LXXXVI Be Still in God’s Presence (6/21) Be still and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10) We need a still point in the turning world, as T.S. Eliot counsels. We need a center in the cyclone. Life is coming at us fast. Though many of us shelter in place, our lives are anything but peaceful. We lament the rising death tolls from the Coronavirus. We feel the pain of those who protest injustice. We struggle with our own sense... Read more
The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost Genesis 22:1-14; Psalm 13; Jeremiah 28:5-9; Romans 6:12-23; Matthew 10:40-42 This week’s stories are all challenging, spiritually, ethically, and relationally. We need to take exception to the story of Abraham and Isaac to be faithful to the God of grace. Following Christ is ultimately about a life-giving lifestyle, not violence or fear. To be honest, I am unsure what to do with the passage related to Abraham and Isaac. Given the realities of trauma and... Read more
LXXXIV Celebrate Freedom (6/19) I shall walk in liberty for I have followed your precepts. (Psalm 119:45) Today is Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day and Jubilee Day. On June 19, 1865, the Emancipation Proclamation – which had been issued on January 1, 1863 – was read to newly freed African Americans in Galveston, Texas by General Gordon Granger. On Juneteenth, our calling is to let freedom ring for every citizen, regardless of color. Here in the USA, we face... Read more
LXXXIII Longing for God (6/18) As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. My soul thirsts for the living God. (Psalm 42:1-2; read Psalm 42 in its entirety.) God is passionate and wants us to be passionate in our quest for relationship with our Creator. In today’s Psalm, the author yearns for an encounter with God. He wants the refreshment of a personal relationship with his Parent and Creator. He wants God to... Read more
LXXXII Compassionate Companionship (6/17) Happy are those who consider for the poor; God delivers them on the day of trouble. (Psalm 41:1) The poor need plenty of consideration these days. The pandemic, along with the recent protests, have had an inordinate impact on those who are most economically vulnerable. Many persons on the front lines during the pandemic make barely more than minimum wage – nursing home aides, farmworkers, non-union store clerks, delivery persons. Moreover, the pandemic has led to... Read more
LXXXI. Taste and See that God is Good (6/16) O Taste and See that God is good. (Psalm 34:8; read Psalm 34:7-10) Can you imagine a tasty God? Can you imagine a beautiful God? Can you imagine a sensational God? A God filling your senses with beauty? A God whose presence inspires wonder and amazement? While God cannot be encompassed by the world or be visualized like an ordinary object, traces of divinity are found in all things. All creation... Read more
LXXX Blessing God (6/15) I will bless God at all times. (Psalm 34:1; read Psalm 34:1-6) What does it mean to “bless” God? We usually think of blessing others or asking for God’s blessing. But blessing God? Can our blessings contribute to God’s wellbeing? Can we add to God’s joy by our lives? I think it means honoring or glorifying God. I think it means giving God praise. But what does it mean to praise God? When I think of... Read more
LXXIX Fear in Perspective (6/14) The Lord is My Salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid. (Psalm 27:1. Read Psalm 27 in its entirety.) There is a difference between fear and prudence. There is a difference between courage and folly. It is said that courage is prayer that has said its prayers. I believe that prudence is concern that has prayerfully explored the interplay of cost and benefit... Read more
LVIII The Earth Belongs to God (6/13) The Earth is God’s and all that is in it; the world and those who live in it. (Psalm 24:1) In a time of pandemic, it is important to remember who’s ultimately in charge of the universe and to whom our ultimate allegiance belongs. It’s important to place our challenges within the larger perspective of God’s presence in the created order – the earth, sky, land, and sea, the flora and fauna, ponds,... Read more
The Third Sunday after Pentecost Genesis 21:8-21; Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17; Romans 6:1b-11; Matthew 10:24-39 The Third Sunday after Pentecost highlights God’s presence in conflict and threat, both internal and external. Fear and violence are not denied, but God is faithful, whether we are wandering in the wilderness, facing our own sin, or trying to live, despite our imperfections, by our highest values. In the course of the challenges we face, we may need to take a stand, and God is... Read more
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