this.

Later in this reading, we come to find that the religious authorities did not take kindly to Jesus breaking their purity laws of who was appropriate to relate to and eat with.  Matthew, a tax collector, was seen by the Jewish people as a traitor.  He worked for the oppressive Roman regime, and would tax the people more than he needed to so as to make himself wealthy.  The people couldn't argue because the tax collector had the power of the empire behind him.  No wonder the people hated the tax collectors.

And then here is Jesus showing grace and mercy to Matthew.  We are told that other tax collectors (and sinners) were eating with Jesus.  I imagine that this was quite refreshing for Matthew and the others, to be invited by a religious leader to eat with him.  I can't imagine they got many of these invitations.  While certainly not in the same exact way, the tax collector was an outcast not dissimilar to the leper.  And Jesus' embrace of Matthew and the others was consistent to his message of a big tent kingdom of God.

In fact, Jesus says as much when he says, "For I have come not to call the righteous but sinners." We can suppose that this includes everyone, even those who believed they were the righteous ones.  Jesus was changing a paradigm in a significant and controversial way.  He offers a maddening equality that is not easily digested.

So, I have come to believe that the reason people simply left to follow Jesus was born from His willingness to invite them and include them when their culture did not.  Following Jesus gave them an identity that was different from what society claimed for them.  I can imagine that for those whom have felt marginalized, an invitation to inclusion was worth a drastic change in their life.

I believe we can identify with this!

Inviting Lord, help us be as open to others and you have been to us all. Amen.    

Devotion for Tuesday, May 10

A windstorm arose on the seas, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but [Jesus] was asleep.  And they went and work him up, saying, 'Lord, save us! We are perishing!'  And he said to them, 'Why are you afraid, you of little faith?'  Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a dead calm.  They were amazed, saying, 'What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?'

The scene described here is rather humorous.  As a storm rages around them, the disciples freak out and worry.  And while this happen, Jesus sleeps.  They wake him.  He basically says, relax y'all, and ends the storm.  But then there is a dead calm, which is not good for a sailboat either.  They aren't in danger, but can't go anywhere either.  I always wondered if the "dead calm" was Jesus' way of saying, "Now, sit here and consider why you were so afraid.  And let me get some sleep."

Storm and anxieties and struggles swell up around us in life.  Jesus is there with us. We implore Jesus to save us.  He does and then invites us to consider why were afraid in the first place.  Jesus is regularly saying, "Do not be afraid."  And what might this mean to him and for us?

Now fear is real for us in many ways.  However, I don't believe Jesus is saying that being afraid is somehow akin to being unfaithful.  Instead, I see Jesus as reminding us here that being afraid can lead us to forget the power of faith and hope.  When he says, "Do not be afraid" it is a call to not allow fear to take prominence over our faith.  Even amidst fear, we can dare to have faith and believe that the storms that seek to overtake us, cannot do so with Jesus by our side.

And Jesus is always by our side.  Storms will come.  Waves of fear can seek to drown us.  But the calm of Jesus will win out always.  It is the promise of faith that we can believe this even amidst all evidence to the contrary.

As my friend Tom says, "Don't tell God how big your storm is, tell your storm how big your God is!"

God of calm amidst the storm, may we live amidst our fears and storms with faith and trust. Amen.    

Devotion for Monday, May 9

When Jesus had come down from the mountain, great crowds followed him; and there was a leper who came to him and knelt before him, saying, 'Lord if you choose, you can make me clean.' He stretched out his hand and touched him saying, 'I do choose. Be made clean.' (Matthew 8: 1-3)

In the purity system of Jesus' day, lepers were outcasts, who had to live away from others.  If they came into view of non-lepers, they had to shout "unclean" so as to not pollute other people.  This was part of the religious system that sought to keep others pure and holy in relationship to God.  If you were to touch a leper, you would be ritually unclean and unable to attend worship in the temple, etc.

I imagine having to stay away from others and also warn others to stay away from you must have been psychological torture.  For this leper to still have the self-worth to approach Jesus is miraculous in my estimation.  To value himself, even though his entire society shuns him, is remarkable to me.

Jesus receives this man's request and says amazing words, words that this man was not used to hearing, if he ever heard them at all.

"I do choose [you]. Be made clean."  I imagine that hearing these words from Jesus were as life-giving and healing as the actual cleansing.  Jesus should not have chosen him, based on cultural and religious teaching.  Yet, he does so out of compassion.  And this act of love changes this man's life.

Jesus chooses you too.  Jesus chooses us even though we are marginalized by sin and brokenness and doubt and shame.  And if Jesus chooses us then we can dare to choose each other and offer the same healing hope through our own mercy and support.

Healing Lord, help us to find strength to value ourselves and value others. Amen.  

Devotion for Friday, May 6 (Sermon on the Mount Week Three)

Now when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority (Matthew 7:28)

Who has authority in your life?

For many of us, there are multiple authorities in our lives.  The laws of our nation are an authority. Our families can be an authority for us.  Friends. Co-workers. Philosophies of finances and politics. All of these serve to offer their authority in our lives.

The people who first heard Jesus speak were astounded by his authority.  This presumes I think that they did not expect this authority to speak to them, at least at first.  But it did. And it changed them.

I believe that part of what made the words of Jesus in the sermon on the mount so effective and authoritative was that it was an alternative reality to what they had so often heard and experienced. Jesus spoke of God bringing blessing to those on the margins and those suffering.  Jesus spoke of a divine call for the faithful.  Jesus spoke of loving others.  Jesus spoke of offering forgiveness generously.  Jesus challenged them on lackadaisical and lukewarm faithfulness that did not take justice for others seriously.  Jesus warned of intentions as roots of unfaithfulness.  And Jesus confidently told them of God's fidelity and power.  

In a way, Jesus was simply reminding the people of their own story.  He was speaking within the authority of the mighty acts of God in their history.  He was speaking with the authority of the prophets, the law, and the great narratives of their faith.  Jesus was reminding them of who and whose they are.

Are we so different from them?  We need to be reminded of our story.  We need to be reminded that God has not, and never will, abandon us.  We need to be reminded that Jesus can change our hearts and our minds.  We need the hope that Jesus gave them in our lives now too.

Jesus, lead us and guide us and change us. Amen. 

Devotion for Thursday, May 5 (Sermon on the Mount Week Three)

Everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.  The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock (Matthew 7: 24-25)

Today is the National Day of Prayer.  

As we seek to build our lives on the rock of Jesus, prayer is, as Jesus commands, vital to our ability to do so.  He says that we who act on his words of hope and promise will find security and strength in God.  This is, as Luther says, most certainly true.

Luther wrote the hymn, A Mighty Fortress is Our God.  In this hymn, Luther paints the dramatic image of God as the place of refuge and safety and security in our lives.  It is a powerful image of a stronghold where we can find solace amidst stress and anxiety and pain and suffering.  

I think of this when I engage our reading today.  As we follow the teachings of Jesus, we enter the stronghold of God.  We take up residence in the mighty fortress of grace, mercy, forgiveness and love.  When the flood of fear and the winds of worry seek to overtake us, then we can dare to trust that we will not fall.  

These words from Jesus today come near the end of his sermon.  And rightfully so.  After speaking life-giving words of promise and challenge and hope and blessing, Jesus says that they make no difference in our lives unless we internalize them and act because of them.  

As we do, we will find that the uncertainty of life will be met by the assurance of faith.

Mighty God, may we find our security fully in you. Amen.    

Devotion for Wednesday, May 4 (Sermon on the Mount Week Three)

A good tree cannot bear bad fruit (Matthew 7:18)

Bearing fruit is the term we use to describe the results experienced when we follow Jesus. Living in an agricultural society, it makes sense that Jesus would use this phrase for his hearers, who would have made the necessary connection easily and readily.  

As we have moved into an industrial  and technological society, this image may lose a bit of its power for us.  Still, I believe, it proves to be effective when we consider how our lives of faith will foster blessing and sustenance around us.

As the people of Jesus we are called to bear fruit.  We are called to be purveyors of hope and joy and possibility.  We gather to inspire each other and support one another and challenge each other and care for one another.  We are invited to take this message of the Gospel into the rest of our lives so that others may come to experience the good news of Jesus in their lives too.  

Ours is an amazing message!  It is a message bound to the ministry of Jesus, who came among us as God in the flesh, who modeled faithfulness and obedience, and who through a cross and empty tomb reconciled the broken and sinful world to the promise and blessing of God.  And this is given to all people for all time.  

As we share this message in word and deed, as we love like Jesus, live like Jesus, and forgive and show strength like Jesus, then fruit will be born in our lives, in the lives of others, and in this world that God so loves.  

Consider this day how you can bear fruit? How are you uniquely gifted to bear fruit?  What people and situations are ripe for your kingdom work this day? 

Jesus, your life sought to offer and bring new life. May our lives do the same. Amen.  

Devotion for Tuesday, May 3 (Sermon the Mount Week Three)

In everything, do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets (Matthew 7:12)

Jesus offers that the entirety of the law and prophetic tradition comes down to this: treat others as you want to be treated by them.  This is fantastically simple and powerfully persuasive.

I've often wondered if everyone took this to heart, as Jesus would desire, then our world would be very different indeed.  I imagine that it would look and feel like heaven.  

Whereas conventional wisdom often leads down a different path, a path that prizes our needs and desires above those around us, Jesus calls us an alternative worldview, one where we prioritize the needs of others above ourselves.  I wonder if the tension between these two paths is at the heart of the struggle we can often face in our journey of faith.

This call from Jesus is called the Golden rule.  It is a rule that, when followed, will not always be easy nor necessarily rewarding.  It could lead us to times a great sacrifice and moments of letting go of our pride and desires.  

Yet, this will also lead us into the fullness of the kingdom of God.  It will.  It does.  It has.  We know this through our previous travels down the path of Jesus.  While we don't always take this path in our daily living, the more often and more faithfully that we do will bring with it a deeper experience of the abiding presence of God.  

So let us walk together this difficult path of Jesus!

Loving Lord, lead us in right paths for your sake and the sake of the world. Amen. 

Devotion for Monday, May 2 (Sermon on the Mount Week Three)

Ask; and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock; and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. (Matthew 7:7)

I have often heard this quoted in a context in which it assumes that God is kind of like a divine genie.  If we ask God for what we want, we will get it.  And the truth is that I feel like this is true ... so long as we ask the right kind of question.

I have prayed fervently with people for their loved one to be healed.  I have prayed for people to find a job, to find reconciliation for their relationships, and to find peace for their burdens.  Sometimes what I prayed for happened.  Sometimes, it did not.  

Still, the promise and power of prayers is that it changes the one praying in such a way that whatever outcome occurs, they are better able to live with it and through it.  And this, I believe, is at the heart of what Jesus invites us to consider through our prayers.

Jesus offers that God hears our prayers.  And this is no small assurance.  Jesus characterizes the Father as one who is invested in us and our experiences.  This means that whatever happens to us or those we love is of concern to the God who cares for us.  

The strength, comfort, and peace that we find amidst difficulty is a way that God answers our prayers too.  It may not seem as gratifying as a miraculous healing or an immediate yes to whatever we pray for in the moment.  

In actuality, it may be the most wonderful answer we could ever hope for in prayer.  When we receive the reassurance that God listens, cares, and will supply the necessary spiritual sustenance to face all of life's trials and struggles, then we can boldly and faithfully live with courage and hope.  

So, ask, seek, and knock.  God is listening and God will bring blessing to you.

God of grace, grant us the strength to live with hope in all times.  Amen.